Greta Eacott: Breathing Exercise (2018)

Greta Eacott Breathing Exercise

(2018)

for or a group of six or more players (no previous experience necessary) Dur. > 5′

Commissioned by New Maker Ensemble, UK Premiered 12th July 2018 at Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias, Madeira

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Greta Eacott Breathing Exercise

(2018)

for or a group of six or more players (no previous experience necessary) Dur. > 5′

PERFORMANCE NOTES

PERFORMING Breathing Exercise

Instrumentation To perform Breathing Exercise each player needs 1 piece of handheld percussion* & a drum stick.

To Begin - Resting Position When all players are in their positions, standing in resting position – the piece can begin. Any player can begin the breathing exercise, thereafter all other players come in 1-by-1 in a random order.

Setup Players should be spread out across the performance space, facing in any direction they like. Ensure that each player has enough space to raise and lower their fully extended arms without touching the other players around you.

Notes Zooming in & Out: Focus on finding & tuning into the rhythm of your own breathing.

Once you have settled fully into that try zooming out to focus on the sound & patterns which are created by the group as a whole. *Handheld percussion – this could be conventional percussion such as a woodblock/ cowbell or any small object that can be held in one hand comfortably – and makes a satisfying sound when struck with a drum stick.

Step A - Breathing In Starting in the resting position, take a slow & full breath in. As you do so, raise your fully extended arms from resting position towards position 1. Your arms should raise at the same pace as you breathe in – so that you reach Position 1 at the same moment as you reach the end of your breath in. When you reach that position, your drum stick and percussion should make contact to create a single sound.

Step B - Breathing Out Straight after the hit at position 1, begin a slow and full breath out. As you do so, lower your fully extended arms toward Position 2. Again, follow the pace of your breath, so that you reach Position 2 at the same moment as your reach the end of your breath out.

At which point your drum stick and percussion should make contact to create a single sound.

Continue Repeating Steps A & B To End - Resting Position: When a player has the desire to finish, they simply come to a stop in the resting position. Thereafter all other players can slowly come to a stop, as & when they like.

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repeat …

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position 2

position 1

Breathing

Exercise