IN THE DEEP END Martin Kay Emily Granger Sophie Min Thomas Green Ben Shannon
composition/saxophone altered harp prepared piano electronics drums/gongs
In the Deep End was composed as a part of my Doctor of Musical Arts studies. Beginning with a Tibetan gong, collected on my travels in India, I made some ‘field recordings’ in a friend’s garage, recording the sound of the gong being struck in various ways. I analysed the vibration paterns of these samples through sofware, then used the results as a basis for designing a sound world. For instance, the partials were used to retune the harp and to choose which notes to prepare on the piano (the act of placing objects between the strings to alter the sound). The electronic artist uses sine waves based on the partial structure, as well as the original recordings, as a basis for improvisation. The results are several clustered sonic areas which interact in various ways throughout the work. For instance, there is the material based on harp partials and the unaltered, equally tempered, traditional tuning, whose relationship is explored through both notated elements and improvisation.
The idea of repetition plays an important part throughout In the Deep End, enabling an exploration of a relationship between expectation and unpredictability. Through notation, the amount of material carried through from one instance to another compositionally plays with this, as does the compositional calibration of ratios of composition and notation. Another way of thinking of this is as a dialogue between chaos, or disorder, and order. At the core of this idea, was the composer’s Gerard Grisey’s compositional correlates aimed at mapping the perceptual present, the multidimensional overlapping and fading of impressions which create a sense of continuity, and the unexpected impressions which rupture the flow of the moment. At the time of composing In the Deep End, I was thinking about how Grisey was working with the very temporal space improvisers create art within.
The voice of each improviser is a vital aspect of In the Deep End. Much of the score is skeletal, making the spontaneous interactions between performers a key element in the emergence of structural details. The history and gestural language of each performer is key, as well as the amount of time rehearsing, so as to develop a group language, and an intuitive understanding of mutual responses. Emily Granger, playing harp tonight, was involved in the evolution of the work from its inception, ofen receiving drafs as the ideas evolved. Ben Shannon and Sophie Min and I have performed with in many situations over the past few years. My last memory of performing with Tom Green involved me promenading an oversized paper mâché head around the Canberra National Gallery. I am looking forward to our performance tonight!
Performers Martin Kay is a saxophonist, clarinetst and composer who graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University with a Bachelor of Music and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Master of Music (classical saxophone performance) and his Doctor of Musical arts (composition) through Sydney University. In 2001 Martin studied improvisation in New York City on a Churchill Fellowship. In 2016 he atended the Banff International workshop for Jazz and Creative Music. He has performed with the Sydney, Queensland and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, the Malaysian and Auckland Philharmonic Orchestras and Opera Australia. Martin has recorded albums with The Fantastic Terrific Munkle (Music To Dance To/The Cahoots), Continuum Sax, Song Fwaa, Forage, and the Brisbane Conduction Orchestra. Martin has over twenty years’ experience at all levels of education from primary school through to tertiary. He currently lectures in saxophone at the Queensland Conservatorium. Martin maintains an interest in writing, commissioning and performing original music.
Emily Granger: Growing up in Kansas City Missouri, Emily began playing the harp at age 11. She has performed across the world including as Principal Harp of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Orchestra Victoria and Opera Australia Orchestra. Some of Emily's most notable performances include performing for the French President and Australian Prime Minister and recitals at the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room with recorder virtuoso Alicia Crossley and as a founding member of the Chicago Harp Quartet at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Curtis Institute of Music and Lyon & Healy Hall. Chicago Harp Quartet continues to commission, record and perform works for harp quartet across the United States and abroad. CHQ has released two albums to great acclaim.
Ben Shannon has performed alongside artists The Contortionist, sleepmakeswaves, Yitzhak Yedid, Katatonia, Caligula's Horse, Leprous, COG, Scot Tinkler, Robin Eubanks, James Morrison, The Black Sorrows, Troy Cassar-Daley, Tim Ruiz, Art Fristoe and Woody Wit to summarise an extensive list. Ben's last few years as a performer have been prolific, accruing over 500+ gigs in the last five years alone across all genres. His current projects include: Kodiak Empire, Milton Man Gogh, Brisbane Conduction Ensemble, SHAMIN, Found in Trees, Luke Dowset, Safety Club, Soul Mechanics, Valtozash Bigband, Cowbird, Martin Kay’s Forage, Strangely Enough, JUNE CARTEL, The Douldie Men, Ben Shannon Trio, James McIntyre Trio.
Tom Green has a reputation in Brisbane as a versatile composer whose focus is finding a musical home between many and varied streams, such as ‘pop’ and ‘classical,’ acoustic and electronic, concerts and records, and even ‘serious’ and ‘fun’. He is the recipient of various government grants, commissions, is a prizewinner in national composition competitions, and
has traveled internationally to pursue his interest in modern music. He has been involved with and composed music for a number of groups in Brisbane (and more broadly) pioneering new music; these include The Australian String Quartet and Collusion Music. His musical alter ego Praxis Axis is used for Tom’s creation of electronic music and sound design, and a preoccupation with found sounds. Tom regularly performs as a member of the Brisbane group Boss Fight, a band dedicated to live recreations of iconic videogame music. In 2015, Tom’s music was premiered around Australia and internationally, including a saxophone concerto with the Strasbourg Philharmonic and the Melbourne Metropolitan, and new works for Plexus (Melbourne). Tom also arranged Josh Pyke’s music for the Sydney Symphony. Presently Tom works at home in his composition studio completing a PhD in composition, under Robert Davidson at UQ, as well as freelance jobs for local artists. Tom teaches music and production at various institutions including UQ, the Queensland Conservatorium and Brisbane JMC Academy.
Sophie Min is a Brisbane based pianist, composer and improvising artist who expands on the proficiencies of the varied small ensembles by her unique pianism and explosive improvisation. She is an active composer whose work shows a distinctive personal aesthetic and who has become one of the most outstanding young jazz artists in Australia. Since completing her M Mus (2016), she recorded and produced an album, Min/Svoboda/ Hawkins, this recording investigates a wide range of practices and techniques in the jazz improvisational form showing strong interactions between each instrument. She also co-led, composed and arranged From All Sides Nimble (2018) and Hectic Moon Sprout (2018). She also has significantly contributed as a main pianist to Solace’ Kayleigh Pincot Quintet (2017) and Move to the Bleat Forage (2018). She recently engaged as a sessional instructor in jazz piano at the Queensland Conservatorium and she also teaches at the Young Conservatorium and her own music studio.