solo distorted vibraphone and multimedia
The Fool by Russell Wharton
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TSPCS23-006
PROGRAM NOTES
In tarot card reading, the Fool is the card that represents yourself as the main character in your life, which in the tarot is known as the “Fool’s Journey.” The Fool is characterized as somewhat of a Don Quixote-like figure—well-meaning and exuberant but also naïve, vain, and of course, foolish. The Fool has good intentions but stumbles through life, making many mistakes along the way.
This piece is an attempt to express empathy towards the more “foolish” sides of ourselves. Deep emotions are often connected to distant memories, so the music is simple and almost lullaby-like in an attempt to speak to the younger self inside us. Several techniques have been used to make the presentation of this piece seem old and degraded as if it were found on an old tape in a dusty corner of our childhood bedroom.
—Russell WhartonPERFORMANCE NOTES
The vibraphone playing should have an improvised and arrhythmic quality, in contrast to the rigid track. There are no strictly notated rhythms; instead, the spaces between the written pitches suggest the relative rhythms that each phrase should be performed with.
The written slurs are intended as guidelines for pedaling and for phrasing. The performer is encouraged to use discretion when determining pedaling/mallet dampening. The melody is written as a single line and should not be overly ringy; the audience should be able to hear every note clearly. That said, too much dampening can also be distracting!
Numerous performance directions have been provided: “wistfully,” “exhausted,” “sorrowful and bombastic,” “cathartic,” et cetera. Strive to create those moods as honestly as possible. With the quasiimprovised nature of the rhythms and phrasing, each performance can be a unique expression of the performer’s inner life.
An optional video has been provided. It is a simple video of an old Windows screensaver, but I find that it helps set the audience’s mood in just the right way. If performing with the video, make the room as dark as possible. Use a small stand light if needed, but try to block it from the audience’s view. If you can perform just by the light of the video, you will create a very special environment for your audience.
VIBRAPHONE DISTORTION
The vibraphone sound should be heavily altered to produce a buzzy, distorted, “lo-fi” quality. The goal is for the instrument to sound as if it is coming through an old broken radio. The amount of distortion should be consistent across every note and must be present even at low dynamic levels. This can be done in one of two ways:
1. Place two strips of foil underneath the bars and on top of the resonators (one strip for the naturals, one for the accidentals). This is a relatively simple and low-tech way to achieve the sound, although you will need to experiment with the exact placement of the foil and the openness of the vents to get the most buzz possible.
2. Distort the vibraphone sound using live processing, either using effect pedals or digitally using a DAW such as Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or similar. This is the approach that was taken in the official video recording accompanying the piece, using a combination of distortion, bitcrushing, filtering, and reverb. Using that recording as a guide, feel free to use your own effects or plug-ins to create a sound that you feel is appropriately lo-fi and broken. This approach requires a higher degree of tech literacy but may offer more freedom and consistency of sound.
TECHNOLOGY NOTES
Included as downloadable media are two accompaniment files and three reference recordings.
Accompaniment audio/video to be used in performance:
• Video accompaniment (with audio)
• Audio accompaniment (if performing without video)
Reference audio/video:
• Reference video — accompaniment video with live performance recording of the vibraphone
• Reference audio — live recording of the composer performing the piece
• Performance — 4K video of the composer performing the piece
