Macrocosmic Musical Instrument at the Logan Center for the Arts

Saturday, July 23 (8 p.m.)
 
Performance Penthouse, 9th floor
Logan Center for the Arts
The University of Chicago
915 E. 60th St.
Chicago, IL  60637

free and open to the public

Macrocosmic Musical Instrument features performances of Snail Cantos and Knitting, compositions by Eric Glick Rieman, as well as a set of improvised music by an ensemble. Musicians include Eric Glick Rieman (piano, melodica), Jon Hey (electronics), Fred Jackson (alto saxophone), Dan Godston (cornet, small instruments), Adam Zanolini (tenor saxophone, flute, percussion), Alex Wing (guitar, clarinet) and Lou Ciccotelli (drums).
 
Interspersed among these pieces will be field recordings of natural ecosystems, ecotone environs and urban soundscapes—in commemoration of World Listening Day. The field recordings will include sounds of machines, plants, and animals/insects, as well as natural processes.

The title of this event—“macrocosmic musical instrument”—is a phrase by Bernie Krause, describing the Earth, from Krause’s The Great Animal Orchestra.

Knitting (2012)
     “I composed the knitting pieces on the opposite end of our imitation Shaker dining room table from my partner, Jen, who is often knitting. Watching her work on projects inspired me to consider what the components of knitting are, and try to use some of these components in a series of pieces.
     “I attempted to reflect the contemplative and repetitive aspects of knitting in the playing of this piece on the piano. Repetition is prevalent, and many of the themes feel pleasant to play, at least for this pianist. Meditation, repetition, and breath, are three of my favorite things. The ensemble is instructed to augment this using various improvisational means.” – EGR 

Snail Cantos (2008-2014)
     “I composed my first graphic score that I made in collaboration with snails to try to include an animal's perspective in a piece. This led to a series of graphic scores, and later to the addition of more traditionally notated material and instructions.
     “Snails glide across substances without touching them, and they determine whether they touch what they move across. They secrete a layer of mucous, and then move across this, which allows them to move without contacting the surface which they are crossing. Making scores with these mucous trails, I found myself thinking that the score itself was a way of not touching the music. The score can never touch the music, and it can be a barrier between the musician and the music. I wanted to make something which would allow the musicians to touch the composition directly, if they wanted to.” – EGR