[Stremes-l] Simply Jamming

[Kenneth Fields]

I (in Beijing) had a great Jam with Ethan Cayko at the university of calgary
yesterday. His master’s degree is concerned with rhythmic complexities/opportunities
of network music.

We tested the network for a bit, found some problems and ‘tuned’ our jacktrip connection.
There was a 215ms delay, which we determined amounted to about 140bps. 
however, when I started jacktrip in loop mode and Ethan played with the echo, 
we found the actual beat (ricochet) to be around 127bpm. Seems reasonable since 
a bit more delay is introduced by the software, hardware and actual-air in both studios.

Then we started jamming. It was a pleasure, just to sync into our particular 
beat profile based on our distance. The interesting part, is that we are hearing 
two different pieces - as I play off his beat and he plays off mine. We are, relatively
speaking, mutually one beat offset from each other's history.

We aim to add a third node, which will have its own unique delay time with each of us.
So with the addition of just one node, ethan will be playing in a complex rhythmic
mode and I will playing in another. While we will be hearing 3 different pieces as a result,
it will still be a unique composite - given the coupling/triangulating. We are playing 
simply and looking for emerging genre in this.

The main point in this for me, was that there was no intention but to jam. 
No theory, no crash rehearsal just before a performance. This is the way to develop a project.
When the music gets going, we can just open up the session, and start broadcasting to youtube.
Let the practice grow from a grounded, experiential reality.

We both commented afterwards, that we had been trying to get to that point
for a long time (years) - given all the complexities of (yes) organizing bandwidth, 
developing software, getting comfortable with the ‘multi-chronotopical space,’
starting courses and grad programs, writing grants, etc. Just play!

And it coincides with the impetus to get this list going.

AND I’m reading Bergson’s Creative Mind (intuition/time)…. 

Hmm, must be time.
Ken