Project

Gestures: An Interactive Music Piece for Acoustical Ensemble and Shapers

Groups

Gestures [Natasha Sinha and Hugo Sol�s] is composed for six Music Shapers, two trumpets, two trombones, two violas, and one double bass. In this piece, the children use the Shapers to improvise and create audio gestures in response to the sound environment produced by the acoustic instruments. The Shaper's sounds are in turn derived from the acoustic. Gestures is a celebration of collaborative improvisation that conveys excitement, uncertainty and joy, and takes players and listeners on a journey to discover the complex yet simple roots of creativity. The compositional process of Gestures was itself quite unusual in at least two ways. First, the piece is the result of close collaboration between a graduate student specialized in electronic music composition and a 12-year-old composer. Second, the process and techniques involved in its creation were diverse and enjoyable, designed to encourage both creators to think in new ways. Drawing, singing, improvising and formalizing audio gestures were some of the methods employed to build the score. In fact, the unique experiences of two composers from different backgrounds, working and learning from each other, served as a basis for imagining the piece itself. Shared interests were passion to explore non-traditional techniques for the acoustical instruments, the desire to make Shapers an idiomatic instrument, the use of space as compositional element, and ultimately the desire to create an acoustic frame where freedom was the fundamental spirit for composers, musicians, young participants, and audience alike.