For my something new collaborative I wanted to further reflect on my ideology of how I play my instrument as well as how I think music is “supposed” to sound. I thought a very useful way to challenge my ideology surrounding my playing would be to try something I had never done before. I chose to attempt playing free jazz in the style of Sun Ra’s Jazz Arkestra. Me and Aidan Marks agreed to do this collaboratively, and we brought in two other Davidson student musicians to help us, them being Sam Cifani on the keys and Elliot Frankel on saxophone. To further tie this experiment in to my portfolio I prompted the performance with the theme of my portfolio, asking everyone to play whatever inspiration came to mind when I asked them to reflect on their ideologies. I further prompted the performance by asking them to think about what reflecting on your ideologies would feel like. I suggested them to play in a way that felt pensive with occasional blasts of dissonance, which is how I imagine it feels to reflect on one’s ideology. These emotions guided the experience, creating a timeless droning ambiance with loud burts and melodic/rhythmic runs from each musician.
Note: I feel that we began explore more unique musical ideas around 1:43 after getting used to the feeling of playing in this style. Special thanks to Sam and Elliot!
