Racer Session #060 | Kate Olson & Naomi Siegel | March 20, 2011

This week we are excited to present several new, original works for soprano saxophone and trombone that highlight the timbral range and contrast of these two instruments. We will explore dynamics, role, electronics, and motivic development in a way that highlights the complementary tone colors of the two instruments.

As improvisers, we can be tempted to avoid simplicity for the sake of creating a stimulating and “interesting” experience for our audience. When we do this, we cater to our moment-to-moment nature, not necessarily exploring one idea or one musical relationship long enough to really bring it to fruition.

This session’s challenge is to commit to one small idea for long enough to develop it intelligently throughout one cohesive, brief musical interaction. Strive to make it a compelling piece of music right from the start, really drawing out the essence and emotive quality of the improvisation. Maybe even think of it as a musical short story. Here's the idea for the progression of the session:

One half hour of nothing but duo improvisations. Keep it to about 3 minutes per improv to allow everyone to participate.One half hour of nothing but trio improvisations. Keep it to 5 minutes or less.The rest of the session is open, but keep in mind the idea of really owning what you’re playing in the interest of creating a “whole” performance, instead of a meandering improvisation.