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Explain • |
You're wondering what it is. So are we. Here it is in a nut shell... 1. Drake invites a group of improv savvy musicians (often members of The Primate Fiasco) to gather in one location. Drake verbally gives the Audience some sort of clue or suggestion as to what the evening's music is going to be "about" (example: We will each play a character in a swamp). 2. They make music in a free form style much like Ornette Coleman or Sun Ra use to do. There is no intended composition for the band to play. Everyone must be present with each other and follow each other's musical direction. In this example, they're thinking about a swamp at the beginning and who knows what by the end. This could go on for hours without stopping. The audience is also encouraged to add ideas and themes to the story. The event is recorded. 3. Next day. Drake listens to the recording and transcribes highlights of it to sheet music. Even if it's only a few seconds, it's part of the spontaneous jam that Drake would like to elaborate on. 4. He brings this new sheet music to the next Inside Out Show where some of the same, maybe some new musicians have congregated. Drake hands out the sheet music and adds a new twist to the story (example: We're still in a swamp but now it's frozen and the frogs are ice skating. New characters, new events) 5. They start playing what's on the page. At the time that they play past what's written, they keep playing whatever they feel (keeping ice skating frogs in mind at first). Hours later, the music has evolved far from the original idea. 6. This process repeats and repeats. Each time, the story evolves further and Drake's book of sheet music grows thicker. Eventually, a composition has formed in a way that could not have come from one persons mind.
So there it is. As you can see the nutshell is on the inside and the nuts have taken over. This can be done anywhere in the world with any musician who can improvise and be one with other musicians. This could go on for years. The further this project reaches, the better it will get. As Drake tours, playing with well known musicians at each stop along the way, perhaps your favorite artist will show up for a session. Maybe you will. Maybe ice skating frogs will actually show up to listen. This paragraph is not going to tell you how the project ends or what the final piece will be like. There is no prediction. We don't want to know. We just want to listen to it unveil.
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