Download the Performance score
Perform with a sandpaper-covered mallet on the sandpaper surface. Each character indicated is to be drawn with a distinct shape and the same number of drawing actions each time it is encountered. There are 14 different characters you must learn — C, i, P, H, E, R, …, S, T, O, rect, ., ?, !. Note that, for most characters, the written duration doesn’t matter; you should perform individual drawing actions as quickly and crisply as possible. However, for the characters C, rect, !, O, and S duration does matter as it scales the speed of the main drawing action. This section is amplified at the start. Ensure your tin can is right-side up until letter A. Dynamics are largely stable in this section. Given the same dynamic, the “butt” technique is expected to be softer than the mallet head.
Your tin can acts as a virtual amplifier for the sounds you make on the sandpaper surface. If the can is upside down on the table, little amplification is given. However, if you flip the can right-side up, your sound will be amplified through the speaker under your table. Moreover, if you lift the can off of the table, more amplification is given the higher the can is from the table.
Here you rotate your can sideways, pointing at another player indicated in the text (e.g. “right” indicates to point the can at the player furthest to your right). This amplifies the sound of this player’s actions through your speaker, in effect panning their sound to you. The gesture you should make is a quarter circle turning motion. Note that the strength of the amplification depends on your angle — pointing straight at them (90º) gives full amplification; 45º is half, and can down on the table is no amplification.
HereHere your can remains upside-down, however you move in vertically up and down to create a change in the processing of your amplified sound. When you raise it higher, the sound will get louder. A phasiness is also introduced to simulate moving the position of a virtual microphone akin to a doppler effect. This means that certain heights are linked to certain processing results, and therefore heights in cm are given throughout the score to give a precise sense of position relative to the table.
Your can now functions as a simple radio. The can must always be upside down and should remain on the table. Tapping the hole on the top of the can turns on a radio station. Tapping again with the same gesture turns it off. Sometimes the center player's can functions as a tuning dial and, when turned, changes the station of your radio.
Your can now functions as a radio tuner dial. Hold the can aloft at shoulder height. When you turn the can in clock-like circles you’ll create a click sound every 40 degrees; there will be 9 clicks total in a full circle revolution. The notation shows a rhythm of clicks to try to create; don’t worry about where you are in the circle, all that matters is the rhythmic timing of the clicks. You can turn the can in either direction or change directions. A tremolo indicates to turn the can quickly for a ratchet-like effect. If the can radio of the right or left player is turned on (see note 5), your dial will change the station of their radio.
Create sustains by discharging the can of compressed air without the tube affixed. Dynamics are created through changing the pressure on the button to let more or less air out. These gestures should be very quiet overall with punchy start and end points. The dynamics of both the compressed air sound and the sandpaper gesture should be roughly equal.
In this section the radio signal becomes a Numbers Station. A voice announces a number at the start of each bar which is indicated in the bottom staff. You play the same number of notes per bar as specified by the radio.
Your can controls the volume and station of a Numbers Station. The volume of the station is controlled with vertical movement and is notated from low to high on the staff - the bottom line is the can down on the table; the top line is 50cm above the table. The tuning is controlled by turning the can to the angle specified. Changing stations must always be done with a quick gesture. Note that the can sensors only register distance from the table when the can is not at an angle and thus an angle of 180º is always given whenever the can is moving up or down.
Rotate the can to affect the fine tuning of percussionist 3’s radio station. Hold the can in front of you at shoulder height and twist left or right in a clock-like motion. The middle line of the staff indicates that the can is pointing straight upwards (180º). Notes above the middle line indicate to twist the can clockwise; the top line indicates the can is upside-down at 0º. Notes below the middle line indicate to twist the can counter clockwise; the top line indicates the can is upside-down at 360º.
Your can now modifies the amplitude and processing of a noise stream depending on up/down vertical movement. Your can must always be upside down and never tilted sideways. The staff shows the vertical position of the can relative to the table in increments of 10cm — the bottom line is on the table; the middle line is 25cm above the table, and the top line is 50cm above the table. At letter N, a strobing effect is applied. Each time the center percussionist plays it changes the samples of the perri-air synthesis to match their timbre. At letter O, the strobing pulsations become attack sounds and changes in your vertical position change the samples used.
Play the tin can like a can of compressed air – putting your finger over the hole in the top starts the sound, lifting it off stops it. Note that there is a crescendo effect when you release each sustained note which happens at the end - the peak of the crescendo will always occur 0.5 counts after you release the note. The rhythms in the score show when to release the note, not when the note stop sounding. The sampled sounds that you hear are created by blowing air into a resonant vessel – the vessel that is used is given in text above your staff. You periodically change this sound set by performing a rapid knocking gesture, shown in the score as a tilted can with arrows; this gesture will not make a sound, but will change the vessel blowing to a new set of samples.
Sempre can right-side up. Start a note by dramatically slapping your hand down on the can, covering the opening and the distance sensor eyelet. Stop the note by releasing your hand — like Blow Vessels, the sound will actually end 0.5 counts after you release it. When you vertically lift the can off the surface the note will be filtered; a larger distance will filter higher partials.
SempreSempre can upside down. Tap the hole in the can to trigger a piano note; tap as if playing a piano key. Note that duration doesn’t matter; the previously tapped note is turned off by the next note’s onset.
Sempre can upside down. You no longer play individual pitches by tapping; notes are now played automatically when the whooshing electronic sound is at its peak. Rather than creating piano onsets, the vertical position of your can controls the virtual position of a muting finger on the C4 piano string. When higher, the muted string produces higher harmonics; when on the table, the fundamental pitch is produced. Moving the can also affects the speed of the electronic whooshes; faster movement yields more dramatic changes.
At letter S you are asked to improvise vertical gestures. At one before S, m. 343, you shouldn’t move and let the can remain down on the table. Then, at your discretion, pick up the can; this is the beginning of letter S. Improvise gestures to elucidate the harmonic string -> vertical movement coupling for the audience. At m. 347 cue the other percussionists. The music is now as written and your can should be 25cm high at the start of m. 347.
Sempre can right-side up. Visually dramatic actions create percussive samples taken from striking the interior of a piano with the pedal down. There are four different types of gestures: 1) a quick knocking gesture where you rapidly rotate the can 45º and then back to original position; 2) plunge the can down onto the table and let it remain there; 3) quickly lift the can back off of the table; and 4) when the can is down on the table, slap your hand over the top to cover the opening. Dynamics in quotation marks indicate the visual intensity of the action; e.g. a louder knock gesture should be more dramatic and have a larger motion than a softer one.
Moving the can up and down vertically changes the timbre of sustained piano clusters. M. 356 asks you to improvise gestures like those show in the video – this type of gesture should only happen when the can is 50cm or more off the table. Only improvise this gesture periodically; try to listen for the decelerating repeated sustain piano tones and perform this gesture in response to them. In terms of the up and down movement, know that when the can approaches the table a clear piano pitch emerges – avoid this sound until the last few bars of the piece.
Up/down motions with the can right-side up change the amplitude of a low bass rumble. It would be good to have a subwoofer for this one.
Sempre can upside down. Lifting the can off the table produces a plucked C4 string. The note is sustained as long as the can is held aloft. Turning the can left or right pans the sustained sound to other speakers. Always use sudden, jerky movements to change from one position to another.