Black MIDI: A Genre of Unplayable Keyboard Music

Black MIDI is an upcoming genre of keyboard music that uses gaming and MIDI software to create keyboard music so complex, so dense, that these works, playable only by computers, have note counts that sometimes stretch into the millions. The reason it's called Black MIDI is because of the extreme density of notes when realized on staff paper.

TTC's Dream Battle is a nice introduction to the genre:



And now for the real stuff. TheSuperMarioBros2's Bad Apple boasts 4.6 million individual notes:




This work by TheBlackMIDITeam has 110 million notes:



Kinda makes learning Chant de Linos seem like a walk in the park.

More Black MIDI links:

Rhizome
The Verge
Kottke

Is It Possible To Hack Practicing With The Addicting Properties Of Video Games?

Don't click on this link.

Really, don't. The above link goes to Cookie Clicker, one of the simplest, absurdest, and most addicting online games on the internet. The goal is merely to click on cookies and buy upgrades so that you can click on even more cookies.

Cookie Clicker is one of the most popular of a new genre of Idle Games, where the addiction to the game arises out of performing small actions and watching numbers go up. Justin Davis writes in an IGN review:

Idle Games seem perfectly tuned to provide a never-ending sense of escalation. They’re intoxicating because upgrades or items that used to seem impossibly expensive or out of reach rapidly become achievable, and then trivial. It’s all in your rearview mirror before you know it, with a new set of crazy-expensive upgrades ahead. The games are tuned to make you feel both powerful and weak, all at once. They thrive on an addictive feeling of exponential progress.

What if we could make practicing similar to that? Although Idle Games only require a minimum of attention and practicing an instrument requires a great deal of attention, perhaps the act of merely showing up and practicing could trigger a counter that over time went up, creating a desire to repeat the action that makes the counter go up even more. We can add performances, festivals, exams, auditions, goals, and outcomes, and all of these will serve to keep the total number of hours climbing ever higher.

This is an issue that fascinates me, although I don't as yet have a solution regarding how I could implement it in my studio. Many software solutions emphasize things such as overall studio management (Music Teacher's Helper), multimedia, multi-platform note-taking (Evernote), and pedagogical process (iScore). What I would love to implement is an addiction-creation mechanism that exists alongside a teacher's teaching process. A lot of us underestimate just how mind-bogglingly amazing video games are these days, how much wonder they create in the life of a child, and just how much addiction mechanisms are built into these games.

If you know of any products that could possibly fill this need, leave a comment.

But I'm serious, you really don't want to click on that link at the top of the article.

Call for Pianists: Canadian Operatic Arts Academy, May 1-25, 2014 in London, Ontario

Kathryn Tremills recently emailed me with info about the upcoming Canadian Operatic Arts Academy to be held from May 1-25, 2014 in London, Ontario. Kathryn writes about the program:

COAA is geared towards slightly less experienced pianists, although the schedule will be quite rigorous. A number of scenes are rehearsed and performed with piano, and regular masterclasses are held for which the students will play. They will have the opportunity to work with master performer and teacher Martin Katz and head of the COC Studio Ensemble, coach Liz Upchurch. The audition tour begins in November 9, DVDs accepted until Nov 29.

In other words, if you're interested in learning some rep and working with luminaries such as Martin Katz or Liz Upchurch with a view towards playing larger programs in the coming years, COAA might be the program for you. If you're able to catch the audition tour, here is the schedule:

London: November 9 & 10, 2013
Halifax: November 23, 2013
Montreal: November 24, 2013
Quebec City: November 25, 2013
Calgary/Lethbridge, AB: November 27, 2013
 Toronto: November 28, 2013
Vancouver: November 29, 2013
Amsterdam & Milano: January 2014

Kathryn Tremills is the Director of Collaborative Piano for the program. If you need more detailed info, you can email her at tremillsk [at] gmail dot com.

Link to official brochure

Art, Silence, and Pesky Cellphone Interruptions

One of the things that sucks about being a classical musician these days is that your performances frequently get interrupted by ringing cellphones. Unlike other genres of music, classical music thrives on its arrival out of silence, and these moments of transport are the most susceptible to electronic interruption.

 

What I love about this video is not just Christian Zacharias' thoughts on music and silence, but that the Göteborgs Symfoniker was wise enough to use this story as a marketable moment. One of the things that the orchestral experience can create is precisely the type of art that thrives in intimate silence that urban life cannot otherwise provide.

(Via Elaine Fine)

Peter the Piano-Playing Elephant

That looks like one happy elephant:



(Via The Well-Tempered Blog)

Classical Music and Social Media: A Changing Landscape Within a Changing Landscape

I've been reading some interesting thoughts on utilizing social media to build careers from press and blogosphere in the last few days.

Valentina Lisitsa built a huge following on her YouTube channel, and connected with new fans in a way that established artists didn't, or couldn't, writes Elizabeth Boyle in the Washington Post:

Lisitsa is sometimes surprised that her videos resonated so much with audiences. She’s an impeccable pianist who has been heralded by critics, but even the most famous musicians haven’t developed her large digital fan base. Pianist Lang Lang has fewer than 10,000 subscribers listed on his YouTube channel. Yo-Yo Ma has fewer than 2 million views. Itzhak Perlman? Fewer than 1 million view on his official channel, even though he joined YouTube a year before Lisitsa. Her dominance on the site is unparalleled.

“I think maybe people are very attached to the simple style,” she says. “I’m not dressing up for the videos. I’m not about fashion and don’t care about impressing people with elaborate productions.”

In other words, her genuineness of style connected more with YouTube audiences than the so-called greatest performers of the age, whose hired social media professionals couldn't gain anywhere near the same traction with this audience.

The most popular cellist in the world on Twitter: Zoe Keating. Norman Lebrecht mentions recent research by Nancy Baym on how Keating and other musicians utilize social media metrics to identify and connect with specific audiences. It turns out that Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and mailing lists are completely different segments of the community. But even the most elegant social media dashboard setups can't do the impossible: create the language and content that will help one connect with a specific audience. With the internet, the traditional gatekeepers (eek - I'm now one of them) don't have the influence that they once did. That's why it's possible that a so-called lightweight pianist can leapfrog the supposed greatest pianists of the age to become the world's most popular pianist on YouTube. (For the record, I adore Valentina's playing, and introduce her work to my students all the time).

Back in late 2005, there were a few weeks where I, having recently moved to Toronto to look for freelance work, had no gigs and was trying not to get depressed. So I started this blog, which started out slow, but over the ensuing years resulted in opportunity after opportunity presenting itself. It laid the groundwork for both much of the work that I have now, and helped me to realize that path that I felt I should follow, non-traditional as it was.

Back in 2005, there were only a few dozen classical music blogs around. Now there are hundreds, perhaps thousands. The challenging part about today's social media landscape is that platforms are reaching maturity, but the ground never stopped shifting. Classical music blogs might not have the impact that they did 5-7 years ago. Twitter may have peaked. Facebook is still an important vehicle, but it's saturated. Those involved in the arts know that their timelines are filled with endless Event and Page invites.

Being the first on board utilizing a certain technology or platform isn't as easy as it used to be. Nevertheless, there will be upcoming success stories, and some enterprising musicians will continue to bypass the gatekeepers and leapfrog their way into the profession in new and interesting ways.

Call for Submissions: The Royal Conservatory 2015 Piano Syllabus

One of the reasons that I haven't posted in a while is that I'm currently busy with a number of projects, including being on the revision team for both the technique and repertoire components of the Royal Conservatory's 2015 Piano Syllabus. This is the syllabus that will be used for pianists and teachers associated with the Music Development Program in the US and RCM Examinations in Canada.

The repertoire revision team will focus on the very best recent music for the developing pianist, from beginner to advanced levels, for inclusion on the next Piano Syllabus. We're looking for the kind of piano music that teachers will want to teach and that students will be inspired to play. We're looking for showstoppers rather than bland pedagogical material.

Below is the official Call for Submissions from Janet Lopinski, Director of Academic Programs at the RCM. You'll probably notice that the submission deadline is quickly coming up on October 15. We're considering already published material - composers, self-published music is acceptable as long as it is readily available on a website with clear navigation and download procedure, whether free or paid.

If you know of any composers or publishers who might benefit from this huge opportunity, please forward this post. To give you a sense of what the current Piano Syllabus is all about, you can check it out here. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me directly (collaborative piano [at] gmail dot com).

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share exciting news about a current project. We have begun the process of developing The Royal Conservatory Piano Syllabus, 2015 Edition. In an effort to make this a collaborative process, we are inviting you to submit recommendations for pieces to be included in the revised repertoire lists. The 2015 syllabus revision will focus primarily on updating the list of repertoire from the late 20th and the 21st century. As a valued member of our musical community, you have the potential to contribute suggestions that will be appreciated by teachers and students across North America.

Guidelines for Repertoire Submissions
·   You may submit up to 10 recommendations for repertoire selections suitable for any level from Preparatory through ARCT.
·   Recommended selections must be published works.
·   Submissions must include scans (PDF or other) of the music.
·   Complete publication information must be included. Your recommendation for the appropriate Royal Conservatory grade should be indicated at the top of the first page of the score.


Please send your recommendations, no later than October 15, 2013, to:
pianosyllabus2015@rcmusic.ca (you may reply directly to this email).


Best regards,
Janet
Dr. Janet Lopinski
DIRECTOR, ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
EXAMINATIONS
the royal conservatory
TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning
273 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON M5S 1W2