Anyone, anywhere, is invited to perform in Make Music Day’s presentation of Stones/Water/Time/Breath by Dean Rosenthal. These experimental music performances, where music is performed with stones at a body of water, will take place outside, in the world. Performances can be done following local and regional guidelines of safe social distancing, either solo or in small groups. All are welcome to perform, wherever they choose, and performances may take place at any point during the hours of June 21st to participate in Make Music Day. Sign-up here!
Note from the Composer:
This year at Make Music Day, I think Stones/Water/Time/Breath plays a special role, considering that it is piece that will always need to be performed outside. In the time of COVID, as we are slowing getting ourselves back into the world safely, we can join in an open, creative experience at any body of water, in small groups or solo performances to reconnect with performance and nature on our own or with a small group of fellow performers. Stones/Water/Time/Breath is very simple music, performed at any body of water with played with stones. Anyone can play and we hope you join us across the country to perform live again in the world and outside our spaces indoors. This year, we will see performances in Los Angeles, Chicago, Martha’s Vineyard, Woodstock and many other locales and we invite you to join us wherever you are!
The score to the performance is as follows:
Site-specific: outside, by the water, any body of water, like: a pond, the ocean, a lake, a stream, a river
Materials: stones. As many or as few as desired. Maybe they are already there.
Performance:
Arrive, set a start time, start.
Use the stones as elements or implements to make percussive sounds on the water.
Play the water with the stones.
Play singly, together, rhythmically, with solos, tuplets, common rhythms, irregular rhythms, cycles, patterns, with no rhythms.
There can be pauses.
No speaking.
When you feel the piece has ended, end the performance.
For any number of performers.
—–
For a download of the printed score, more information about the piece’s history, and a list of performances and several available videos, please go to www.stonespiece.com
Audio examples of the music can be found on the recording available on Edition Wandelweiser Records and streamed and/or purchased on Bandcamp or through international distributors.