tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23121356408637411152024-02-19T08:15:17.656-08:00Studio Notesverbal accretions through processSeth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-60881519228061987062013-12-23T13:44:00.003-08:002013-12-23T17:13:08.261-08:00Synanon & The Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In many ways, the roots of the Troubled Teen Industry can be found in <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/08/cult-spawned-tough-love-teen-industry">Synanon</a>, the California community that started in 1959 as a rehabilitation program for drug addicts. Over several decades, Synanon evolved into a huge, cultish network with thousands of members.<br />
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At the center of the Synanon program was a practice called The Game, wherein community members would meet in a large circle to confront and berate each other on perceived shortcomings. The Game could be a cathartic process of purging negative feelings - it could also be a powerful tool for social control through public humiliation. The Game was played three times a week (a pattern very similar to TTI programs such as <a href="http://liamscheff.com/surviving-cedu/cedu-documentary-cedu-raps-and-the-synanon-game/">CEDU</a>) in sessions lasting several hours. Games were recorded and could then be reviewed at listening stations. Apparently, certain Games (or edited versions of them) became classics and would be listened to and studied over and over. Later in the evolution of Synanon, Games were broadcast over a low-watt
radio station called The Wire and could be tuned in from various places
throughout the commune. The Game became a bonding exercise, communication tool, therapy, psychodrama and entertainment all in one. It was the defining feature of the Synanon experience and it had a huge impact on community members. When former members left to start their own programs, they brought The Game with them.<br />
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There is one fundamental difference between the use of The Game at Synanon and in the TTI, however. Despite the cultish, manipulative atmosphere of Synanon, members were there by choice and more or less free to leave at any time. Teens in TTI programs have been coerced, tricked and often outright <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_escort_company">kidnapped</a>. They are not free to leave, and they are not free to opt out of Game-like "Raps", confrontation therapy sessions, traumatic reenactment therapies, etc. While the Game was never an exercise in honesty (creative exaggeration and hyperbole was an aspect of successful "play"), similar practices in the TTI encourage and even enforce false confessions. Ever more extreme "truth telling" is required to demonstrate enthusiastic participation (and therefore movement through the levels and eventual freedom). This severely compromises the essential structure of the group exchange.<br />
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Because of the extreme containment of TTI programs, along with the psychological manipulations of sleep deprivation, nutritional deprivation, solitary confinement, etc, the "reality" within programs becomes extremely malleable. Teens find themselves trapped within the enforced Double Bind of "playing at not playing", creating an atmosphere where one begins to believe one's own lies. The TTI uses these techniques to create the illness which it then proposes to treat. <br />
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Despite having read many accounts of The Game, the specific dynamics of play are still obscure to me. I'm considering a trip to UCLA to access the <a href="http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf9k4009h9/">Synanon archives</a> that are held there. In order to understand the coercive application of group "therapies" in the TTI, I need to better understand the social experiment of The Game.<br />
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To read about Synanon in more depth, I would recommend starting with this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Incorporated-Synanon-Personal-Account/dp/0891411127/ref=pd_sim_b_3">insider account</a> or this balanced but largely <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Rise-Fall-Synanon-California/dp/0801865832/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1387831566&sr=8-2&keywords=synanon">sympathetic study</a>.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-76296591158624321662013-12-08T15:50:00.002-08:002013-12-08T15:52:22.279-08:00The Double Bind / Critical Pedagogy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reading through the many <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/TroubledTeens">survivor accounts, journalistic stories and angry rants</a> about the Troubled Teen Industry, it's hard not to be overwhelmed. A few concepts have emerged recently that help me to organize my reactions. They're new to me and deserve more research, but here are some initial thoughts.<br />
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First is the notion of the <a href="http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/index.php?topic=30423.0">Double Bind</a>, a form of coercion that creates an impossible contradiction, such as the command to "Be Spontaneous". The Double Bind is a form of psychological manipulation, and it's at the heart of the TTI. Contradictory commands (especially when applied with harshly punitive consequences) create a state of disassociation, a separation from the self.<br />
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Within the TTI, Double Binds pile on top of each other and compound: "You don't admit you're sick, therefore you must be sick.", "Rules are agreements, agreements must be followed.", "I am punishing you because I care for you.", "You're here, therefore you want to be here." and "You will learn self-control by giving up all forms of self-control." The resulting state of disassociation produces binds within the mind: "To become well, I must become sick.", "To be real I must pretend."and "I must play at not playing this game."<br />
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The world inside Troubled Teen programs is completely isolated and produces its own reality. <a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/CEDU_lingo">Complex jargon</a> is used to re-name things, producing linguistic Double Binds. For starters, what should one call people who are held, against their will, in Troubled Teen programs? Clients? Patients? Prisoners? Usually they are simply called Teens. The identity of each "teen" is constantly assaulted - through sleep deprivation, nutritional deprivation, forced restraints, isolation and physical labor. The more resistant they are, the more they are punished: "The more you struggle, the more you will be restrained."<br />
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At the largest level, the structure of the TTI is itself a Double Bind, because it is a for-profit enterprise - and a very lucrative one. Care for teens is contradicted by the desire to maximize profits. This creates a Double-Bind for the (poorly-paid, underqualified) staff who must learn to disassociate from any sense of human compassion in order to fulfill their role.<br />
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The second set of concepts I've encountered recently are the theories of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_pedagogy">Critical Pedagogy</a>, which reside on the opposite end of the spectrum. This set of ideas and practices advocates respect and equality for students, an awareness of social power relations, and a call for integration and action within the real world.<br />
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It's Critical Pedagogy that I plan to employ in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devised_theatre">devising</a> and rehearsing of this project.<br />
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(Thanks to Awake for the thoughtful and informative posts about the Double Bind on fornits.com) Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-23708912351875128572013-12-07T14:24:00.001-08:002013-12-08T15:55:31.800-08:00Culture of Behavior Modification<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Why is the Troubled Teen Industry an important topic for artistic exploration? (I'll leave aside for now the larger question of whether Art may or may not be useful for addressing social topics at all. I sometimes wonder... recalling the <a href="http://mindfulpleasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/poetry-after-auschwitz-what-adorno.html">famous Adorno quote</a>.)<br />
For one thing, there is the broader cultural drift I've been noticing - toward a widespread use of extreme penalization in new and increasingly "ordinary" contexts. The use and abuse of solitary confinement in prisons has been in the news lately and is an <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp/h%3Cspan%20class=%27pullme%27%3EIn%20short,%20when%20you%20empower%20a%20woman,%20you%20change%20the%20world%3C/span%3Ettp:/www.unfpa.org/www.fao.org/html/html/story.asp?NewsID=46205&Cr=torture&Cr1=#.UqOWJIX-Q7A">important human rights issue</a>. Solitary isolation has been recognized as a form of torture. But until recently, I was completely unaware of the use of isolation chambers in public schools (often used for students with autism or learning disabilities). I find this to be extremely disturbing - a clear example of police state creep.<br />
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Isolation chambers in public schools are disturbing for a couple reasons. First is the way our public education institutions are becoming <a href="http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/118863/The_War_on_Kids__The_Definitive_Documentary_on_the_Failure_of_the_Public_Education_System/">ever more transparently mechanisms of control</a> with the rise of "zero-tolerance policies". Our schools have become increasingly harsh in their enforcement of "normality" and increasingly punitive in how they deal with undesirable behaviors. Of course, these punishments are enforced discriminately, along lines of race and class. Students become familiar with extreme punishments at an early age, as the prison system is literally imported into the school. This has come to be called the <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=243720232">"school to prison pipeline"</a> - a subject I would like to research further.<br />
Second is the way these isolation cells represent the increasingly common use of psychological manipulation. These dark, padded rooms are tools for sensory deprivation - a technology for altering perception. It's one thing to <i>choose</i> to be in such a space, for purposes of meditation or psychological exploration. It's entirely another thing to be forcibly placed in such conditions, as a form of punishment. <a href="http://www.katu.com/news/local/Longview-school-district-aims-to-ease-concerns-over-isolation-booth-181284591.html">School officials state</a> that students often appreciate the quiet time, but I have my doubts.<br />
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The Troubled Teen Industry as a whole is founded on the misapplication of therapeutic and behavior modification techniques ("re-enactment therapy", "confrontation therapy", "bioenergetics" and so on). (And has also been known to use isolation for extended durations.) There is no scientific evidence for the efficacy of these "therapies" (especially when conducted by untrained staff), and much anecdotal evidence that these experiences are incredibly harmful for survivors, leading to symptoms of PTSD and other trauma. The spread of psychological manipulation from extremely specialized contexts (torture, interrogation, POW camps, etc.) into everyday life strikes me as extremely dangerous. Additionally, shifting therapy from voluntary to involuntary leads to a very vulnerable position known as the "double bind" - a concept I will explore further in my next post.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-16120916283571224942013-12-03T12:18:00.003-08:002013-12-07T13:18:07.694-08:00Therapeutic Boarding Schools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On July 11, 2011, I heard a <a href="http://www.opb.org/radio/programs/thinkoutloud/segment/mount-bachelor-academy/">Think Out Loud radio segment</a> about the now-closed Mt. Bachelor Academy in Eastern Oregon. The experiences described by survivors of this so-called therapeutic boarding school reminded me of something out of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073650/">Passolini's <i>Salo</i></a>. The descriptions of psychological abuse at this remote facility seemed unbelievable, nightmarish and very bizarre. I wondered if such places could actually exist, outside of official scrutiny and regulation. The topic immediately struck me as a rich vein for exploration - material for a quasi-narrative video installation. I did some quick online research and bookmarked a few promising sites but, being in the middle of another large project, I postponed any serious inquiry.<br />
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Over the last year and a half, I have been reading extensively in an attempt to come to terms with this subject. I learned that Mt. Bachelor is one small part of a network of programs referred to as the Trouble Teen Industry (TTI), which includes drug rehabilitation facilities, wilderness camps, boarding schools, boot camps, etc. These programs share many qualities, most obviously their use of a so-called "tough love" approach to behavior modification. The more I learned (especially through survivor accounts such as those found on <a href="http://www.fornits.com/">Fornits</a>) the more those initial stories of abuse were confirmed - and exceeded.<br />
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Given the horrific nature of these programs and the brutally real traumatic experiences of survivors, how could I possibly transform this research into a work of art? Even a phrase such as "rich vein for exploration" evokes a paltry aestheticization of the pain of others. At the same time, this topic begs for more attention. While there have been <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/us/students-recall-a-school-run-like-a-prison.html">articles about the TTI in mainstream publications</a>, most people I've talked to are unaware that these programs even exist. A <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3R4CpyP5CA">documentary film</a> is currently in production, and a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHbmYrmNE60">fiction film</a> was recently released. I'll be interested to see both. How does one approach The Real within these institutions? Not surprisingly, the most successful accounts that I've encountered so far have been memoirs created by survivors - such as the film <a href="http://vimeo.com/28493462"><i>Over the GW</i></a> and the book<i> </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Straightling-Memoir-Cyndy-Drew-Etler/dp/146990280X"><i>Straightling</i></a>.<br />
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The most helpful text I've found in understanding the larger philosophical issues surrounding the TTI is Phillip Zimbardo's <a href="http://www.lucifereffect.com/index.html"><i>The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil</i></a>. But, watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlUkzfITiSs"><i>The Experiment</i></a> loosely based on Zimbardo's 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, shows just how wrong a fictional translation can be. The film completely misinterprets the fundamental thesis of Zimbardo's experiment and book by ignoring the institutional and situational factors that lead to an abuse of power, instead falling back on the usual dispositional explanation (best summed up as the "few bad apples" theory).<br />
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I have been somewhat paralyzed by the many ethical and moral dilemmas this project raises, but the idea has stuck with me. How can I create a work of art that honors the real experiences of survivors? How do I engage actors and participants without traumatizing them, given the intensely damaging techniques of the TTI? And how can I do justice to the huge themes which are emerging as I peel back the layers of such a complex subject? It's only in the past month that a possible way forward has presented itself and, over the next few weeks or months, I will think through potentials on this blog.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-40958889257111315322012-05-23T12:42:00.001-07:002012-05-23T17:08:04.819-07:00Event Horizon<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F47285358&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=bdff00" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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A preview of my set for the Moers Festival in Cologne, Germany - concerts in complete darkness. With that in mind, much of this new work is moving towards a unapologetically "cosmic" sound, but one rooted in earthly sources - the detritus of acoustic recordings. With ever smaller amounts of sonic material, more expansive and expanding sound-fields. For the first time, I have also incorporated (asynchronous) loops as a prominent aspect of the composition, creating a loosely musical structure underneath the wildly buzzing and fluctuating drones.<br />
Many of the original recordings were made in a drum shop - the percussive strikes of a vibraphone, marching drums, tuned toms and various pieces of metal. Though some field recordings have been equally productive - in this case, the sound of a bocci ball rolled across a concrete courtyard to the accompaniment of 6am crow-calls. Many of these distinct or identifiable atmospheric details are obliterated through waveform manipulations, but something of their artifactual quality is retained, deep in the "DNA" of the spectra.<br />
It has been refreshing to take a break from the obsessive vertical qualities of tracks from the past two years, and to work instead with loose, horizontal structures - uncoordinated and slowly unfolding, arranged in timbral rather than rhythmic relationships; revealed in smooth, large "moments" rather than the jagged, highly-crafted "gestures" of much recent work. It feels like a drink of water, a dive into dark matter.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-26119895280763016382012-03-07T14:31:00.002-08:002012-03-07T15:06:51.947-08:00Lunar Density<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal"><iframe src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F39042590&show_artwork=true" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is the latest and last in a series of six short pieces that I'm calling "Lunar Density". My compositions in the last few years have become increasingly “clotted” or “crystallized” – consisting of distinct sections, sudden shifts, abrupt introductions of sounds and equally abrupt disappearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Over time, the pieces kept getting shorter, and my tolerance for duration diminished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have tended to find form through removal, slowly scraping away at randomly layered events to keep only the “essential moments” of vertical correspondence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I became obsessed with creating more “pop” structures, but getting there by “anti-melodic” and non-rhythmic means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have been looking for sounds which could represent or take the place of traditional instrumentation – drums, bass, synth, vocals – but in doing so, never quite arrive at predictable structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For Lunar Density, I was inspired by a gritty aesthetic, tending toward distortion and the noisy degradation of sources, thinking about the aggression of hip-hop and industrial music (Gucci Mane, Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Etant Donnes, etc.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was (and remain) allergic to meter, and wanted to use percussive sounds in ways that suggests (but never adheres to) rhythm, creating awkward pauses, strange silences and a lurching, off-kilter quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m sure it's this quality that produces the difficulty of extended durations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The brain keeps looking for and expecting a structure that is only hinted at, never satisfied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My goal of creating more accessible “songs” has perhaps resulted in something even more demanding than the "abstract" work because of its flirtation with (and rejection of) expectations.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In keeping with this crystallization, my compositional process became increasingly detail-oriented, crafting individual events and obsessing over moment-to-moment connections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I started with random layers and spontaneously recorded overdubs, but only as a means of generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Output slowed, and many, many repeated listening were necessary to remove extraneous or distracting sounds, carving away bit by bit to find the compositional idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This expects (or demands?) and equally intense concentration on the part of the listener, and perhaps works against a more casual or “broad” form of attention – for better or worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As the pendulum swings, I am now reacting against all of these tendencies and attempting to find a more immediately productive, enjoyable and playful process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Cleanliness instead of dirt, reverb instead of distortion, continuous strata instead of abrupt clumps…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m still working with percussive sources, but manipulating them into continuity and unrecognizability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m finding a new collection of metaphors, some of which hark back to those images of uneven landscapes of about 10 years ago: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>rippled waves, twisted fibers, tangled hairs, corroded surfaces, abraded colors. I’ve been working with micro-edits (approaching “grains”) and micro-automation to create constantly and randomly fluctuating envelopes, pushing the recordings further from their original timbres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve been finding ambiguous spatial clouds, muted beds of fluffy wool and pinpricks of light.</p>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-12753215170300080742011-12-15T23:12:00.000-08:002011-12-15T23:13:35.957-08:00Video of the weekA clip from Children's Games - the last section of the second act (LAB).<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/33465317?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="226" width="400"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/33465317">The Dark Night</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3433637">Seth Nehil</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-27430305411545140132011-11-28T13:12:00.000-08:002011-11-28T13:16:31.500-08:00In performanceSome images from Children's Games.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5gN8WhmchZ-Q0XjpTz3a_Hb_iqFZcI-sLZW4hWkrdbVzjaM3nC4JNtJ_HU4daF8waGG3k3sto2cPpktpMOHTPmib54fpxrBizPQa7AIez9ZFwdMKBMUbZxC44sSb2CYmMTqg7a_irjIN/s1600/owlnowloo2lo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5gN8WhmchZ-Q0XjpTz3a_Hb_iqFZcI-sLZW4hWkrdbVzjaM3nC4JNtJ_HU4daF8waGG3k3sto2cPpktpMOHTPmib54fpxrBizPQa7AIez9ZFwdMKBMUbZxC44sSb2CYmMTqg7a_irjIN/s320/owlnowloo2lo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680158279234820482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUWIIzFFAMAUcU6LGWXPg000nL_hskPOUcbV8DgvIyYTpXe4vI91ikXbfJ0rvV5I85LXAt3-Kouv9sxY-uKc83c9G2Mufn1vCECM79kDCByoyL7th3GVYdTg_rbJkcsqXSS7Ndm5Cs8UI/s1600/mirrorface_lo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUWIIzFFAMAUcU6LGWXPg000nL_hskPOUcbV8DgvIyYTpXe4vI91ikXbfJ0rvV5I85LXAt3-Kouv9sxY-uKc83c9G2Mufn1vCECM79kDCByoyL7th3GVYdTg_rbJkcsqXSS7Ndm5Cs8UI/s320/mirrorface_lo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680158276250393090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqDWvhDUBMJciGmJTG8z-lL8JSoCl74SJrLrCn2NCfgbzN_zpqsImM-bzWCki4IbDnt6MadAOlJzuDSLkHnW5v91L1lwFc1qltW-lGzuqFEhl6GEkhRzKMeF5u8oD_j2fdEPOO2cgYC5b/s1600/battle2lo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqDWvhDUBMJciGmJTG8z-lL8JSoCl74SJrLrCn2NCfgbzN_zpqsImM-bzWCki4IbDnt6MadAOlJzuDSLkHnW5v91L1lwFc1qltW-lGzuqFEhl6GEkhRzKMeF5u8oD_j2fdEPOO2cgYC5b/s320/battle2lo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680158275193957074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUf-IU9D10ScKqa3gxzEb4VHW4-hxvsdQE3vFXdgY3SFj_iqbN8GmfaahkhaGzuZy4CfXD-MvzGwSvfzo0k7rT2uGb8Nhcpudg7cu0Vct-1rTscOPQQ1CTW73ucyVeyW0itEHVDb8iBEF/s1600/ooda1lo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUf-IU9D10ScKqa3gxzEb4VHW4-hxvsdQE3vFXdgY3SFj_iqbN8GmfaahkhaGzuZy4CfXD-MvzGwSvfzo0k7rT2uGb8Nhcpudg7cu0Vct-1rTscOPQQ1CTW73ucyVeyW0itEHVDb8iBEF/s320/ooda1lo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680158299736428402" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS6vUApT91FNWMl3cgYG_vwN11h9r8h3n2FCXw2fev8cpliFI3sB8p8_qZP9VOi4IT4DQD70iQVrMD3gfhy0z5zicEzEAiu37nHxu15mQJAJef1LL4tJGduZm2zS3QFe719Li5NgX43A3/s1600/crippled5lo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS6vUApT91FNWMl3cgYG_vwN11h9r8h3n2FCXw2fev8cpliFI3sB8p8_qZP9VOi4IT4DQD70iQVrMD3gfhy0z5zicEzEAiu37nHxu15mQJAJef1LL4tJGduZm2zS3QFe719Li5NgX43A3/s320/crippled5lo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680158287373152450" border="0" /></a>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-79007121213283537102011-10-20T12:19:00.001-07:002011-10-20T12:22:24.264-07:00Crippled Athlete<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhP80wCnugvBvW734OgQbAYyE1DCYdIqvuJsfCPj74lx46wxozF3cOThrkEcg90KiBQ_eBeXH2QoWzqFNt63MlJMWp-8kzJp_8QOHEsI5Ch7-aVKIKtE-9b4IirJo3Bu2piLDOa-JOdE6d/s1600/IMG_1591.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhP80wCnugvBvW734OgQbAYyE1DCYdIqvuJsfCPj74lx46wxozF3cOThrkEcg90KiBQ_eBeXH2QoWzqFNt63MlJMWp-8kzJp_8QOHEsI5Ch7-aVKIKtE-9b4IirJo3Bu2piLDOa-JOdE6d/s320/IMG_1591.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665656576071975218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxQHcEfkCjw1D12DrsfGr3aMfEyYJigNYoEaS2r61HNwNMeusuyur4rhPVhj6hnoqffketrwe9c8YlWwWwcnNAJFFPPOPPshTxNeZasyWfxo4_OxebJTc6HfkTrX4cKR3ZqMQj8K9G_U5/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxQHcEfkCjw1D12DrsfGr3aMfEyYJigNYoEaS2r61HNwNMeusuyur4rhPVhj6hnoqffketrwe9c8YlWwWwcnNAJFFPPOPPshTxNeZasyWfxo4_OxebJTc6HfkTrX4cKR3ZqMQj8K9G_U5/s320/IMG_1590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665656570964279410" border="0" /></a><br />Band practice at The Mouth - with Taryn Tomasello and Gabi Villasenor.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-23678707704715050902011-10-10T23:23:00.001-07:002011-10-13T12:34:38.390-07:00Preparations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVZ8HgxoHLnxQxHznjSwZTXH3lbgHCullBa18jS0WIZ_FHF3aM4uIGsq-aTDMWh-7AF8S9VxKatnlTK_o2WzLNmlvcYFOxc9J7R8lxT1l6snVIEkeUXBBSnn_mFizu__NXjCXO1xPdCAs/s1600/IMG_1559.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVZ8HgxoHLnxQxHznjSwZTXH3lbgHCullBa18jS0WIZ_FHF3aM4uIGsq-aTDMWh-7AF8S9VxKatnlTK_o2WzLNmlvcYFOxc9J7R8lxT1l6snVIEkeUXBBSnn_mFizu__NXjCXO1xPdCAs/s320/IMG_1559.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662116718613110530" border="0" /></a><br />Sebastian Healy recording the voice of the ghost child.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh664-JVryFJMOYo7j8ozxUDlvCsPur_7BC6ga9-tCrSMiYq2dyYJ44gTuq98sufn0tIarfx8ofVtHaNCwqvr1z53Vc7Ix74xVBAf10hDRZWOh6ad73XbTTA87kyHMJK9A-AoYDSoexLnRE/s1600/legs1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh664-JVryFJMOYo7j8ozxUDlvCsPur_7BC6ga9-tCrSMiYq2dyYJ44gTuq98sufn0tIarfx8ofVtHaNCwqvr1z53Vc7Ix74xVBAf10hDRZWOh6ad73XbTTA87kyHMJK9A-AoYDSoexLnRE/s320/legs1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663058104135728194" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHtvow95T9AxUU3CYl3vu8z66RSD0QCCwDwyMDFzTQjlTs7ZKir1O02lK37BHRf0riT3myRCrP6BluC5Vog9D8OZJfWJpjVCH6YdFYCsHi021zhiaHWERnyfLbTQyursgJayNWxJeP3Wr/s1600/legs.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHtvow95T9AxUU3CYl3vu8z66RSD0QCCwDwyMDFzTQjlTs7ZKir1O02lK37BHRf0riT3myRCrP6BluC5Vog9D8OZJfWJpjVCH6YdFYCsHi021zhiaHWERnyfLbTQyursgJayNWxJeP3Wr/s320/legs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663058098204494770" border="0" /></a>Tracing the Children's Games diagram to black fabric.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-30647180111972636872011-10-09T14:52:00.000-07:002011-10-09T15:25:29.114-07:003 weeks to go<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdtvuxtIYWGcGhclx_x8S3ZoxSJGXrqndY_IPBaGdySOIV9rmslTc07EaxeGfJGaoiMQsPt644uvwRM5gqwvDVInz78pA8gwfxr79kp4Ba1hdv2hcbk7R-zgctW3XBRSbsftvPrRdLr6T/s1600/bellsong.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKM5IddEPI_1tlcoAJrKQY4c4s882OpS0C5HwaansPOSQCeSZaZVMMAVqnW-KfsLyyr_wGrkkv14UhpI2MH-XhmIqb_CEC5quj1SERuEbOqQojTEXicVDuSQXC9yveiOawOXjT5bBo74V/s1600/rehearsal2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKM5IddEPI_1tlcoAJrKQY4c4s882OpS0C5HwaansPOSQCeSZaZVMMAVqnW-KfsLyyr_wGrkkv14UhpI2MH-XhmIqb_CEC5quj1SERuEbOqQojTEXicVDuSQXC9yveiOawOXjT5bBo74V/s320/rehearsal2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661619410473734802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB-JNyCDXqoqUczStNu2bX3tAKk67U1Hst-A_KLVO9eM7Q6jjnRZUJSfiOzqZ_6LQqO_ZdcEm54O6amnhMnlUpxD2zbIrZaBo0H4CtqsBAwuK8o4y6aC_Tmi2Ri44tY4hA4nbQwv8twUf/s1600/rehearsal1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB-JNyCDXqoqUczStNu2bX3tAKk67U1Hst-A_KLVO9eM7Q6jjnRZUJSfiOzqZ_6LQqO_ZdcEm54O6amnhMnlUpxD2zbIrZaBo0H4CtqsBAwuK8o4y6aC_Tmi2Ri44tY4hA4nbQwv8twUf/s320/rehearsal1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661619403453304034" border="0" /></a>Rehearsal photos by Hillary Murphy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsOHE4uwmZXJnqqVTYPLAh7U4sDP6xbe54bncndVhP7LGf6KxSwfNviotL7xXXGH_HRYn_x4KsNRFbog5F93M8lsEUpcaa0FT-OuAsk9uPuKcQPXwPKqzn3zuIg9Ijt8l8pLFY8k5V_cP/s1600/makeup.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsOHE4uwmZXJnqqVTYPLAh7U4sDP6xbe54bncndVhP7LGf6KxSwfNviotL7xXXGH_HRYn_x4KsNRFbog5F93M8lsEUpcaa0FT-OuAsk9uPuKcQPXwPKqzn3zuIg9Ijt8l8pLFY8k5V_cP/s320/makeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661615542676731746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBljoQPLWsoo7HsGLEva5cfMoJciIVT5ZsNZUAi6NlfFnodwf3F28xfkvFkjcROt3B7RhcyDHXu4HiGeyjtp-pwl5fIDpLCpWkmB74q-Tn8OH9eCVpvZQPWm9iJqZSv5pWsn6j2uC96_Jt/s1600/video.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBljoQPLWsoo7HsGLEva5cfMoJciIVT5ZsNZUAi6NlfFnodwf3F28xfkvFkjcROt3B7RhcyDHXu4HiGeyjtp-pwl5fIDpLCpWkmB74q-Tn8OH9eCVpvZQPWm9iJqZSv5pWsn6j2uC96_Jt/s320/video.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661615535870323874" border="0" /></a>Crippled Athlete makeup and video shoot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1qUwoybsUfnW5L1BqAnkkjZr-1Is3-p8aH3PUrO_vONwpe46Hrv6rQbmoy6S9pi3nP7CbwpdP3rrwV-lsbd58PEdOAadwuxMlPqw4UgSm5te07KE2Y69_t1sIYWEh352hzf4W5qN7bBC/s1600/echo2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1qUwoybsUfnW5L1BqAnkkjZr-1Is3-p8aH3PUrO_vONwpe46Hrv6rQbmoy6S9pi3nP7CbwpdP3rrwV-lsbd58PEdOAadwuxMlPqw4UgSm5te07KE2Y69_t1sIYWEh352hzf4W5qN7bBC/s320/echo2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661615532684761922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMubM0_ic0oPSvsgIYsfW5ET9v2UTFkleQ5AODVdtB6NOnUfzluWA8Zm-Q9ZNem9_vDzy5XNAjZOAha4lU5Hfv869R82cCM6a0yR1pGQkGXCZzWtBvjLH_DNAZvVaaeqOgcA8-tn-uudO/s1600/echo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMubM0_ic0oPSvsgIYsfW5ET9v2UTFkleQ5AODVdtB6NOnUfzluWA8Zm-Q9ZNem9_vDzy5XNAjZOAha4lU5Hfv869R82cCM6a0yR1pGQkGXCZzWtBvjLH_DNAZvVaaeqOgcA8-tn-uudO/s320/echo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661615527160397842" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5XNO2tsLSFfMygSl6QW8lvWceOsaICGmvC7zzVuplJ8_NlqLSOVzsIBqiUUMDT1EZ-3nF0G7aC3Dr4-NXUsWT_QxIzcmk2So1HwWpkT0gT0-aUifyjAw_fIvaDTopjhoN5KH3gDuGguo/s1600/bap.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5XNO2tsLSFfMygSl6QW8lvWceOsaICGmvC7zzVuplJ8_NlqLSOVzsIBqiUUMDT1EZ-3nF0G7aC3Dr4-NXUsWT_QxIzcmk2So1HwWpkT0gT0-aUifyjAw_fIvaDTopjhoN5KH3gDuGguo/s320/bap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661620851455795506" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdtvuxtIYWGcGhclx_x8S3ZoxSJGXrqndY_IPBaGdySOIV9rmslTc07EaxeGfJGaoiMQsPt644uvwRM5gqwvDVInz78pA8gwfxr79kp4Ba1hdv2hcbk7R-zgctW3XBRSbsftvPrRdLr6T/s1600/bellsong.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdtvuxtIYWGcGhclx_x8S3ZoxSJGXrqndY_IPBaGdySOIV9rmslTc07EaxeGfJGaoiMQsPt644uvwRM5gqwvDVInz78pA8gwfxr79kp4Ba1hdv2hcbk7R-zgctW3XBRSbsftvPrRdLr6T/s320/bellsong.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661620854083478274" border="0" /></a>First rehearsal with video projection.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-11899008817612083022011-09-14T13:47:00.000-07:002011-09-14T13:55:54.716-07:00Previews!A wonderful preview article by Ben Waterhouse <a href="http://wweek.com/portland/article-17964-fall_arts_guide_2011_bring_on_the_rain.html?current_page=3">here</a>...<br />A work-in-progress showing of <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> will be presented at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=portland+actors+conservatory&fb=1&gl=us&hq=actors+conservatory&hnear=0x54950b0b7da97427:0x1c36b9e6f6d18591,Portland,+OR&cid=0,0,11874066520912941170&ei=y7JvTvXrOIXXiALUjbmSBw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&ved=0CAQQ_BI">Portland Actors Conservatory</a>, this Saturday, September 17th at 2pm. I welcome your feedback on this still-developing work! Joining me will be <a href="http://www.hand2mouththeatre.org/">Hand2Mouth</a>, with an excerpt of their sci-fi meditation, <span style="font-style: italic;">Uncanny Valley</span>.<br />You can learn more about <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> (and download free albums) at my <a href="http://www.sethnehil.artdocuments.org/indexhibit/">website</a>, and help support this performance at our <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/Childrens-Games?a=210422&i=addr">IndieGoGo campaign</a>.<br />Here again is the trailer for the performance - look for a new trailer and rehearsal videos coming soon!<br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/26456134?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" width="400"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/26456134">Children's Games trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3433637">Seth Nehil</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-21205668568549243942011-09-07T13:09:00.000-07:002011-09-07T13:16:59.126-07:00Fundraising!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa7WHW1x09C0nYXWHhFWF2N4_Kh5rsQYaFOOwvgFONhbu9-vAmF4G80f5gW5ImMZXQ05mGliV1oOogklyZoRG9Nt98hw5sZUgLzFhmoe7EjBaIiMXJCwk6xffrvtX0U4pPNr07L_VeLSW/s1600/lab.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa7WHW1x09C0nYXWHhFWF2N4_Kh5rsQYaFOOwvgFONhbu9-vAmF4G80f5gW5ImMZXQ05mGliV1oOogklyZoRG9Nt98hw5sZUgLzFhmoe7EjBaIiMXJCwk6xffrvtX0U4pPNr07L_VeLSW/s320/lab.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649712886541607938" border="0" /></a><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> campaign has been launched! We need your support, large or small. The entirety of your contribution will go to the actors, singers and musicians. Please visit our <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/Childrens-Games?a=210422&i=addr">indiegogo site</a> to learn more and make a donation.<br />Come to a free work-in-progress showing SATURDAY, Sept 17 at 2pm: Hand2Mouth's <span style="font-style: italic;">Uncanny Valley</span> + Seth Nehil's <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> - Portland Actors Conservatory, 1436 SW Montgomery.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-85364152130813289682011-09-04T18:58:00.000-07:002011-09-05T15:54:05.723-07:00Rehearsal spaces<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5n78uOoyKIpcE82M1X9w8-iQxeocPwFBdAfV8aIfdIo0TWqTK0qPZRNQM9dzPgbmt8LDE86ACbw9qtjSdMdZuTKMTeGGIujky-Ud8QEbq9MBq43M4J2nMjoUl60ghNox9n1C1mNA3D0G/s1600/IMG_1324.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5n78uOoyKIpcE82M1X9w8-iQxeocPwFBdAfV8aIfdIo0TWqTK0qPZRNQM9dzPgbmt8LDE86ACbw9qtjSdMdZuTKMTeGGIujky-Ud8QEbq9MBq43M4J2nMjoUl60ghNox9n1C1mNA3D0G/s320/IMG_1324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648686902487529586" border="0" /></a>In Mary Sutton's basement, Matt Carlson leads the trio in process-based scores: lovely rotating and hocketing phrases are locked into a steady groove held by the keyboards. Minimalism with slightly melancholy or elegiac tendencies...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29-kBQ_grwYnY2vca56SAchsyN6_P3-I53nKpZ6tCubwfMFspvmxEwkkMfWxVq_2DQvBx9RPLx8ioH_QsaObDFgQB6LojE-eVOkYxxAs5h6VIg0d7TJndVZ8PS5ziVY5cqtGmlVBtnl70/s1600/IMG_1260.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29-kBQ_grwYnY2vca56SAchsyN6_P3-I53nKpZ6tCubwfMFspvmxEwkkMfWxVq_2DQvBx9RPLx8ioH_QsaObDFgQB6LojE-eVOkYxxAs5h6VIg0d7TJndVZ8PS5ziVY5cqtGmlVBtnl70/s320/IMG_1260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648686195031347410" border="0" /></a>Meanwhile, at the Mouth Studio, the chorus has been exploring vocal patterns and physical shapes. Some of these shapes are determined by the score or follow a simple geometry, others are taken from the actions depicted in Brueghel's painting. His dynamic clusters of game-playing children give us body configurations, and we can expand or contract into those arrangements.<br />The "entropic process" has been one of the most prolific techniques in <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> rehearsals - morphing a phrase through rapid and repetitious passing. In this recording, you can hear the development of a sound and its associated melody from the beginning of the process. Starting with the name of a game ("Bowling with Knucklebones"), Elie and Katy face each other, passing the phrase back and forth. Meanwhile, the other four performers take turns pounding rhythmically on the singer's backs. Through incremental change, the phrase mutates, ending in beautiful <span class="st">onomatopoeia</span> bell sounds and trilled tongues. In this way, a melody emerges.<br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22617404"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22617404" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="81" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/seth-nehil/bowling-with-knucklebones">Bowling With Knucklebones</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/seth-nehil">Seth Nehil</a></span>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-54980135058882478022011-08-31T13:11:00.000-07:002011-08-31T13:33:56.491-07:00"Yo-yo, Mama, caca"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIg7QarIdW0dxjF0OoFINnRqSYx_hAtG0xvtIQtuUPmFHJDlOMauR46VsVx2KWRrdfDFiIbmzT6Zq6PWR89ONqH33cYhwgSFlPbqyfk-QCAEYbikAAGnXMfHfeZrwOJFReETCkTykkUoo/s1600/Nancy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIg7QarIdW0dxjF0OoFINnRqSYx_hAtG0xvtIQtuUPmFHJDlOMauR46VsVx2KWRrdfDFiIbmzT6Zq6PWR89ONqH33cYhwgSFlPbqyfk-QCAEYbikAAGnXMfHfeZrwOJFReETCkTykkUoo/s320/Nancy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647120720976381490" border="0" /></a>
<br />As I conducted research for Children's Games, there were texts I encountered which seemed to encapsulate one or several of the core themes. These almost always related to ideas of language, pre-language, repetition and signification. Finding a text like this, I could read it as a score - a set of sounds and actions. Thus, the theoretical leads directly into the practical...
<br />
<br />From <span style="font-style: italic;">Formless: A User's Guide</span> by Rosalind Krauss and Yve-Alain Bois (pp 219-220):
<br />"Yo-Yo. We could see it as the relatively sophisticated, commercially produced equivalent of the little object Freud's infant grandson made famous, as he threw the spool onto his cot to make it disappear behind the bedclothes and then pulled on the string attached to it to draw it back into view, the first gesture accompanied by a mournful "fo-o-ort" and the second by a joyous "da!" And the yo-yo is servicable in this connection in yet another dimension, since its very name cycles around the field of linguistic principles that the "fort/da" instrument articulates.
<br />For the yo-yo belongs to a whole series of childish terms - the very earliest being "mama" and "papa", and subsequent ones being "caca" and "peepee" - in which the wild sound if infantile babbling is suddenly articulated, or spaced, or cut out, not just into perceptible rhythmic regularity but into the freestanding condition of the signifier, through the act of repetition. For it is repetition that doubles back on the first sound to mark it as deliberately phonemic by the very fact of being repeatable. Thus, as Roman Jakobson says, the basis for the translation from wild sound production to verbal behavior is, precisely, reduplication, since it is the repetition of the first sound by the second that serves to signal "that the uttered sounds do not represent a babble, but a senseful, semantic entity." Thus, for Jakobson, it is duplication that is "linguistic essence", since it transforms sounds to phonemes by marking, or re-marking them, by establishing that they "are to be recognizable, distinguishable, identifiable; and in accordance with these requirements, they must be deliberately repeatable."
<br />"Fort/da" is not, however, one of these redoubled vocables, although the game played by means of it - in both its verbal and mechanical guise - did involve constant repetition. "Fort/da" is, instead, a game of rhythmic separation and reconnection, in which something disappears from sight and is recognized again, both disappearance and return accompanied by language that penetrates this activity almost to the point of becoming its support. For Freud articulates the "fort/da" as allowing for the rise of linguistic representation in the negation of the object (throwing it away while simultaneously producing a substitute for it in the form of a verbal sign: "fort") and in the separation of the field of the represented (the sign, the fantasy image) from that of the real ("da!"). Indeed, it is in this founding act of negativity that Freud locates the intellectual feat on which language as well as culture in general would be instituted."
<br />Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-29385116736304603602011-07-20T11:13:00.000-07:002011-07-27T12:16:29.126-07:00Movies within movies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDshJ9XhSlAv1Ftmex9YiK8S3ZQe_H7ewqpWctIKxFCBnAYeFh3S9xpYUqoNQBBMsF-RGSSIW5D-t8Bw-tpMflXksHHBPcczcokXOqdYCX5zqdlTniEkR8c1oygYkKiMp9SUQboUjBmx0-/s1600/horror2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDshJ9XhSlAv1Ftmex9YiK8S3ZQe_H7ewqpWctIKxFCBnAYeFh3S9xpYUqoNQBBMsF-RGSSIW5D-t8Bw-tpMflXksHHBPcczcokXOqdYCX5zqdlTniEkR8c1oygYkKiMp9SUQboUjBmx0-/s320/horror2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631508048375684674" border="0" /></a><br />I am now working on the "Horror Movie" section of <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span>, a pseudo-narrative within a pseudo-narrative. As I've mentioned before, I like the idea of nested elements. I also like the limitations/freedoms that a diagetic mini-project provides. I am enjoying (self-created) pressures which require/allow me to try different forms, different textures, different senses of functionality.<br />To quote Chion yet again, "This embedding also paradoxically makes the film closer to a live performance; the time during which we watch the performance is not simply watching the past but also living in the present." (Film, A Sound Art, p. 275)Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-74438486303667999842011-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:002011-07-20T11:12:29.300-07:00Language exterior<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2qXUut9sG84H56jmx9EgUM___1nA1EMgsYKMMVHwTPwbX0WTDfjzk1R-7b9rcfPI6Svlfg9dUfaEVDNKyOREEogCRjXW_IjXZhg3lpVsEpFy33jdJFzUu7eraWIRkPjLDXA9oce1HucH/s1600/haircut.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2qXUut9sG84H56jmx9EgUM___1nA1EMgsYKMMVHwTPwbX0WTDfjzk1R-7b9rcfPI6Svlfg9dUfaEVDNKyOREEogCRjXW_IjXZhg3lpVsEpFy33jdJFzUu7eraWIRkPjLDXA9oce1HucH/s320/haircut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629852370685069666" border="0" /></a><br />I have been considering the idea of a live narrator for <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span>, specifically an 11 year-old boy at a podium, with a light. I've been writing a variety of texts for this voice. But now that I've edited a rough cut of the first two acts, I'm attracted to the mystery of a non-linguistic unfolding, a flow of sound. Going back to Chion's definition of "ritualized cinema": "a cinema where sparse and sober dialogue, as well as the minimal place accorded to music, frees the ear and allows us to hear how sounds and the movement in the image organize time."<br /><br />Obviously, the conflict/layering/confrontation of texts with tangible images produces something entirely different from either element on its own. I'm interested in the capacity for parallel narratives, non-overlapping areals of information. ...but language is a powerful tool, with the potential to overwhelm. I want to retain uncertainty regarding the narrative, even amplify it, make it stranger - I want to avoid overdetermination. Narration has the possibility of turning dances into explanations and images into illustrations. So I am carefully considering a spectrum of options. What if the narrator uses only parts of words, nonsense, sounds, repetitions? What if the narrator is a disembodied voice? What if...?Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-85574690819599483142011-07-15T17:46:00.000-07:002011-07-20T10:52:43.483-07:00Multi-focal music<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafwXBQiGYggof0ODgYwio40zT_Ig5aZj_SLYLzRq9NpSVCDyIKiZGINojR0Cw9AKEIZd7Ci7RZ9eN-_ApSNWPKHIjzRkHcY0T7jkyUGrm_PYeo1hq5aFdsBQTrDWDvknhzR5C-NVMbY5g/s1600/whirli.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafwXBQiGYggof0ODgYwio40zT_Ig5aZj_SLYLzRq9NpSVCDyIKiZGINojR0Cw9AKEIZd7Ci7RZ9eN-_ApSNWPKHIjzRkHcY0T7jkyUGrm_PYeo1hq5aFdsBQTrDWDvknhzR5C-NVMbY5g/s320/whirli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631493883208257250" border="0" /></a><br />The process of composing for (or within) <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> has been fragmented into multiple overlapping layers. 1) The entirety of the video soundtrack is being considered as a composition - including location recordings, vocal performances, foley sounds and music. 2) The chorus will perform vocal works, interacting with the video sound and occasionally on their own. 3) A trio of violin/viola/synthesizer will play music composed and led by Matt Carlson. These pieces will be mostly separate from the chorus, but will be associated with scenes or sections in the video. 4) The electroacoustic band, Crippled Athlete, will emerge in the third act and replace the other elements.<br />Each of these musical approaches has a different texture and approach. Each is being considered both separately and together. Crippled Athlete has been for me the newest and most challenging mode, as we've de- and re-constructed the material several times over the last year. As a trio playing computer, keyboard, lap steel, vocals, drums and effects, we've been finding a balance as collaborators between composition and improvisation. We've been developing mnemonic "mind movies" (see previous entry) to guide aesthetic choices, graphic/verbal scores and games... and most importantly repetition and improvisation, as a way to solidify tracks, attempting to give each a specific mood and structure.<br />Responding to the songs as they develop, we will create costumes, gestures and video projections. Here is our most recent recording, from yesterday's practice - the last of seven takes:<br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19127971"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19127971" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="81" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/seth-nehil/northern-lights">Northern Lights</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/seth-nehil">Seth Nehil</a></span>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-52912349876511900702011-07-14T23:00:00.000-07:002011-07-14T22:57:39.519-07:00Layer One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQYuqKT5AHFYtQYAP0v74ABaflG8dfm4HG1lkIaMmL4zBgTlsQsKS_JyA6aFVeocpI5tZNqLy9vV5Pj7kO8mEgNCvvoo6YtLZ4qpty0jeo5D5xl6spFHdy4noIJhBYAx8uwFB2mitM6pb/s1600/IMG_4489.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQYuqKT5AHFYtQYAP0v74ABaflG8dfm4HG1lkIaMmL4zBgTlsQsKS_JyA6aFVeocpI5tZNqLy9vV5Pj7kO8mEgNCvvoo6YtLZ4qpty0jeo5D5xl6spFHdy4noIJhBYAx8uwFB2mitM6pb/s320/IMG_4489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620454006081636626" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd87Kv5pB5XEcsikHha-kAMA3swJA7mQuNMtQsqQQEGiH-xbe0IW_E4da9Ov1922GLjUdNRBjMb_Dp_9IbuqWId9Eeknz3RphHtkue3ZqYaIBOmRDz39UN7fHZ2lIrH5atgMqmBaq9fFa/s1600/IMG_1121.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd87Kv5pB5XEcsikHha-kAMA3swJA7mQuNMtQsqQQEGiH-xbe0IW_E4da9Ov1922GLjUdNRBjMb_Dp_9IbuqWId9Eeknz3RphHtkue3ZqYaIBOmRDz39UN7fHZ2lIrH5atgMqmBaq9fFa/s320/IMG_1121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629395400681931714" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />Above: behind the scenes at The Camp and The Lab (Acts 1 & 2)<br />Below: the first trailer!<br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/26456134?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" height="225" width="400"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/26456134">Children's Games trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3433637">Seth Nehil</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-81990668236288085072011-06-17T14:19:00.000-07:002011-06-17T14:57:22.942-07:00Stage One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZLN6YAOS1pYSJ6XImZfSNvtPUJb9xEuoOqyUTkNkm0C9VOtaduIfjFgFdgM2dxQ2rX3h-ql6F6RjbauUk8OTZVl_Z0mmqFOI2XnJUcKTQBUMfs3B-8BhqFWfglGgNx7FjHEDu8lTpuhH/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZLN6YAOS1pYSJ6XImZfSNvtPUJb9xEuoOqyUTkNkm0C9VOtaduIfjFgFdgM2dxQ2rX3h-ql6F6RjbauUk8OTZVl_Z0mmqFOI2XnJUcKTQBUMfs3B-8BhqFWfglGgNx7FjHEDu8lTpuhH/s320/IMG_1103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619303951383000642" border="0" /></a>Over the next two days, we'll be shooting the runaway camp sequence under a maple tree in the columbia river gorge. Here Alex, Fawn, Devin and Emily try on their costumes, artfully distressed by Lydia Rosenberg. On the chalkboard, a mirror drawing by Devin and Paul from Lab rehearsals. Above, a drawing led by the 'wild child', below led by the 'scientist'.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRVbSaqfAqUMSSUbN5cm-p8gSTeS0Nt_ikU5x8g5Z8J0cByPg5ylCrGpN-9kN0Wr0iP-sCgBtaodpZYTxU6L_x3HrvR5WfylAkGHbh0vp4gpmbt6pWFXxkJIiksM4iHWglzlQdbXT4GTM/s1600/IMG_1064.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRVbSaqfAqUMSSUbN5cm-p8gSTeS0Nt_ikU5x8g5Z8J0cByPg5ylCrGpN-9kN0Wr0iP-sCgBtaodpZYTxU6L_x3HrvR5WfylAkGHbh0vp4gpmbt6pWFXxkJIiksM4iHWglzlQdbXT4GTM/s320/IMG_1064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619309979780196242" border="0" /></a>I'm excited to see the choreography/actions in the location, in makeup and costume, with the drifting smoke of a campfire... the opposite of the Lab which now has a fresh coat of white.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-2492281988747770102011-06-02T21:03:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:11:27.466-07:00Mnemonic narratives<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZUhGEe4xvMm5-QHZsDQfsf3l9eCZEAEzc3rsTq4eq9LDpKtofPlssoQsx5uoPAOZVHyoYLl9uDaGDxGbBBP7ScphCGVF_1dv4jue6cF84F4oI-JJfwKgBtaYefwfxOWyMJuFSgjUZiI8/s1600/IMG_1746.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZUhGEe4xvMm5-QHZsDQfsf3l9eCZEAEzc3rsTq4eq9LDpKtofPlssoQsx5uoPAOZVHyoYLl9uDaGDxGbBBP7ScphCGVF_1dv4jue6cF84F4oI-JJfwKgBtaYefwfxOWyMJuFSgjUZiI8/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613839598757713970" border="0" /></a><br />Today in band practice we continued building stories around three of our songs. Because the songs don't have many recognizable landmarks, these stories are helping us to keep track of where we are and how to shape the voice. We listen to different versions and build the ideas together, sketching in details. For example:<br /><br /> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">The Tunnel</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two sisters seduced by a disgusting slimy slug</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Standing on the slug, two sisters telling secrets</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hit the drums – hit the sides of the tunnel</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sighing sleepy pleasure</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Trying to stay awake</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Letting it go – getting seduced by aliens once or twice</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Drum leading</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Through the intestine</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Take off child suit</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Inhaling whisperings, back and forth</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Build the melody by giving the next note</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then A: Ha… trading notes</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Slug talk</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Truth or dare</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Listen to the crackles</p> <br /> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section</style>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-31800173920447402242011-06-01T23:40:00.000-07:002011-06-02T10:58:14.915-07:00In the Lab<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJgCzYfsHz3n2jxWRoqgt3WbwteRN-24SAtehA9CrtxnAXG1Rx17Tqvz96-EQRf3Nowl-FDF6EzbD4bxQb8CCurcgWscJ9Uw6aL8tgXvmwjrm5LUjBaXfuxRaWLr2w73CNKROvi23rZep/s1600/IMG_1049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJgCzYfsHz3n2jxWRoqgt3WbwteRN-24SAtehA9CrtxnAXG1Rx17Tqvz96-EQRf3Nowl-FDF6EzbD4bxQb8CCurcgWscJ9Uw6aL8tgXvmwjrm5LUjBaXfuxRaWLr2w73CNKROvi23rZep/s320/IMG_1049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613510065981011154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Alongside the Runaway Camp rehearsals, I have been working with Paul Montone and Devin Lucid as the scientist and wild child in rehearsals for the Lab. Whereas the runaways play games, these are a series of "tests"... slow exchanges of voice in demonstration and imitation. The correction of body posture, the marking of lines on a chalkboard, focused and careful. There’s something beautifully simple about these humanist exchanges – the intensity of duos and solos.</span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Yesterday we tried working with recursive structures - video within video - using last week's rehearsal as the instigator for further chains of mimicry. I hadn’t previously thought of including a television in this section (it’s not exactly period accurate for Jacques Itard circa 1805) but I've always been a fan of the "Droste effect" and I like the stripped down, "video art" feeling of simple black and white footage playing on a television monitor.<span style=""> </span>These chains will instigate additional actions among the live performers.</span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We recently visited the maple tree where the runaway camp will occur. Dicky Dahl brought his camera and we taped material for the opening credit sequence.</span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwyc09_T6CawhjQlMddiul-C9e-LRU5un9hP4DgnSxydZTSRU4RXn_6y_ay0wBxJfoxSd_ApjL-40CmGH8Twa5Pxn7u-j49jYGzpPP7DnHpfavChl_JDOrgbMewqAgLbeAjwTEcNGnTZ0/s1600/IMG_1737.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwyc09_T6CawhjQlMddiul-C9e-LRU5un9hP4DgnSxydZTSRU4RXn_6y_ay0wBxJfoxSd_ApjL-40CmGH8Twa5Pxn7u-j49jYGzpPP7DnHpfavChl_JDOrgbMewqAgLbeAjwTEcNGnTZ0/s320/IMG_1737.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613510070520102050" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Here is the music for that opening section, which makes it like a kind of "theme". This will be one of the few places where fully-composed recorded sound is matched to moving image.<br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16346964"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16346964" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="81" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/seth-nehil/blade2">Blade2</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/seth-nehil">Seth Nehil</a></span><br /></span></span>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-65811720192663762702011-05-23T23:25:00.000-07:002011-05-24T00:12:39.863-07:00Simultanous time and sequential time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_U6gb5446a9Wtd7yPUtrfkZYHb27dCT5jIi1zfrB4DKImD00LEp6JcU1OIOR0UrqjjVD22fmQiqDVesEPw_ec8Myi4Jd8prdkpCdpoCmLqvlTAcwYfiVa3vxDkoww_vtrTzd9iLl-yOW/s1600/rehearsal4.2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_U6gb5446a9Wtd7yPUtrfkZYHb27dCT5jIi1zfrB4DKImD00LEp6JcU1OIOR0UrqjjVD22fmQiqDVesEPw_ec8Myi4Jd8prdkpCdpoCmLqvlTAcwYfiVa3vxDkoww_vtrTzd9iLl-yOW/s320/rehearsal4.2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610176177004340594" border="0" /></a><br /> <style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The activities in Bruegel’s painting <span style="font-style: italic;">Children’s Games</span> exist in simultaneous time, but the viewer’s eyes pass from one game to another, through the perspectival space.<span style=""> </span>This, of course, takes time, so the painting unfolds for the viewer in an indeterminate sequential time - each viewing can follow a different path.<span style=""> </span>The thoughts and associations that generate the work in progress <span style="font-style: italic;">Children’s Games</span> are also in simultaneous time.<span style=""> </span>Rhizomatically linked, they diverge and converge, finding different connecting points, layering accumulatively or thinning into rivulets and cul-de-sacs.<span style=""> </span>The actual performance of <span style="font-style: italic;">Children’s Games</span> will exist in determined (on a macro-scale) sequential time, but should contain the idea of simultaneity.<span style=""> </span>Cataloguing is one way of doing this, and Bruegel’s work is, in a sense, a catalogue.<span style=""> </span>Another type of time that runs through the painting is cyclical – seasons of the year, ages of life, rituals of marking time, rituals of marking the age of childhood.<span style=""> </span>Childhood activities are “timeless”, passing through time, oral tradition, changing but the same.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The story of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Wild Child of Avignon</span>, on the other hand, is firmly rooted in a sequential structure of progression.<span style=""> </span>The child begins as a savage and ends at civilization (or an approximation thereof).<span style=""> </span>The system of training suggests improvement in a unitemporal direction.<span style=""> </span>A telling of the story through words or images consists of a temporal compression – representing key moments in a series of transformations.<span style=""> </span>Didactic sequential time…?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The horror film exists within screenal time – time out, mediated time.<span style=""> </span>Repeatable time, re-screenable time.</p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal">The seance attempts to reach across time, magical time, the time of the written word.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal">This week in rehearsal we spent the time communicating non-verbally.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgC0JqJqoXqtpM87OZmiK0ipXNeVv_P9vXdhb_P9c0GnnnHLfCJ5uu8g5U49tIcHyVvGCRzAXLW90oJRnRFuI7CtPPt12rNB8JvelEN2Fj-t4nT5sz5afjiLqs8Fx17JdzD6t0Qkrn93x/s1600/rehearsal4.3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgC0JqJqoXqtpM87OZmiK0ipXNeVv_P9vXdhb_P9c0GnnnHLfCJ5uu8g5U49tIcHyVvGCRzAXLW90oJRnRFuI7CtPPt12rNB8JvelEN2Fj-t4nT5sz5afjiLqs8Fx17JdzD6t0Qkrn93x/s320/rehearsal4.3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610176184692476690" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Photos by Lydia Rosenberg</span><br /></p>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-64065294216621667202011-05-01T22:03:00.001-07:002011-05-01T22:57:13.350-07:00Streams<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW_3oZaL-De8pduKIVMGz9cWt3cIw7X89SM_i8ZCWueYfHX36NL3i2IieC3aCBIWCXfs4X6zLqZwIFeXYI_UDMVfphgpgvDvJqB7oQg89IffzZ8jwAFMamb0k0NGDWNzThXO14RYrty8B/s1600/apple3.2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW_3oZaL-De8pduKIVMGz9cWt3cIw7X89SM_i8ZCWueYfHX36NL3i2IieC3aCBIWCXfs4X6zLqZwIFeXYI_UDMVfphgpgvDvJqB7oQg89IffzZ8jwAFMamb0k0NGDWNzThXO14RYrty8B/s320/apple3.2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601980199199672690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx4K3YVsu6Tx6ngA5MZuhxhN9LsBmbMuH8hooY9h99siANOPqPFAioJ_XAawSOLjZSI5U93_RLycGAu4oTZAEwpNzCKfBUL-NAfxfniUABFLfzZK3f7zfcySJmhhtCHEka874hZQrw1J8/s1600/apple4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx4K3YVsu6Tx6ngA5MZuhxhN9LsBmbMuH8hooY9h99siANOPqPFAioJ_XAawSOLjZSI5U93_RLycGAu4oTZAEwpNzCKfBUL-NAfxfniUABFLfzZK3f7zfcySJmhhtCHEka874hZQrw1J8/s320/apple4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601980104532597778" border="0" /></a>Building Children's Games has also been like generating and maintaining parallel streams. At this point, the streams can meander or form eddies as we try out ideas. Eventually they will all converge.<br />One stream is the video shoot for section one. I've started rehearsing with Fawn Williams, Devin Lucid, Emily Galash, Gabi Villasenor and Alexandra Ramirez as the feral children/runaways. In the studio, we've been working with the list of games from Bruegel, using it to generate both movement phrases and a spoken vocabulary. We've been playing with the language, breaking it into sounds or applying processes of rapid linguistic drift through repetition and distortion.<br />We've also been playing some of Augusto Boal's theater games (such as the one pictured above), playing a few of the games from the painting and playing games remembered from our pasts.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHWjAhqi6H0g5aaCbWCBemWwFWV6IOXDrD-y8x5E4q9949LEiiZx__TRE6ctoeYjJnKmuD5iM3vk5xZlFpeoTkx6vhbd1c2PYM67NEGh-H3_vByE5gj42fH-fjxzAkveTYHjVp0rVm_mm/s1600/rehearsal1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHWjAhqi6H0g5aaCbWCBemWwFWV6IOXDrD-y8x5E4q9949LEiiZx__TRE6ctoeYjJnKmuD5iM3vk5xZlFpeoTkx6vhbd1c2PYM67NEGh-H3_vByE5gj42fH-fjxzAkveTYHjVp0rVm_mm/s320/rehearsal1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601993660341896530" border="0" /></a>Running alongside is the live band stream, music that I've been improvising/composing with Taryn Tomasello and Gabi Villasenor. On April 9, we played our first "real" show. I trigger sounds on the computer, play a cheap drum machine, a broken mic and processing. Gabi sings, plays a lap steel through delay and drums. Taryn sings, plays keyboard and drums. These "songs" are deliciously dark and dramatic.<br /><br />Here's an excerpt from the show, with video projections by Taryn.<br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22869157?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" height="300" width="400"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/22869157">Crippled Athlete April 8 2011</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3433637">Seth Nehil</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2312135640863741115.post-215606489301384852011-04-04T12:12:00.000-07:002011-04-04T17:53:58.231-07:00Rooms within rooms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p5uTHslyzFXKq8FFSGjQC4BLYCcDIp5mci2FuD6bpS2hO0IxDjp2wSAsbCJSvXGMgdum67CVwdvL6cicw3B7EdK3MiO1NqJACd81yzcjoC9iZjgIki7FBbQwzY8zagEfbtzFr0cqWJbV/s1600/basement.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p5uTHslyzFXKq8FFSGjQC4BLYCcDIp5mci2FuD6bpS2hO0IxDjp2wSAsbCJSvXGMgdum67CVwdvL6cicw3B7EdK3MiO1NqJACd81yzcjoC9iZjgIki7FBbQwzY8zagEfbtzFr0cqWJbV/s320/basement.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591850890470077490" border="0" /></a>Building <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Games</span> has been a bit like playing with nesting dolls - one piece fits inside another which fits inside another, etc. ...and the nested could at any point become the nester, inside becomes outside. Another example of chiasmus?<br /><br />Two days ago I held an enjoyable recording session in the reverberant space above, with string players Tom Thorson, Jordan Dykestra, Morgan Hobart and Mary Sutton. These recordings will, after much studio manipulation, become soundtracks for video segments, which could become instigators of choral response, all of which will be embedded within the live performance. My task is to keep these multiple streams flowing - before they finally merge and co-mingle.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV9ESeSXUxtgjk2_JqrjhKmBbi7ba9lIj8lRdhY9HyDX4j9qR_NAE6SGistLIm0T7bw8N52Wdsd0fHxIAFOodVN0FYXXWhaQ70niwuuP62W696o2iEeGBozmD5Y4SYhbgdZQH1dOnypdH/s1600/maple.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV9ESeSXUxtgjk2_JqrjhKmBbi7ba9lIj8lRdhY9HyDX4j9qR_NAE6SGistLIm0T7bw8N52Wdsd0fHxIAFOodVN0FYXXWhaQ70niwuuP62W696o2iEeGBozmD5Y4SYhbgdZQH1dOnypdH/s320/maple.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591814591340020226" border="0" /></a>Meanwhile, the overall structure of the piece has been emerging from my year and 1/2 worth of notes. This amazing maple tree behind the home of Sara Mapelli and Theodore Holdt will become a central figure in section one, the Runaway Camp. It's hard to capture the gnarled girth of this tree in a photograph. There's a natural attraction one feels for such a tree, and the solidity it can provide for a tarp shelter, campsite, fire pit and video shoot. <br /><br />In this section, the five runaways keep themselves entertained with non-linguistic games. Snow White stumbles upon the camp, an outsider to their outside. Hilarity ensues.<br />In section two, the wild child will be captured, separated from the camp, and taken to a Lab/Classroom by a scientist/teacher/film director. The chorus will come to the forefront in this section, rhyming and playing off the repetitive interactions between teacher and child.<br />The third section will dissolve into mediated abstraction and noise band. This section, the Horror Movie, will tell a story of acculturation and spectacle.<br />In the coda, we enter a home where a Seance is being held, in an attempt to communicate with the now-dead child. Here, games of entrainment and possession allow a message to be imprinted onto magnetic tape.Seth Nehilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02977432180740221096noreply@blogger.com0