PROGRAM NOTE

The music of a decaying state is sentimental and sad, and its government is imperiled -Herman Hesse

The music of How We Are Fooled expresses Hesses observation--it is ceaselessly sentimental and sad. At the same time, the piece juxtaposes a symbolic representation of diversion with that sentimentality and sadness to represent the strangely carefree state of decay we find ourselves experiencing today in the United States. Balloons appear and disappear throughout the work, and the control over these balloons raises questions about how much control we as citizens have over the myriad diversions that preoccupy our public culture and private lives. Initially the audience members are free to experiment with the balloons in the context of the work, but they must eventually confront the illusions of control this freedom may have created. Hesse might suggest that the sentimental and sad quality of the music is inescapable given the current political situation, but How We Are Fooled asks: If we are made aware of the way that diverting influences instill a narcotizing illusion of control over our lives, could easy feelings of nostalgia give way to a surge of more visceral emotions and truths?

PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL PERFORMERS

Each performer will begin the piece sitting in the audience with possession of a different colored balloon. At the specific time appointed for each performer, he/she will rise from their seat in the audience and lightly toss their balloon into the air. From that point, specific instructions on performance vary from performer to performer, but a few principles remains the same: 1. If your balloon, (the colored balloon you originally had possession of), ever ceases to be in the air for a duration of more than 1-2 seconds, you are to stop playing your instrument, stop walking, (if applicable), and stand still, staring pointedly at your balloon. If and when your balloon returns to the air, you are to resume playing your instrument, and if applicable, walking. This principle remains in effect for all performers for the duration of their active participation in the piece. This will require a certain amount of vigilance. Please pay close attention to your balloon through the duration of the piece. 2. If at any time your balloon is popped and deflated, stop playing immediately. Stare blankly at the area in which the balloon was deflated and wait for the performer in control of the electronics to blow up a new one. Once he/she has done this, they will walk over to you and give you the new balloon. Begin playing/singing as before. If by the time you receive the new balloon the cue for you to stop performing and sit down has passed, simply wait to receive your balloon and then go and sit down once you have received it.

ELECTRONIC SOUNDS INSTRUCTIONS

You are to begin the piece by tossing your balloon into the audience and pressing play on the electronic sounds part. The electronics sound part is to be diffused in stereo. Throughout the work, monitor the volume of the electronic sounds part and adjust minimally as necessary so as to ensure a good balance between the electronics sounds playback and the rest of the ensemble. Reference a previous recording of the work for specific inquiries on what an appropriate balance between the playback and the rest of the ensemble should be. Of course, throughout the work, when your balloon is in the audience, always be paying attention to your balloon, and observe the rules associated with it as outlined in the Preliminary Instructions for All Performers. If at any point your balloon is popped and deflated, immediately stop the playback of the electronics part, blow up a new balloon, toss it into the audience, and resume playback. Below is a table of events and instructions as they relate to the timeline of the piece.

Table of Events

Times are sometimes approximate and are always given in minutes and seconds in duration elapsed in the electronic sounds part, not total time elapsed. Due to the unpredictable nature of the audience reaction to your balloon, total time elapsed is unknown per each discrete performance. Instructions for time events specifically pertaining to your part are marked in bold. 00:40-01:00 03:00 03:45-04:00 04:00 Pianist tosses balloon into audience. He/she begins to play. Soprano tosses balloon into audience and begins singing. Clarinetist tosses balloon into audience and begins playing. You are to walk into the audience and take possession of your balloon. Bring it back to your seat and resume monitoring of the playback of the electronic sounds part. After this time, do not stop playback for any reason. Soprano collects her balloon, stops singing, and sits down You are to walk into the audience and take possession of the pianists balloon. Bring it back to your seat and resume monitoring of the playback of the electronic sounds part. Clarinetist collects his/her balloon, stops playing, and sits down.

06:15 06:45-07:00

8:15-8:30

The piece ends with the pianist playing a few final chords. When he/she has finished, the piece is over.

PIANO INSTRUCTIONS Rehearsal

Practice your part with the diagram provided. Memorize the music for all rehearsal letters. Specifically, for rehearsal letter C, memorize all the possible chords and be able to play all the four chord patterns with varying moderate dynamics as you see fit. Also practice varying the rhythm and tempo, as indicated by the diagram.

Performance

Use no sheet music or instructions. Begin the piece sitting in the audience. When you hear the introduction of the sound of children playing in the electronics part after approximately one minute, rise from your chair, toss your balloon into the audience, and begin walking toward the piano. If your balloon ceases to be in the air for a duration of more than 1-2 seconds even during the period of time it takes you to walk to the piano, follow the guidelines from the Preliminary Instructions for All Performers provided, stop walking, and stare pointedly at your balloon. Once you do eventually make it to the piano, depress the pedal and leave it depressed for the duration of the piece (unless your balloon ceases to be in the air for more than 1-2 seconds at any time, in which case you are to not only stop playing, but also take your foot of the pedal. Upon resuming playing, keep the pedal depressed continuously as before). Play rehearsal letter A (three times), then play rehearsal letter B, and for the remaining duration of the piece, interpret rehearsal letter C repeatedly, with varying moderate dynamics as you see fit. (As per the diagram provided, vary tempo and rhythm as well). Do not be concerned with synchronizing with any of the other performers. Of course, always be paying attention to your balloon, and observe the rules associated with it as outlined in the Preliminary Instructions for All Performers provided above. After you have been playing for approximately 7 minutes, the performer in control of the electronic sounds part will collect your balloon. After this time, continue to play normally, repeating various permutations of rehearsal letter C, with no concern for your balloon After playing for approximately 3 minutes more , (a total of approximately 10 minutes), you will hear the electronics diminish in volume and eventually stop. Once you can no longer hear the electronics part, play one more iteration of rehearsal letter C. Make the rhythmic value of the final chord in that last iteration an eighth note and release the pedal abruptly directly after holding out the full value of the eighth note. This will be the end of the piece.

SOPRANO INSTRUCTIONS
Rehearsal
Practice your part with the diagram provided. Follow the lines in any way you choose, always moving forward. Feel free to add fermatas and pauses in your singing throughout. Do not feel obliged to practice/memorize every single possible permutation. The diagram is merely provided as a useful way to practice, and a means of communicating a general sense of what your part should sound like. Memorize the Start line in its entirety and become familiar enough with the various permutations of it mapped out on the diagram to be able to improvise in a manner consistent with the musical material provided in the diagram. Add dynamic contours to each line as you see fit.

Performance

Begin the piece sitting in the audience. For the first approximately 2 minutes that the pianist is playing, he/she will be playing the following repeatedly (with varying rhythm):

Listen for the pianists pattern to change with the following chord :

As soon as you hear the above chord played for the first time by the pianist, rise from your seat, toss your balloon into the audience, and begin singing the Start line in its entirety from memory. Do not be concerned with synchronizing your part with any of the other performers in any way. Do not use any sheet music or instructions. Have your hands free and clasped behind your back. Stroll casually around the hall, and once you have sung the Start line in its entirety, begin to improvise on the Start line, in the manner you have practiced, as indicated by the diagram. Please do not necessarily feel the need to sing continuously. Rather, feel free to take pauses as you continue to stroll. Also, feel free to stop in the middle of a line, adding fermatas as you see fit. The entire tenor of your performance should be completely casual. Of course, always be paying attention to your balloon, and observe the rules associated with it as outlined in the Preliminary Instructions for All Performers attached. After approximately 3 minutes of signing, you will hear the sound of thunder in the electronics sounds part. When you hear this, walk over to wherever your balloon is, and take possession of it. Once you have possession of the balloon, stop singing, find your original seat in the audience, and sit quietly (for approximately 5 minutes) until the end of the piece .

SOP

NO REHEARSAL DIAG
Molto legato * (change tempi as you see t)

q=60-120

! " Sing all pitches on "doo", adding melismas as you see !" " " !" " " !" " " !" " # ## $ # ## $ # $ # $ ## ## # ## $ & # ## % # ! $
*

M
indicates to return to the beginning of the "Start" line t, as clear-tone as possible

##

# ! $

# ## $ & # ## & # ##

# $ & # # $

##

# ! $

## """ START ! " !" " " !" " " !" " " !" " "

##

# ! $ & # ## & # ## & # ##

& # ## # ## $ & # ## & # ##

# ## $ # ! $

# ! $

& # ## & # ##

# ## $ & # ##

# ! $ # ## $ # ! $

CLARINET INSTRUCTIONS Rehearsal

Practice your part with the diagram provided. Memorize all phrases, but do not feel obliged to practice/memorize specific permutations of each phrase as described in the score. The diagram is merely provided as a useful way to practice, and a means of communicating a general sense of what your part should sound like.

Performance

Begin the piece sitting in the audience. Listen for the entrance of the pianist after approximately 1 minute, and also around this time, listen for the introduction of the sound of children in the electronic sounds part. After approximately 3 minutes, the soprano will begin singing. After approximately 4 minutes, when you can no longer hear the sound of children in the electronic sounds part, rise from your seat, toss your balloon into the audience, and begin playing the diagram from memory. Do not be concerned with synchronizing your part with any of the other performers in any way. Do not use any sheet music or instructions. Stroll casually around the hall while you play. Generally, the entire tenor of your performance should be casual in nature. Of course, always be paying attention to your balloon, and observe the rules associated with it as outlined in the Preliminary Instructions for All Performers. After approximately 3 minutes of playing, you will hear the sound of thunder in the electronic sounds part. After approximately 4 minutes of playing, you will hear the sound of thunder become more audible, as instead, the sound of artillery and gunfire. When you hear this, continue to play as you walk over to wherever your balloon is and take possession of it. Once you have possession of your balloon, stop playing, find your original seat in the audience, and sit quietly (for approximately 3 minutes) until the end of the piece .

CLARINET REHEARSAL DIAGRAM

Memorize all phrases. Do not play phrases in any particular order. Beams indicate sustain of a pitch. For each discrete interpretation of a phrase, maintain a fairly consistent rate of speed, but do not feel the need to maintain consistent rates of speed between all interpretations. Add fermatas and pauses as you see fit. Do not necessarily feel the need to complete each phrase you start, but if you do not finish one, pause before starting a new one. Add dynamic contours as you see fit. Play sempre legato.