akiko hatakeyama

(6:08) -- February 2011

Performers - Akiko Hatakeyama, flute; Aleksandra Miglowiec, flute

sō (Japanese for “layers”) is a canon for flutes. This title is imbued with meaning. First, it refers to the fact that one could layer the piece with multiple performers. It also refers time passing when the video component of the piece shows the layers of age and life experiences visible around the eye. sō involves a high level of improvisation since the performers make real-time decisions on the written notes they play. The structure as a whole encourages them to apply any musical parameters, such as length and dynamics of each note, to the written notes except changing the pitch. Thus, sō sounds different depending on the performer and the performance; with this in mind, the video reacts to the amplitude of the sound from the flutes. Performers may consider how they want to control the video by changing the dynamics of their performance; however, it is not a requirement to realize the work.