Zero Waste, for sight reading pianist and computer. Composed for Kathleen Supové
 
Nick Didkovsky and Kathleen Supove, photo by Wendy Roberts Zero Waste is a duo for pianist Kathleen Supové and computer, which challenges the live performer to both create and sight-read a new piece on the spot.  The computer displays two measures of software-generated music in common music notation. Once Kathleen begins playing, the software begins to transcribe her performance into the score. The performer in turn, "sight reads" this score. 

As the performer continues to sight read and play, the computer continues to listen and notate, creating an interactive synergy where performance errors and expressive deviations lead to new musical worlds. Over time the challenge of sight reading and the limits of music notation evolve the piece into something very different than how it began.

"One of my students compared Zero Waste to the game of 'telephone', while someone else said it brought to mind Alvin Lucier's "I Am Sitting in a Room", where the emphasis is on the resonances in a system rather than the source material itself. Each performance of Zero Waste is unique: each starts with a new two-measure computer-generated "seed" of music, and of course each sight-reading will be rich with variation. The performance persented here is the premiere, as performed by Kathleen Supové on November 11, 2002, 8 pm, at NYU's Loewe Theater, 35 W4th St., NYC"
- Nick Didkovsky
 


 

 

 
 

* Zero Waste is composed by Nick Didkovsky for Kathleen Supové, using the music programming language JMSL, visit http://www.algomusic.com
* JSyn (C) 1997 Phil Burk, visit http://www.softsynth.com
 
 

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