Scarbrough, R :: Body Alive with Signals

Tetractys Publishing presents composer Russell Scarbrough's 'Body Alive with Signals' for low flute choir.

This work is scored for 3 alto flutes, 2 bass flutes, and contrabass flute.

Body Alive With Signals is a contemporary dance piece. Just as composers of the 18th century wrote works that adhered to a great extent the stylistic norms of popular dances (i.e. gavotte, bourreé, sarabande, and the like), this work follows the musical norms of popular dance in the 21st century, most notably that of electronica or IDM (intelligent dance music). This is the most important thing to bear in mind when preparing the music — the relentless rhythm of the music should compel the listener to want to dance.

This piece is completely acoustic and performed by live musicians, whereas the style comes from electronic and computer-generated music. So once again, musical tools were made first to mimic existing sounds; later, those who made those first sounds emulate the innovations their tools made possible. No doubt as musicians — flutists in this case — absorb the spectrum of electronic sounds into the normal process of music-making, they will demand more new tools that open yet more possibilities. The cycle of creativity continues.