Feints 2025 Duration	& Gestures by Dan Senn for Tenor Voice, Flute and Fixed Stereo Sound 4 minutes, 57 seconds
Feints and Gestures (2025), for tenor voice (C3-G4), flute and fixed media (stereo audio), is composed around thirty-five sonic gestures realized on a Korg MS-20 Synthesizer and processed through a resonator to produce a modal output (B-flat melodic minor). These gestures, realized in the order presented, act as a spontaneous arch upon which a blues-like vocal part has been spun and then further augmented by a flute part. The text did not exist, say, as a poem, prior to its use here but was likewise fabricated from thin air. The “bluesy” text is theatrical as it portrays the roaming mind of an old man of humble origins confronting present day situations in his struggle to remain relevant. His childhood spent at the knees of a father and uncle who suffered dearly in combat during WW2, the work mocks current social values while mulling life choices that took him along a narrow path, decisions that now threaten him with anger and defeatism. The language is somewhat rough, politically incorrect but necessary. In the 1970s, while studying at the University of Illinois-Urbana with Sal Martirano and Ben Johnston, such a work would’ve been categorized as a “theatre piece”. The work was further derived from a graphic analysis of the pre-recorded materials and was meant to be included in the performance score but, alas, was excluded. Used throughout the making of the score, while beatiful, it was now mostly extraneous. A fragment of this is used above as the webpage banner. Click banner image to enlarge.	PDF of the entire score. MP3 Backing Sounds at Performance* Speed for entire piece Thirty-five Gestures at Performance Speed For rehearsals. 1, 2, 3, 4, | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 | 33, 34, 35 Thirty-five Gestures at Slower * Speed For rehearsals. 1, 2, 3, 4, | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, | 33, 34, 35 MP3 Backing Sounds System by System at Performance Speed For rehearsals. System 1, System 2, System 3, System 4, System 5, System 6, System 7 MP3 Backing Sounds System by System at Slower Speed For rehearsals. System 1, System 2, System 3, System 4, System 5, System 6, System 7 Flac (Wav) Performance Sounds for Download for entire piece * Slower speed files (33% slower), at pitch, are included for rehearsal if necessary.	The setup requirements includes a robust stereo system, speakers left and right, with the vocalist to one side, the flutist to the other (not so far apart to enable subtle cuing). The sound system shoudbe placed a little behind the performers yet nearer the periphery. Each player should be illuminated from the front and may be standing but tall stools/chairs may be better. Two musics stands for each performer are needed holding A6 sized scores. PDF score files are included here. Each player is miked, mixed to center left and center right and balanced carefully with the backing sounds set full right and left. Preparing the piece is facilitated by this webpage. In the middle column are discrete sound files for each gesture to enable repeated practicing of the thirty-five gestures using the site. These files are presented at performance speed and at a slower rate to enable learning process. There are also seven system recordings of the backing sounds at the two rates. And finally, the full piece recording at the performance rate. The quality of all these rehearsl recordings are at the highest mp3 fidelity possible.  Even so, for performance, a .flac (.wav) is included for download. The climax of the work comes in gestures 31 and 32 when the singer appears to tear to pieces (close to the mic) the score before him/her. As the second page of the score is still needed, use substitute pieces of paper to angrily rip and fling into the air. This five minute work should not be staged at the outset of a program as it may be too discombobulating. Dan Senn is an interdisciiplinary artist working in music composition and event production, kinetic sound sculpture and installation, experimental and documentary film. He has been a professor of music and art in the United States and Australia and travels internationally as a lecturer, performer and installation artist. He lives in Prague where he directs the Echofluxx Media Art festivals, and Watertown, Wisconsin, in the USA. Dan's work moves freely between expressive extremes and languages depending upon the aesthetic joust at hand. Dan is co-founder of Roulette Intermedium in New York City, Cascadia Composers of Portland Oregon, and the Echofluxx media festivals in Prague. (More...)