First Beginnings

Notes for First Beginnings, for tenor recorder and electronics The process for this piece is one of beginning, entanglement, and dissolution. The process repeats three times (i.e. First, Second, Third Beginning), with each gesture becoming increasingly agitated. The parts can be played separately or together as one complete statement. The performer is free to extend any event encapsulated by a box, so long as the general discourse of the composition is adhered to (specifically, the “language structures” discussed below). First Beginning The proportional notation for pitch used in this section encourages the player to view pitch relative to the general range of the instrument. The player should aim for a general “lowmedium-high” interpretation, except for when specific pitches are notated, in which case those pitches should be played without variation. This section makes extensive use of distance of the mouthpiece vis a vis the player’s physical embochure. The player should maintain a consistent playing embochure as if the instrument were at his/her lips throughout the piece, directing air toward the mouthpiece, expressing a struggle to make a “proper” sound despite the absurd limitation. Notations for distance are as follows: Language Structures: Instrument is held at least 1 foot from the player’s mouth. Some Instrument is held close enough to the lips such that an air stream is audible through the instrument. Mouthpiece should not actually touch the lips. Normal playing position, with top lip raised so as to let air escape Ordinary playing position, relative pitch selection as indicated above Indicates a movement of playing position in time between two positions. Specific phonetic sounds are recommendations, and are indicated using a modified IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbols (Ø =“th”, and ∫ =“sh”). Other special notations should be executed as follows:

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