Arias | Colorful Clouds by Just a Theory Press

for open instrumenta�on and fixed media

PERUSALSCORE

Colorful Clouds

for open instrumenta�on and fixed media

Solo Part

(C, Bb, Eb, and F Transposing Instruments) for use as a soloist or as part of a chamber ensemble

PERUSALSCORE

Spencer Arias 2020

Program Note

I love clouds.

As children, we look up in the sky and imagine worlds that only exist in our imagination. Color is also something that I love, for nearly the same reason. As a composer, I don’t often get to explore visual color; rather, we use the word color to represent different musical sounds and timbres. Performers are not often asked to think about visual color in this way, so I wanted to create a way for performers to explore color and recreate the experience of staring up at the clouds. They are responding, with their instrument, to what they see in the clouds and what they hear in the electronic portion, relating it to the shifts in color that occur over the course of the piece.

Performance Notes

Colorful Clouds can be performed in a number of ways with the goals of adaptability, improvisation, revision, and color exploration. When performers play this piece, the goal is for them to find their own way of realizing it. The versions below are suggestions.

General:

The piece is meant for people at any skill level of improvisation. If performers start with Version 2 but eventually find their way to Version 1, that is wonderful, but if the pre-composed gestures are what is most helpful then go for it! There is no way to be wrong, just explore color and adapt as you learn more about yourself and the piece.

It was designed to be performed specifically for online video streaming platforms, but can be performed live. It can be performed by any number of performers, but it is important that each performer is listening to the way that they fit with the rest of the ensemble. Performers can assign themselves colors that appear throughout the video score or they can find ways to change their own tone color within their own instrumental capabilities. The performer should also feel free to step out when they feel it is appropriate. The performers should use the visual and audio score to realize their improvisation.

Version 1:

Entirely improvised where the audio and visual media is the score. This means performers are responding to what they see and hear, revising as they see fit. There is no way to play this wrong, but the performer should spend time to think about how what they do represents the colors aurally and visually. Do darker colors mean additional texture, does it mean dynamics? Do cloud textures effect musical texture? None of these questions are bad questions to ask, but there should be a sense of consistency as the piece progresses

Version 2a:

Performers can use the gestural material I provided as a guide for their improvisation where they see colors based off of the video file and respond accordingly. This corresponds with specific visual components. As things turn a specific color, the gestures I provided can be used. Use these gestures only as a guide; they are not meant to be prescriptive.

Version 2b:

Performers can write out their own gestures that are prepared ahead of time.

PERUSALSCORE

The commission of this piece was made possible by the Steven R. Gerber Trust

Written for and premiered by the Known Alley Ensemble

Duration: c. 10 minutes

Second printing of this edition, January 2024

Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

Duplication of this publication without permission from the publisher is prohibited.

Colorful Clouds

for open instrumentation and electronics

Improvise using the following pitches in any order Use any idea you hear in the electronics melodically, rhythmically, or timbrally

& BLUE

Play the following pattern as many times as you like Pick one tempo (note durations are consistent), but vary the length of the rests

& PINK

Play 16th notes, at any tempo, slowly sliding chromatically up the instrument is should be smooth and include as many microtonal elements as possible.

c. 30 s.

& RED

Make a swooshing noise using diﬀerent air pressures, nding the high and low harmonics of the air breaks. Do this for as long as possible in one breath.

& YELLOW

Pick one pitch and play it in every single way you can think of, in any octave that is comfortable for your instrument.

& GREEN

PERUSALSCORE

Improvise in any tonality what you think "purple" is. Respond to the electronics.

& PURPLE

Copyright © 2020 Spencer Arias (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Published by Just a eory Press | www.justatheorypress.com Duplication of this publication without permission from the publisher is prohibited.

Colorful Clouds

for open instrumentation and electronics

Improvise using the following pitches in any order Use any idea you hear in the electronics melodically, rhythmically, or timbrally

? BLUE

Play the following pattern as many times as you like Pick one tempo (note durations are consistent), but vary the length of the rests

? PINK

Play 16th notes, at any tempo, slowly sliding chromatically up the instrument is should be smooth and include as many microtonal elements as possible.

c. 30 s.

? RED

Make a swooshing noise using diﬀerent air pressures, nding the high and low harmonics of the air breaks. Do this for as long as possible in one breath.

? YELLOW

Pick one pitch and play it in every single way you can think of, in any octave that is comfortable for your instrument.

? GREEN

Improvise in any tonality what you think "purple" is. Respond to the electronics.

? PURPLE

Colorful Clouds

for open instrumentation and xed media

Improvise using the following pitches in any order Use any idea you hear in the electronics melodically, rhythmically, or timbrally

& BLUE

Play the following pattern as many times as you like Pick one tempo (note durations are consistent), but vary the length of the rests

& PINK

Play 16th notes, at any tempo, slowly sliding chromatically up the instrument is should be smooth and include as many microtonal elements as possible.

& RED

Make a swooshing noise using diﬀerent air pressures, nding the high and low harmonics of the air breaks. Do this for as long as possible in one breath.

& YELLOW

Pick one pitch and play it in every single way you can think of, in any octave that is comfortable for your instrument.

& GREEN

PERUSALSCORE

Improvise in any tonality what you think "purple" is. Respond to the electronics.

& PURPLE

c. 30 s.

Colorful Clouds

for open instrumentation and xed media

Improvise using the following pitches in any order Use any idea you hear in the electronics melodically, rhythmically, or timbrally

& BLUE

Play the following pattern as many times as you like Pick one tempo (note durations are consistent), but vary the length of the rests

& PINK

Play 16th notes, at any tempo, slowly sliding chromatically up the instrument is should be smooth and include as many microtonal elements as possible.

& RED

Make a swooshing noise using diﬀerent air pressures, nding the high and low harmonics of the air breaks. Do this for as long as possible in one breath.

& YELLOW

Pick one pitch and play it in every single way you can think of, in any octave that is comfortable for your instrument.

& GREEN

PERUSALSCORE

Improvise in any tonality what you think "purple" is. Respond to the electronics.

& PURPLE

c. 30 s.

Colorful Clouds

for open instrumentation and electronics

Improvise using the following pitches in any order Use any idea you hear in the electronics melodically, rhythmically, or timbrally

& BLUE

Play the following pattern as many times as you like Pick one tempo (note durations are consistent), but vary the length of the rests

& PINK

Play 16th notes, at any tempo, slowly sliding chromatically up the instrument is should be smooth and include as many microtonal elements as possible.

c. 30 s.

& RED

Make a swooshing noise using diﬀerent air pressures, nding the high and low harmonics of the air breaks. Do this for as long as possible in one breath.

& YELLOW

Pick one pitch and play it in every single way you can think of, in any octave that is comfortable for your instrument.

& GREEN

PERUSALSCORE

Improvise in any tonality what you think "purple" is. Respond to the electronics.