By Rory Carroll
Oregon Daily Emerald
Those who think the
School of Music only houses
classical compositions by
dead German guys need look
no further than Saturday’s Fu
ture Music. Oregon (FMO)
concert to stand corrected.
The FMO concert, sched
uled for 8 p.m. Saturday will
showcase performances of a
variety of computer based
compositions by students,
many who are part of the mu
sic technology major.
FMO Director Jeffrey Stolet,
who has been performing mu
sical experiments since his
youth, said the tools have
changed but the basic desire
to innovate has remained the
same.
Although computer pro
grams such as Pro Tools are
instrumental in creating
much of the music, Stolet said
he thinks it is the human
component they are aiming to
capture with their composi
tions.
“Part of it is developing a
sensibility of how to shape
sound... to find sound that is
meaningful and sound that
will reflect the human im
print, not just machine
sound.”
Elyzabeth Mead, a graduate
student who will perform her
composition “Airam Eza” at
the FMO, said her voice in her
pieces reflects both her love
for poetry and desire to bring
a human slant to a computer
based medium.
“It infuses a certain soul, a
certain body to an otherwise
disembodied computer mu
sic,” she said.
She said the human voice,
along with percussion, is one
of the fundamental instru
ments.
Stolet said his students are
dedicated to the exploration
of sound and its creation
along with the innovative use
of new technologies to create
interesting, creative pieces.
In the past, he said, FMO
has always been well attend
ed, but each year is a totally
new experience.
This year will feature live
performers, and some stu
dents will incorporate real
time, computer-graphic ani
matf^i;Performed animation
is controlled by the perfepner^;
as it unfolds versus prerecord
ed computer animation.
“Maybe the brightness is
being controlled, maybe the
colors are being controlled —
right there. The animation is
being performed as opposed
to being prepared,” Stolet
said.
As a teacher, Stolet has to
come to terms with teaching
something that has yet to be
invented. He said he tries to
develop a community that
fosters the kind of envi
ronment where stu
dents can learn from
each other while being
appropriately critical
of the work they hear.
The music Stolet’s
students are creating is
an important part of
building our culture, he
said.
“Try to shape an excit
ing, dynamic culture that
gives birth to some expres
sive pieces,” He said. “In
some ways, I’m not neces
sarily the teacher. I’m the
person who shapes the
culture
which
does
t h e
teach
big.”
Junior
Dominic
Vieira will be
performing his
composition
“Aquarium” on
Saturday. He said he
enjoys the interaction
between the various
students and then
work. The class meets
once a week allowing
students to present
their work to one an
other for feedback.
Vieira said he chose to
switch from a general mu
sic major to the music tech- r
nology major because it com
bined his love of music with
his fascination with comput
ers.
Stolet said he is always sur
prised with the types of
pieces the students create. I’m
always enormously im
pressed with their creativity
and what they find to take
from our world and shape
into a musical context, into
some sort of sound medium.
“I suspect that there is no
end to that creativity,” Stolet
said.
“It’s quite a different recital
when you are playing on the
piano and the piano has been
around for a couple hundred
years. When were getting
ready for a concert, we are as
sembling the instrument the
very day of the concert,” he
said.
Similar to some of his stu
dents, Stolet played in rock
bands when he was in col
lege. Many of the students
perform in groups preforming
everything from classical to
reggae. Stolet said he encour
ages his students to bring
their outside musical inter
ests into the studio. In doing
so, he said the music at the
FMO is of a personal nature.
concert Saturday
In some ways, I’m not necessari
ly the teacher. I’m the person
who shapes the culture which
does the teaching.”
Jeffrey Stolet
Future Music Oregon director
008411
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