Singularity for wind ensemble and live electronics

The combination of wind ensemble with electronic sound has revealed great potential as an expressive medium for music composition. Yet many such works follow a fixed media paradigm, in which the electronic sound is fully realized prior to the performance, often posing unusual or difficult challenges to the ensemble. Additionally, a number of these pieces require that the conductor adhere to a strict rhythmic pulse for a majority of the piece, necessitating an in-ear metronome. This requirement greatly reduces the allowable tempo flexibility, often desired for musical expression. Singularity for Wind Ensemble and Electronics follows a fundamentally different approach, which hybridizes aspects of the fixed media and live electronic music methods. The electronic part is notated on staff paper and distributed alongside the instrumental parts, to be performed on a laptop computer by a musician within the ensemble. The electronic sound is conceived as a collection of triggered musical events whose timings are often flexible or directly controlled by the laptop player. This approach helps to overcome many of the inherent challenges of mixing electronic sounds with acoustic instruments and minimizes logistical obstacles.