ABSTRACT
The foundation of music from many different cultures is often made up of simple repeated melodic or rhythmic patterns. The effect of the repeated patterns is hypnotic, creating atmospheric sound-worlds. When these patterns are layered upon each other, gradually changing, the effect is heightened, and the listener can be transported. In the second half of the twentieth century, American composers began redefining the foundations of Western classical music in terms of simplicity, developing compositional techniques that exploited a minimal approach. The simplicity of repeated phrases, creating a sea of sound that is open to different interpretations, made minimalism attractive to today’s storytellers, who tell their stories in film and video games. It is this combination of simplicity and relevance to young people that makes minimalist music such a powerful vehicle for improvising and composing projects. This chapter describes a project that moves from a repeated unison rhythmic pattern, through improvisation, to a composed piece of music created using technology.
