BYU's Group for Computer Music produces unconventional concert

Brigham Young University's Group for Computer Music took traditional songwriting practices and set them aside for a concert on March 19.

The group focuses on creating music through computers and technology.

While traditional instruments are sometimes included, many performances feature a wide range of unique electronic sounds.

The group is small but highly collaborative. Five students presented projects at the concert.

The students assisted one another in performing pieces that incorporated live instruments or percussion.

For example, Avery Merrill created a piece live during the performance by recording and looping classmates clapping, hitting water bottles and playing keys.

He would then go to the grand piano in the center of the room and play melodic sections over the backing track he created, and loop those into the mix.

Computer music is very experimental, and all the projects were vastly different.

Merrill is classically trained and admitted that sometimes the class made him feel like a beginner in music again.

Theres a danger and fear in that, but its exciting and opens your mind up to new possibilities, Merrill said.

Kevin Anthony, who directs the class, founded the group as a graduate student at BYU.

He said he hopes the class continues to push students out of their comfort zones when composing, as it did for him.

The Group for Computer Music is inspired by laptop orchestras such as the ones at Princeton and Stanford.

Its a growing field, but its happening, Anthony said.

Joseph Jolley said as a kid growing up in Seattle, hed listen to the radio station C89.5, which played electronic music. Ever since then, hes known that creating this genre of music is what he wants to do.

Computer music presents the artist with the opportunity to set aside regular music structure and really experiment with sound and storytelling. Its very conceptual.

Its like a creative puzzle, and I dont know what the end of the puzzle is gonna look like from the beginning, Jolley said.

With virtually no limitations, it can be easy to experience choice paralysis when composing. Any sound or idea is possible, so deciding where to begin can be challenging.

To address this, students gave themselves a constraint or theme for their projects.

Sarah Roundy, in her third year of the music program, created a 2D video game that portrayed her synesthesia seeing colors when hearing musical notes.

Audience members could play notes on her laptop keyboard, causing associated colors to flash on the screen or drag the mouse to create dynamic patterns and shapes.

Roundy explained that the game is very accurate to what she sees when hearing music, though less vibrant than in real life, and said the project was primarily about having fun.

I should do something thats accessible and fun, Roundy said.

There really is no repertoire to follow when making computer music. Everyones piece was unique to them and unlike anything already out in the music sphere.

Its exciting, terrifying, uncomfortable and rewarding, Anthony said.

For more information on upcoming events with BYU's Group from Computer Music and other music groups on campus, visit its website.