One-Page Score Project: Simonetta Ferrante/Matt O’Donnell

One-Page Score Project w/Vancouver Electronic Ensemble

This special edition of Vancouver New Music’s One-Page Score Project invites workshop participants to create a one-page graphic score, and collaborate with a member of the Vancouver Electronic Ensemble to realize their creation.

Starting on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 we’ll host the live premiere of a new score weekly at noon (PDT) for 8 weeks on our YouTube channel.

We invite you to join us live, or listen later at your leisure.

As a prelude to this series, we invited VEE member Matt O’Donnell to create a piece of music based on a calligraphic work by Italian artist Simonetta Ferrante. We hope you enjoy it!

Artist Statement – Matt O’Donnell

I began my interpretation of Simonetta Ferrante’s One Page Score by recording myself speaking about the piece. I had in mind to create an element of obscured speech, as I wanted to emulate the abstract letters in the score. I described the movement of the lines; thick and thin, curves and flow. I was reminded of graffiti letters and I wanted to somehow include elements of urban culture in my audio. I began to heavily process the track of me describing the score using several effects in Ableton/ Max. I continued rerecording and bouncing tracks, micro editing, more effecting and editing. This was a very enjoyable process, having absolute freedom to express myself under the guidance of the graphic score.

Matthew O’Donnell is a composer, teacher, and producer. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. In 1997 Matt began a space at 1067 Granville St. to play and showcase experimental jazz, avant-garde, and ambient music (a space that continued for over a decade). Matt’s interest in free experimentation and modal/ groove based forms led him to study Indian Classical music. Matt has spent a total of over 4 years in India, studying Indian Classical music (Sitar) with Narendra Mishra in Varanasi, India. Matt completed a Bachelor’s of Applied Music in the field of Composition at VCC, Completed a Bachelors degree and is currently teaching music to elementary students in Burnaby.

In addition to several solo and collaborative shows, Matt is currently involved in three ongoing projects; a quartet that provides a live soundtrack to recently discovered silent films, the Vancouver Electronic Ensemble and MetaMachine, an avant-garde improv electronica dance band.

Simonetta Ferrante

Simonetta Ferrante is an artist and curator based in Milan, Italy.
http://www.simonettaferrante.it