Last night, we did our first in-home Baltimore ||8ve field recording session. Sound files not up yet, it’ll probably be awhile, because more is involved here. We visited the home of two actors, prepared with recording equipment and poems. No music. We recorded their voices with the intention of adding music and effects later. We read some Dickinson and some Bishop.

This is a new dimension of the project, and one I’m excited to keep exploring.

There seem to be 3 main parts to what we’re doing now:

(1) – weekly improv sessions, to keep up the record-a-poem-a-week business, and to keep the work open to anyone who is interested in choruses. With improvised music. First take, final take, etc.

(2) – field recordings (I don’t know what to call this): going to the homes, theaters, studios of people who want to collaborate with us but can’t make regular times. These are going to incorporate more composed music, more post-production, and also include the intention of working with people who have previous experience together, like theatrical ensembles, families, couples, etc. Our theory–my theory, inasmuch as I have one, again–is that there are choruses all over the place, people who are used to speaking and working in unison. We might as well record them.

(3) – core group meetings, where a much smaller group of people with a long-term commitment to the project work on memorized texts, with the goal of eventual performances. We’re going to have our first one of these on Saturday.

For some reason, the ||8ve site itself doesn’t seem like the place to put all these ramblings about process and what we’re doing and not doing. I like how streamlined it is. I’m glad this blog still accepts my meanderings.

I’m going to have to write this up properly and add it to the “About” section of that site.