DESCRIPTION:
"Comet" was based on a piece of art created by James Westermann also entitled "Comet". James Westermann lives in Vermont where he has been making steel sculpture since 2003. He enjoys the challenge of making the materials he works with do things that appear impossible, especially playing with gravity and balance. Westermann was contacted the about the piece with very little success. When asked by another interviewer about his piece he said "I don't know whether I become a part of my work or my work becomes a part of me, but the exciting process of envisioning, sketching, building, and installing is what I enjoy the most."
The sculpture was tested by striking it with different persecution mallets to see what kinds of sounds could be made. The mallets were made of different materials including, wood, brass, yarn, hard rubber, and softer rubber. The sounds were then recorded (sampled). Over forty five samples were taken. After reviewing each of the samples and narrowing them down fifteen where considered for the final piece.
The statue has sixteen metal bars that are protruding outward from its base. The piece is based on groups of sixteen as well as divisions and multiplications of it. The piece is not tonal in the traditional western sense.
The flutes where the chosen instruments because of the similarities to some of the samples that were gathered for the piece. The high pitches of the piccolo and the lower sound of the alto flute add a level of contrast to the sound structure.
The tape and the instrumental parts were composed at the same time so that every part would line up. First small parts of the samples were highlighted and looped. This created most of the strange sounds heard in the tape. Using the software Digital Performer the samples were manipulated to create new sounds for the piece. In addition to the samples used to create sounds, analog synthesizers (such as the Korg Triton, Yamaha TG 77 and Mogg Voyager), were used when recording the piece as well to give the piece more depth and contrast as well as to simulate sounds that could not quite be created with just the samples.
The players are reading from a combination of the score and parts during the performance. In the parts are graphic representation of the sounds as well as traditionally notated music to help the player keep track of where they are in the tape so they can line up their parts accordingly.

Comet
By Joseph House

Piccolo Erica Spear
Flute Taylor James
Alto Flute Grace Halvorsen