[*BCM*] Collateral Damage Noted

[rob levy]

Spiritual/Political action: Monday May 30th at 10:30 AM at the Boston City Hall 




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Collateral Damage Noted
A sound meditation exercise for a large group of musicians
By Tom Plsek

"Collateral Damage Noted" is a sound meditation exercise for a large 
group of musicians (100+) in which each performer plays long tones 
separated by silence.  Each played note represents one Iraqi civilian 
killed in the recent war.  Collateral damage is the termed used by the 
U.S government to refer to these killings.  The total number of notes 
played will be, as accurately as reasonable, the average of the minimum 
and maximum values as indicated by the website, <iraqbodycount.com
<http://iraqbodycount.com>>.
Currently as, of 5/23/05, these values are 21795 and 24735 (average: 
23265).

"Rules" of performance:
1. Performers will form a large circle so that they can be audience as 
well as performer, and hear the wall of dense sound that will 
(hopefully) be produced.
2. Play a long tone of your choice of about 8-12 seconds in duration; 
rest (silence) for about 8-12 seconds.
3. Unless otherwise informed, you should average about 3 notes per 
minute.  This was mean that you would play about 180 per hour.
4. Piece begins when indicated by the leader and ends when indicated. 
Actual duration should be about one hour depending on the number of 
performers and the rate at which notes are played.
5.  There can/might be time keeping processes throughout the 
performance to help control the flow.
6. Each note you play should be the most beautiful note that you can 
produce. It should be played with great mindfulness and purpose. 
Remember that it represents an Iraqi civilian life cut short by the 
war.
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For those of you who want to know about me, here's a brief bio:

Trombone explorer Tom Plsek has been stretching trombones and our 
concepts of them for years.  His compositions include pieces for 
ensembles and solo trombone often incorporate improvisation, 
technology, and performance art.  Tom has performed with such artists 
as Jerry Hunt, Malcolm Goldstein, Phill Niblock, the Merce Cunningham 
Dance Company, Joe Morris, Marjorie Morgan, and with the Outsider 
Quartet.  He has performed at New Music American in 1983 and 1986.  He 
is Chairman of the Brass Department at Berklee College of Music in 
Boston and a member of the Mobius Artists Group. Mobius performances 
with Marjorie Morgan were selected by the Boston Globe as one of the 
top ten dance events in Boston for the year 2002.  He performed a solo 
concert at the Forfest Festival in Kromeriz, Czech Republic in the 
summer of 2004.  He is featured on several recording including 
"Firehouse Futurities," 1999: Ratascan Records (BRD038) and Tautology 
(005); and "Jump or Die; 21 Braxton Compositions 1992," Music and Arts 
(CD-843).


Tom Plsek
tplsek at berklee.edu
<http://us.f520.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=tplsek@berklee.edu&YY=30650&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b>
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