The past couple of days I’ve been mulling over what seems quite a simple question: will the Max/MSP part be triggering an on/off response? OK, so it shouldn’t be a stumper, but (true confession time) I hadn’t actually thought beyond how I wanted to turn on the electronic part. And I’m still a bit vague about how this is going to work throughout the piece. I’ve developed the idea as far as start sound – grow sound – cut – but what happens next? I’m having a lot of trouble actually thinking about this piece as a piece. I think about the cello and I think about the Max/MSP part and I’ve been thinking about where these two parts intersect but in a way the two don’t seem to be part of the same thing in my head. Even though I know they are. Sorry. This is getting labyrinthine. Much like my current mental state, alas.

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OK. Took a little break for some scribbling and collage. When in doubt, scribble and collage. Answers all questions. Or it doesn’t… well. You know. Hopefully. Argh. Maze-brain! The result is this:

So the lines are the cello part and the collaged newspaper is the Max/MSP part. I decided to go with black and white because of the limited material I plan to use in this. The connection with Black Book just feels stronger the more I work on this, actually. The limitation of materials is very closely tied to the sketchbook project – to the extent that the more I get to grips with this piece, the more I’m limiting the ideas I’m having and the more I feel that this might be just one piece of several – one page of the sketchbook.

So I think this is progress. I’m not sure what it means for the construction of the electronic part, and I’m sure it’ll change as I go along but at least I’m thinking further along the piece and have a better idea of how the electronic part will grow and what in the cello part should trigger it.

[Today’s Project365 photo is of the amaaaazing cinnamon rolls that Djelibeybi made this morning. Can I just say? Cream cheese glaze? It’s the best!]