published by FOLLOWING IS LEADING

United States of America

First Edition

2015

I'm interested in a new way of experiencing music. At the center of this interest is the concept that amusician's mind, like a dancer's body, is an open house. By this, I mean that the musical ideas should

be presented to the world in their own element, never outside of it

Faith is important to the execution of an idea. With faith, a curious revelation or a nagging melodycan easily evolve into an unrivaled production of love (the act of unconditional giving) and respect (the

unconditional withholding of violence of any nature, physical, psychological, direct & peripheral).

The nature of many things becomes clear when this is true.

A few years ago, I did an interview with a woman from Canada and many of the ideas ofpractical performance I've been having stemmed from that digital conversation. We spoke about

silence and poetry and the intersections of those things and all this other stuff too.

I was speaking to the young men's group (middle school) at a neighborhood branch of the DCPublic Library. I asked a student what he understood music to be. He planted the seed for many of

these performance ideas when he answered, “It's an expression of your well-being.”

A new friend in California spoke to me about music in the future inevitably being a theaterevent, a play, with real life intertwined. His idea and the way he described it was of a different mindthan mine. But, at that point, I realized that this should not be avoided, but embraced. I started tohave many more ideas about performance that made me excited about performing for people once

again.

The poems in this collection serve as examples of what I believe to be a most modern conception of music presentation. The events will take place in the future with the help of the people.

the reason

because it may inspirea new understanding

of pleasure derived from music

because it is a step towardredefining how we experience

our music and its legacy

because it will bemuch more interesting

than the perversionof stage shows

where the pretenseof a good time

encourages consumptionof music

in the same way thatthat the venue

encourages the performanceof social status

and the consumptionof alcohol

andoverpriced, under-loved food

the place

any place around the waywith multiple rooms

that can be customizedfor multiple simultaneous performances

each room in our place represents an idea

in sound firstthen, in relation to

other ideas

to make us laugh and danceand sob and flinch and cover our ears

only to uncover them againwhen we think it's okay to listen

the band:

there is no band. we address the cast of the show now

because we understand that the performance is

more than just sound

and its creation takes morethan just musical ability

so we've gathered a cast of people

to help bring together all these musical ideas

the audience:

there is no audience.there is no seating

only a purposeful gathering of a few people

who know each otherto some extent

though perhaps minuscule

…still we shall refer to these people as the audience

because it is most convenient

a sextet of lucky strings and voices

a small room is coveredin lawnmower trimmer wire

stretched across walls and floors, perhaps even most of the ceiling

these strings are tuned for three people to play

and three additional peopleare gathered near these strings

they sing lyrics written by young lyricistswhich may or may not be performing

it should be similarto those big piano mats thatthat you play with your feet

except much less juvenile

the lyrics should tell a story of a person with exceptional luck

so that we can hear and feelwhat it's like to have it easy

rolling pin orchestra

a mid-sized room is emptied and beautified

the floors are woodenthe walls are made of something not so hard

sheet rock will do

there is a cast of musicians,lyricists and composers

all instruments were built by this castfeaturing a chorus of 3 clarinets

made from rolling pins

the instruments and the roomshould be ornately-decorated

with fantastical drawingsof important moments

in the history of the music

the sounds should havea mysterious tone

never intense in volumebut cultivating intensity

in other more complex ways

the music should beof no significant mood

but in factof all moods

western convention

a large closet or boothis arranged so that

a master pianist and a listenerare separated by a partitionthrough which they cannot

communicate with each other

there is an electric keyboardthat can be heard via headphones

one for the playerand one for the listener

the pianist beginsto play a theme,

simple or complex,most importantly new,provided by someone from around the way

the theme is developeduntil the end

or until the listener decidesto leave and goto another room

for another experience

then the pianist will stop wait for another person

to enter the roomat which point,

he will start the theme overand develop it just the same

it is an exercise and testmeasuring the investment

that both listener and musicianhave in that moment

the scene

upon entering the room and shutting the door

three actors begin to act out a scene

of a modern dilemmainvolving technology

perhaps the disappearance of a phoneor a wifi system breaking down

a crisis ensues

the scene does not involve the audience so the audience should not interact

there are also musicians in the roomplaying accompaniment to the scene

on instruments they've made themselves

be the bells

50 shakers and bells are constructedfrom an assortment of recycled materials

to make 50 distinct shaking and ringing sounds

a set is constructed fromthe same raw and recycled materials

in order to amplify the experiencewhich should simulate the experience

of being living trashperpetually imposed upon

the sound should never repel the audiencebut it should be beautifully annoying

curiosity should be inducedrather than comfort

dancers

two dancers standin the center of a room

an ensemble of 5 instrumentsstands along one side of this room

the instruments are allconstructed by the musicians

as the audience beginsto settle into the room

the music beginsand so do the dancers

they plunge into a routinechoreographed by new choreographers

from around the way

perhaps there is a singerto sing some melody

perhaps there is a rapperinspiring movements with words

but the interaction betweenthe dance and the music

is the focus

FOLLOWINGIS LEADING

Following Is Leading is a creative outlet operating under the belief that instead of competing forleadership and dominance, it is of greater value to self and community to follow a set of principles

based in creative expression.