microtonal music for the midwest and beyond
60x60 in collaboration with UnTwelve is calling for works for its first UnTwelve Mix
On April 27th, 2010, Vox Novus in collaboration with UnTwelve will present a special microtonal mix of the 60x60 project at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In this particular instance, the 60 works will have an "UnTwelve" slant, as the emphasis will be on microtonal music.
Submission to this will be done through the general online submission process (Details below). Participants who wish to be considered for this mix should indicate the microtonal aspect in their program notes with the submission.
For the 60x60 UnTwelve mix the work MUST be microtonal, meaning that there is prominent use of pitches outside the standard 12-tone equal temperament.
Examples of acceptable entries would include pieces in any division of the octave which is NOT 12...(e.g. 7, 10, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 31, etc., for scales which have a recognisable 5th, so are capable of recognisable yet novel diatonic scales, with varying degrees of 'exotic resources'; and 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 23, etc., for more exotic scales WITHOUT good 5ths, and thus much less capable of traditionally recognisable diatonic scales), various just (pure) intonation or rational intonation systems, non-just, non-equal tuning systems, and non-octave based systems (e.g Bohlen-Pierce scale, Wendy Carlos' Alpha, Beta or Gamma, etc.)
You should not feel the need to use every pitch in a given tuning system's gamut; feel free to construct scales from subsets of a given 'larger' system. The overall sound of your piece should reflect a contrast to the standard tuning of 12-tone equal temperament in color and mood, and ideally should be a model and inspiration to others of the yet under-explored possibilities and beauties of expanding the 'pitch palette'. The goal is to excite others about the freshness and possibilities for composition and production values outside of a default pitch norm.
UnTwelve in collaboration with Vox Novus is inviting composers to submit recorded microtonal works 60 seconds or less in length to be included in Vox Novus' eighth annual 60x60 project.
For 2010 60x60 is doing a special collaboration with ICMC (International Computer Music Conference) called 360 degrees of 60x60. For ICMC we will be selected 360 one minute works for a 6 concert presentation of the wide world of electronic music. All submissions to UnTwelve Mix will be considered for both the 60x60 International mix, the 360 degrees of 60x60 at ICMC! However, only works that fit the UnTwelve mixes' definition will be eligible for the UnTwelve concert in Chicago. As with all previous years, if 60x60 receives enough submissions of a specific region or theme, 60x60 will create an alternate mix to accommodate those submissions.
Deadline: Submissions must be submitted online by Jan. 7th, 2010
There are two things you need to do to submit to the UnTwelve mix project: you need to download one of the following two forms (pdf or MS Word format) and fill them out, and then, making sure your work fits the description above, upload your WAV or AIFF audio file to the ICMC link below.
PDF submission form
OR
MS Word submission form
ZIP file of submission form and WAV or AIFF audio file sent here, to ICMC
During the concert each of the 60 pieces selected will begin precisely at the beginning of the minute, this will mark the end of one piece and the beginning of another. There will be no pause between the pieces. Works may be less than 60 seconds in length, but may not exceed 60 seconds. Works selected that are less than 60 seconds long will be "padded" with silence either before, after, or surrounding the composition. Please note that the total duration of the work including silence may NOT exceed sixty seconds.
The project's definition of a record work is as follows: any work created as a musical composition which is captured on recorded media, which does not require live performers for its production in broadcast at concert halls, radio, multi-media, etc. Its creation can include but not limited to acoustic instruments, voice, environmental sources, and computer (Sampling, MIDI, Csound, ProTools, etc.) Acoustic created electronic works should be submitted with the understanding that it is their recording that is of prime importance and is what will be used to determine its selection.
60x60 is a project of "signature works" and short works created specifically for the 60x60 project. Excerpts of larger works are strongly discouraged. Works generated from procedures (i.e. mathematical matrices, organisational systems, or computer programs,) remixed works, or themes and motives recomposed from other of the composer's own work are acceptable.
The call is open to composers of any nationality, age, or career stage. Works submitted must not have been previously performed or broadcast. Works must be submitted online. DO NOT EMAIL submissions to Vox Novus. Emailed submissions will not be opened nor accepted to the project. Works may only be submitted online. Only one work may be submitted. Works will be included in the 60x60 archive and may be performed in subsequent performances after the debut concert. All submissions must be submitted online by December 31st, 2009. Selected works will be announced on March 1st, 2010.
Works selected for the UnTwelve mix project will be announced on March 1st, 2010.