Codes is an investigative performance work on the ceremonial practices surrounding flag handling, conceptualized by visual artist Tiffany Lin. The audio track accompanying Codes is taken from History, which is another project I have previously worked on with Tiffany. The music consists of several layers: a repeated idea that phases with itself over time, various rhythmic fragments that fade in and out, and a main melody played across different registers in different instruments. The notes in this melody are taken from The Star-Spangled Banner in a randomized order. The other two layers other than the main melody are constructed by samples from instruments like trumpet, banjo and snare drum: instruments often associated with America and patriotism.

 

On top of this audio track, I wanted to incorporate some live elements into the music, thus I decided to do a live improvisation on top of the track. The addition of this live element allows the music to interact with the movements in the choreography. Overall, the music served as a solid harmonic grounding for the entire act, as well as complementing the actions with distinct auditory cues.

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Performance in Little Berlin, Philadelphia

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Movement/Choreography: Tiffany Lin & JJ Bozeman
Composer: Gu Wei