Note:

This piece is meant for live performance, with the video either projected or played on a large TV screen in the concert hall. Both of the performers must have the video in view because they are meant to react to images and practically treat the video as the score. For instance, in the third part of the piece, both performers are to play when they see the screen go black. The musical material they play is almost entirely improvised–but within certain guidelines.

Due to the improvisatory nature of the piece, it is important that I give due credit to my collaborator Bianca Quigley for her contributions to the piece. This piece underwent a workshop process wherein we both tried out different ways of improvising along with the video. I gave verbal directions on the kinds of textures and sounds I wanted Bianca to play, but much was left for her interpretation.

All of the video in this piece was filmed and edited/processed by me. The video processing was primarily done using the Jitter tools in Max. The mouse on the beach from the opening section was filmed in Southhampton, Ontario. Part II features the Baltimore skyline and harbor, and a brief appearance of Niagara Falls. For Part III, I filmed myself playing each individual chord on the piano and edited it to match the detuned piano audio that I created with PianoTeq and Logic Pro X.

The overhead shots of the piano keys in Part III were inspired by the opening credits of Michael Haneke’s 2001 film The Piano Teacher. I consider Mouse Operations to be one of my first ventures into experimental filmmaking, and Haneke is one my biggest inspirations, alongside David Lynch.