Experience the Études
The études come from Keren Rosenbaum’s work as a composer and conductor and from A Reflex Invisible Score Collection. Each is organized through FIND—PLAY—SHARE—CREATE, a process you can return to, vary, and re-enter. Please note that these are musical scores and need practice. Book a practice.
Begin here
The Reflexive Listener Étude
Take a piece of paper. Attend to what happens through your hands and your ears as you crumple it and open it again.
Read the whole score, or move through it one act at a time. Pause wherever you like.
The Reflexive Listener Étude
ACT 1.
OPEN YOUR EYES
CRUMPLE A PAPER
OPEN IT FLAT
What did you just do?
ACT 2.
CLOSE YOUR EYES
CRUMPLE THE PAPER
OPEN IT FLAT
Did it sound different?
ACT 3.
CLOSE YOUR EYES
CRUMPLE YOUR PAPER
OPEN IT FLAT
LISTEN…
Did you hear your special crumple?
ACT 4.
CLOSE YOUR EYES
CRUMPLE YOUR
SPECIAL CRUMPLE
LISTEN…REALLY LISTEN…
…Sometimes, you can hear
your special crumple,
listening to you!
© Keren Rosenbaum, 1988 from A Reflex Invisible Score Collection
More études
The Reflexive Composer Étude
One person paints while another sings. Starting together and stopping together form the initial shared rule. From there, expressions and positions can vary while the rule holds.
The Reflexive Composer Étude
(Based on the Operagame Structure: FIND – PLAY – SHARE – CREATE)
ACT 1.
ANNOUNCE IT — THE THEME
I PAINT = YOU SING
WHEN I START YOU START
WHEN I STOP YOU STOP
ACT 2.
PLAY IT —
IN AS MANY VARIATIONS AS POSSIBLE
I – YOU – WE – WORLD
PAINT – SING – MOVE – TOUCH
(for example: YOU MOVE = I SING, or WORLD SING = I MOVE,
or I PAINT = YOU PAINT. Use the instructions of the theme.)
ACT 3.
SHARE IT — CONDUCT IT
WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
WITH AS MANY VARIATIONS AS POSSIBLE
ACT 4.
CREATE IT —
AS MANY PLAYGROUNDS IN THE WORLD
© Keren Rosenbaum, 1996a from A Reflex Invisible Score Collection
The Reflexive Conductor Étude
Start and stop, bigger and smaller, longer and shorter: participants explore these dimensions through conducting and responding. What participants produce also changes what the conductor hears and does next.
The Reflexive Conductor Étude
(Based on the Operagame Structure: FIND – PLAY – SHARE – CREATE)
ACT 1.
FIND IT — YOUR SOUND
ASK: WHAT’S YOUR SOUND?
ACT 2.
PLAY WITH IT
(give hand gesture instructions)
THIS IS TO STOP
THIS IS TO START
THIS IS TO MAKE IT BIGGER
THIS IS TO MAKE IT SMALLER
THIS IS TO MAKE IT LONGER
THIS IS TO MAKE IT SHORTER
ACT 3.
SHARE IT
WHEN I DO THIS
YOU DO THAT
ACT 4.
PERFORM IT —
YOUR PUSH THE BUTTON
© Keren Rosenbaum, 1996b from A Reflex Invisible Score Collection
The Reflexive Producer Étude
Walking, breathing, and changes of movement become ways of participating together. The full score will be presented here once the current approved version is in place; it is practiced within the symposium and course.
WALK / DON’T WALK
The Reflexive Producer Étude
This étude is practiced together in the symposium and professional course.
Ways to practice it