Music, Unpacked
A Synth Envelope Shapes the Sound After the Key Is Pressed
Pressing a key does not tell the whole story of a synthesised note. The sound may rise slowly, settle to another level and continue fading after your finger…
Good sounds. Fresh ideas.
On the record
Listening Room
Guess a Short Piece’s Duration Before Looking at the Clock
A minute of music can feel spacious or crowded. You can explore that impression without turning it into a claim about how everybody experiences time.
Sound Experiments
Let a Die Choose the Sounds, Then Decide What You Want to Keep
Chance can give you a musical starting point when choosing the first sound feels harder than making it. The interesting part comes afterwards, when you…
Sound Experiments
Slide Between Two Comfortable Pitches, Then Travel in Separate Steps
Two pitches can be connected by a smooth vocal slide or by a series of separate notes. Comparing the journeys draws attention to what happens between the…
Listening Room
Listen for the Moment Two Voices Stop Moving Together
Two voices may begin with what sounds like one shared line and then separate. The point of separation can be easier to notice than the names of the notes…
Sound Experiments
Stretch Every Duration and Hear a Phrase Keep Its Shape
A short rhythm can become longer without changing the relationship between its parts. Doubling every sound and gap offers a way to hear that relationship…
Sound Experiments
Compose a Small Score with a Choice at the Crossroads
A score can give a performer a decision rather than one compulsory route. Try making a tiny piece whose identity survives two different paths through it.
Music, Unpacked
Divide One Comfortable Pulse into Two Sounds, Then Three
Keep a slow, comfortable pulse with one hand. Between each pair of taps, try saying two evenly spaced syllables, then three. The pulse can stay steady while…