Sometimes I am surprised by the music that transpires. The collaborative compositional process is usually much faster -- although my piece with Kyle Bruckmann took a really long time.
Collaborative performance in particular is much more fun for me than solo performance in some ways. It's nice to have that tension and the give and take with someone else during a show. I generally feel I do my best work as a solo artist but I grow in unexpected ways in collaborations because I learn from my collaborator's approach to the work.
I think improvisation and composition both fall within the larger category of composition. One method is spontaneous and one is a longer process. My preference depends on the context. In live shows I tend to improvise more than in the studio, so that I am responding to the audience and atmosphere in some way. Generally, I prefer a balance between the two techniques. I find that when music is completely improvised I feel like it sounds aimless at times, while a work that is completely planned might sound too rigid and all of the exuberance is sucked out of the music. So using both forms of composition works best for me.
For full details of the evening's activities, please visit the New Music Circle website.
