Musical Aesthetics
by Roxanne Turcotte |imed_0370-0002|
“A music of integration, pictures and stories” or new music
made of styles combined regardless of borders. That is the most significant
qualifier of my music, which remains ever-changing, following where my fancy
takes me. Music that calls for the collective use of the various musical
expressions in which electroacoustics, concept and rhythm are prime features.
Inspiration comes from a number of different sources. One can trace back the
influence of jazz, world fusion and minimalist music, in addition to
insistent and often repetitive rhythms with sounds taken from electronic
music, where all elements fall into place in a subtle, nuanced way. The music
is the result of a duality between the intellectual side of technology and
musical logic, and the emotional or poetic side of sound organization,
spontaneous performance and deep-rooted beats. Instrumental improvisation
becomes a sound material. Interactivity is retained through a number of
choices and impressions… Whether it conveys a message or not, music
always remains tied to moods and the tools used are meant to express and
surpass feelings. This duality is always there and it influences my music.
Humor, dream and magic are also among the key elements allowing to approach
the inaccessible nature of electroacoustic music. These childlike elements
bring a breath of life, eternal youth, a form of immortality and
open-mindedness: a window to magic and the make-believe. The cinema approach
plays a key role in music composition. It allows one to make different
styles, effects and sound manipulations fit together while keeping the music
at the reach of a large audience, thanks to the pictures and messages relayed
by the synopsis. So my musical aesthetics relies on the use of a script, a
real or virtual picture integrating multimedia dimensions or a story used as
a guide for the work in progress. The production of a piece for the big
screen where the respective roles of sound and picture have been swapped.
Impressionism, the literature of fantasy, Magritte, Maupassant, Umberto Eco, Hitchcock, the realm of
dream and perfect illusion of Walt Disney, tales and
legends from around the world are all part of my multi-faceted sound
universe. Cybermusical travel and the instruments of modern technology allow
me to touch and transform sound matter into a palpable sculpture or to
magically make it travel through time.
Roxanne Turcotte
[English translation: François Couture,
vi-03]
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