Performed by the JACK Quartet: Christopher Otto, Violin; Austin Wulliman, Violin; John Pickford Richards, Viola; Jay Campbell, Cello; Audio: Brian Riordan; Video: Emmanuel Berrido
You can probably picture the situation – you’re ready to play, but then suddenly you have a memory slip – and then you must improvise, hoping nobody notices. How can you convince others you’re not improvising? How can you spot someone else that is actually just making stuff up – is it a facial expression? Or something in the music that feels wrong?
In this piece, the performers play a game called “Find the Improviser”. One musician is the improviser, and their goal is to avoid being caught, while the other musicians are trying to determine who the improviser is. Points are gained by catching the improviser, or evading capture if you are improvising.
The performers begin by introducing themselves with their musical names. Then they play six rounds of “Find the Improviser”. Between each round, points are tallied, and after the final round, a winner is determined and celebrated.
There is an arrangement of this piece for Violin, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano that you can find here: I’m Actually Just Making Stuff Up (for Clarinet Quartet)
For additional information, questions, or parts requests, contact Aidan.