When:
Friday, February 21, 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:15pm
Composer, bassist, and electronic musician Carl Testa presents a workshop on Sway, his interactive live processing environment for any number of musicians. Sway is programmed using SuperCollider, an open-source audio synthesis and algorithmic composition platform. In this workshop, Testa will explain his thought process in developing Sway and some of the coding and design decisions he’s made throughout its development. The system’s interactivity will also be demonstrated by live musicians who will be playing with the system for the first time.
Carl Testa (b. 1984, Chicago, IL) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer at the intersection of improvised music, jazz, electronics, experimental music, and new media. As a performer/improviser, he is equally comfortable on string bass, electronics, lighting, and combinations thereof. As a composer, he has written acoustic and electronic music for configurations ranging from solo to chamber orchestra, including multimedia pieces that incorporate electronics, lighting, dance, and theater. His work has been performed throughout the US and Europe, and is documented on many recordings, most recently “Iris (for solo bass and electronics)” (Lockstep Records 2013), and “Sn (for prepared guitar and electronics)”, a collaboration with guitarist Christopher Riggs (Gold Bolus Records 2015).
In addition to his work as a leader/collaborator, he performs regularly with composers Anthony Braxton, Mario Pavone, and Tyshawn Sorey. He serves as the Director of Publishing and Creative Technology for Braxton’s Tri-Centric Foundation where he manages all facets of the production of digital and print scores for the organization. He is the production manager for noted jazz venue and record label Firehouse 12. He also organized The Uncertainty Music Series from 2007-2017, which was a monthly concert series in New Haven, CT featuring improvised, electronic, and experimental music. He has received support from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, the State of CT as a 2018 Artist Fellow, from the New Haven Department of Cultural Affairs, and from NewMusicUSA.
