eyes on

mixed trio
& electronics
(2019)

Kelley
Sheehan

for
Nadar Ensemble
eyes on (2019)
flute
clip on contact mic
small (honey tone) amplifer total itemized list of electronics:
4 channel line mixer (3) clip on contact mic
ipad (3) small (honey tone) amplifer
lamp - with footswitch (3) 4 channel line mixer
(3) ipads (any size)
(3) lamp
B-flat Clarinet
clip on contact mic (1) cassette player with cassette tape
small (honey tone) amplifer (1) pitch pedal (korg, or similar)
4 channel line mixer (1) ebow
ipad (3) short inst. cables
lamp - with footswitch (1) inst. cable to be used for guitar

other:
Electric Guitar (3) extension cords with footswitches
cassette player with cassette tape (3) chairs
clip on contact mic (3) 1 meter x 1 meter table
small (honey tone) amplifer
4 channel line mixer
lamp - with footswitch
ipad
pitch shift pedal (DigiTech Whammy Pedal, or similar)
ebow

General electronics setup:

flute/B-flat clarinet > clip-on contact mic > channel 2 >
line mixer >small amp
ts cable > channel 1 >

electric guitar> inst. cable > channel 3 >

clip-on contact mic > channel 2 > line mixer >small amp
ts cable > channel 1 >
 small lamps that are ‘foot operated’ by performers during
3 tables with 3 chairs for performers performance, small circle of light so that only individual performers
3 small amplifiers, 3 small mixers are illuminated when lamp is on -
3 “clip on” contact mics, 3 small amps
Small mixer

12 3
ins out
overhead mic of the small amplifiers > mixer > 2
two speakers located near performers guitar

1
= contact mics = ts terminal
3
= lamp = ipad Bb
flute
clarinet

3 small
amps facing
performers
(that should be
possible location overhead mic’d)
of two speakers

Staging

notes: tables should be placed very close to each other.

lighting: near darkness with most light coming from lamps, ipads, and stand lights (if needed).

- ii -
 Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide
ENSEMBLE

There are no parts, performers should use the full score for the performance to aid in timing and cue-ing.

l i n e m i x e r: Used to control volume for balance and therefor also effects the amount and pitch of feedback.
1= channel 1 (ts cable), 2=channel 2(contact mic), 3=guitar cable (guitar only). Otherwise small symbol or notation to indicate turning off amp (very last
measure) or controlling cassette player volume (uses the cassette symbol).

To indicate volume knob positions, symbol are used in a binary. Arrow up - max volume Arrow down - null volume

Will be seen in two context: with a 16th note stem or other duration given. No stems, the circle/arrow symbol is paired with dynamics, then
Duration does not matter, it is only to help orientate action in time. In these focus should be on acheiving given effect and following dynamic
instances, it is meant to be performed as quickly as possible. contour, as shown below.

l a m p: ‘on’ to turn on the lamp and ‘off’ to turn off the lamp via foot switch. Duration down not matter, it is only an indication to when to perform
action.

on off

i P a d: ideally, this score will be on iPad using an app such as ForScore and therefor some passages may have to be memorized and/or cued by
other members of ensemble. But if there are constraints to this setup then it may be adapted so that score may be read off a seperate tablet, or if necessary,
a paper score.

above
touching with ts cable, hover above iPad. Distance from with end of ts cable, ‘scribble’ across surface of iPad
(surface) surface of iPad corresponds to the volume of (with screen on) causing a fluctuating static sound
iPad static heard through amp. The further the distance, through amp.
TS
Keys the softer the sound. Small notes indicate points
in which to turn the iPad on or off, not speed or
duration of action.
Black box ( )= turn screen off.
Teal box ( )= turn on screen. - iii -
Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide (cont...)
E N S E M B L E (cont...)

t s c a b l e: causes a static like sound. Shown with x-shaped notehead. Duration does matter and should be followed. Dynamics in ts gestures
are relative so therefor a “f’” may be much softer than a “f” on the guitar. Dynamics may be ‘controlled’ by pressure and contact point on cable.

FLUTE

s e t- u p / f e e d b a c k (fb)
flute set up: clip korg contact mic to end of flute, with the microphone facing towards amp. TS cable and small mixer should be within easy
reach (as shown below). Generally, the contact mic should be aligned with the center of the amp to help cause feedback. Amp should be set
to volume and distortion setting that cause wanted feedback.
amp

ins out
12

contact
mic

The flute is thought of as ‘feedback flute’ for this piece, so much of the work requires adjustment to promixity of the flute/contact mic to the
small amp. This is shown in a few ways.

move in a slow circular motion in front move contact mic away from amp
of amp while performing gesture to move contact mic towards amp
cause short bursts of feedback

more graphic detail to depict movement of contact mic and flute in relation to the small amp.

amp fl/contact mic

- iv -
Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide (cont...)
Notation Guide:

-- -- --
2
triangle notehead = tapping key - not a key click - which should be picked up by contact mic and
-
heard through the amp, with a slight coloration.
‰
-
numbers overnote head indicate fingers. Staff does not indicate notes but rather a differentiation
between taps.
Green star indicates a tap on a key that causes feedback.

Note below staff indicate a tap with the left hand (near mouth piece or key close to mouth piece).

arrows - repeat gesture for duration.

CLARINET

s e t- u p / f e e d b a c k (fb)
clip korg contact mic to bell of b-flat clarinet with should be detached from instrument, with the microphone facing towards amp. TS cable
and small mixer should be within easy reach (as shown below). Generally, the contact mic should be aligned with the center of the amp to
help cause feedback. Amp should be set to volume and distortion setting that cause wanted feedback.

amp

ins out
12

contact
mic

Multiphonics used within this piece reference fingerings gathered from Heather Roche’s webpage at
https://heatherroche.net/2014/07/02/on-close-dyad-multiphonics-for-bb-clarinet/
-v-
Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide (cont...)
with ts cable being held by performers hand, with screen on, hover above iPad so that static is heard.
The further the ts terminal is from the screen of the iPad, the softer the resulting sound that will occur.
Follow graphic contour.

bell on amp
notehead on lowest line of 3 line staff indicates feedback.
Arrow and circle: indicates to move bell (with contact mic attached) towards amp so that feedback is heard.
Dynamics are relative within the context of this gesture. Ideally, the further the mic/bell is from the amp, the softer
the feedback.

F 2 line staff with arrows above notehead (pg 11-13). Bottom lines indicates relative direction to scrape
œ œ ‰ bell with contact mic across table. Sound that across should be that of general noise. Arrow up - away
p mf from perfomer. Down - towards performer. Arrow point right - to performers right. Arrow point left -
to performers left. Bursts of feedback during this action are okay, and encouraged.

˙ 2 line staff with arrows above notehead (pg 11-13). Top lines indicates that feedback should occur.
p mf This feedback can be induced and dynamic controlled with volume knob ‘2’ on the mixer. The higher
(knob 2 - follow contour ) the volume = louder feedback.

Teeth on reed - brief erratic pitch fluctuation. The two line staff (pg 7-8) help indicate (roughly) low and high
registers (within context of this gesture).

Additionally, this gesture will occur with lower joint inside bell
for visual aspect, as shown in graphic to the right.

- vi -
 Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide (cont...)
Electric Guitar
see page i for list of needed objects. Pitch shifting pedal should be set to Harmony: 5TH UP/7TH UP with toe down (adding a 7th).
Toggle at middle pickup, bright tone.
Guitar should be set onto table with objects such as ebow within easy reach, on a towel or foam to prevent noise when picked up/set down,
and uses scordatura, as shown below.

Scordatura
b
©b
©

Staves
Tabletop notation: Used to show position between pick ups on guitar.

with slide - forcefully hit all 6 strings at pickup closest to fingerboard, and
gliss down to bridge. Other hand will gradually lift from strings so that they
ring out. Ebow will cause the V string to vibrate. These to gestures occurring
simultaneously will cause an ascending and descending glissando.

volume toe
with slide- tap and twist guitar slide causing brief and bright birdlike
pedal heel
sounds
Tab notation: the 6 lines indicate the 6 strings of the guitar, as shown.
I
II
e.gtr III
string tab IV
V
VI
towards bridge
graphic indicating the ebow. Usually accompanied with a tap string against pick ups as fast as possible
string number.
with arrow indicating duration. Start at ‘ord’
(center point between pick ups) and move
un-dampen string so that the ebow may activate string. towards bridge over length of gesture.

transition from completely dampened to un-damped string.

with slide, scratch lengthwise along
any string between pick ups
use nail on string, move length wise down (or up) string for
duration given.

- vii -
 Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide (cont...)
E l e c t r i c G u i t a r (cont...)

CAS S E T T E P LAY E R
3 positions are referenced starting at measure 76. They are as follows:
e.gtr
position 1 position 2 position 3 in this example, cassette player is on
strings between pickups, with speaker
down. Amp should be picking up
the sounds the player is emitting.
The movement of the player is
cassette
player causing a soft glissando on the strings.
When cassette player comes close
guitar to a pickup, a soft static is heard.
strings

position 1: corner of player position 2: speaker of position 3: while moving

pressed against strings. cassette player is laying towards neck, slowly lift
Moving towards bridge and against strings. player so that only the corner is
while zig-zagging. pressed against the strings. No zig-zagging
across strings.

C a s s e t t e c o n t r o l s: used with both graphically spaced notation (with time in brackets) and with duration shown with stems.
This should be considered a noise maker and an instrument to add to the soundscape rather than to faithfully play back recording. It
is okay, and encouraged, for tape to get warped and include artifites.

record button stop rewind fast forward play & rewind play & fastforward
(held simultaneously) (held simultaneously)

- viii -
 Symbol, Set-Up, and Notation Guide (cont...)
C a s s e t t e & C o n t a c t M i c:
contact mic pressed onto cassette player to pick up the sounds of the tape and mechinics within the player. Moving between the four corners as shown
by the graphic. The circle indicates relative position of the contact mic.
The arrows mean to move between points with the black line indicating duration. Dotted lines means to hold position.

œ œ œ œ œ
œ ‰ œ

- Program Notes -

Within eyes on the trio is asked to be staged closely to each other and within close proximity to a variety of small electronics to become,
as I think of it, an interconnected “machine.” In this “machine” each performer engages with each other in new and compelling ways.
By blending sound from electronics with instruments, use of mimicry, tape playback, and purposeful obfuscation,
the impression of one cohesive unit rather than three individual performers arises. Yet, importantly, each performer keeps their individual identity,
often giving agency to improvise and make decisions regarding the overall soundscape.
This, to me, forms an environment that is at
once mechanical but avoids the methodic and encroaches on wonder.

Overall, this “machine” merges lo-fi technology with acoustic instruments to form new sound worlds, controlled
unpredictability, and specifically, a tape cassette that, by the double bar, will be entirely warped and brand new.
Due to the nature and fragility of the feedback and lo-fi electronics incorporated in this work, the entire performance hinges
on acoustics, prescribed proximity, discovery, and connection. With these aspects at play each action and sound of the trio
can be predicted but not assured.

- iv -
 transposed score eyes on
12’ for mixed trio Kelley
(2019) Sheehan
for Nadar Ensemble
q = c.a.55
above
touching
(surface)
iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

off
all on
surface
iPad
Cl. in Bb TS
Keys/fb

x3 x4 x5 x3
touching inst.
iPad
TS
Keys/fb
sfz

iPad with hand

TS
Keys/fb
sfz

with x3 x4 x5 x3
slide
e.gtr
-V

on, toe;
5th/7th ( )
on
 iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

e.gtr

iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

iPad
Cl. TS
Keys/fb

e.gtr

-2-
 iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

e.gtr

amp picking up tapping sound A

x5 - distorted by feedback
iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

on

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb
off

x5
e.gtr

on

-3-
 amp picking
up sound pick up inst. - hold at level
(keeping inst. on table) - distorted with amp
iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

‘scribble’
on surface
Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

on
with slide,
scratch horizontally along
any string between p.u

e.gtr
string tab

(tapping key - not a key click)

slow, circular motion in front of amp
lasting the length of the measure (changes in distance to amp causing color changes in tapping sound). x6
Small bursts of feedback okay and encouraged

iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

x6
e.gtr
string tab

-4-
 iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb
( )

slap tongue - closed

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

towards bridge

e.gtr
string tab

B
x3 q = c.a.70
iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

bell on amp

Cl.

x3 q = c.a.70
e.gtr
string tab

-5-
 C
place fl. on table at a distance if needed, adjust distance from amp to
from amp that causes feedback q = c.a.60 control fb and help achieve given amplitude
iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

contact mic on amp (held/tied notes = feedback)

fragile and high pitched feedback

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

remove &
pick up cassette q = c.a.60
towards bridge towards bridge player hover above pickups causing static

e.gtr
string tab

pitch shift: f f
bypass
settings: toggle towards bridge pickup., dark tone.

c. mic touching
amp

iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

hovering - slowly fluctuating in distance above ipad

leave on ipad

Cl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb

e.gtr
position 1
on strings

-6-
 D
detached headjoint from fl - holding headjoint, place
fl on table, c. mic facing amp ( ) only on repeat(s)
iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

detached bell from cl - c. mic on bell, don’t perform

remove ts * on repeat
from ipad place bell on table with wide opening facing upwards, c.mic facing amp
Cl.

blend with fl. feedback

on 2nd repeat, string V

e.gtr
(position 1) position 2 position 3 position 1 position 2

head
joint
use vol knobs on mixer to blend - erratic feedback

Y Y Y Y
J
Fl.
iPad
TS ¿ ¿
Keys/fb
(mf)

teeth on reed
with lower joint inside bell
2 line = low and high registers
Cl.
mf

e.gtr
position 3 position 2 position 1 sim.

-7-
 86
head
x5
joint
Fl. iPad
TS
Keys/fb
knob 2 to
follow dyn. contour.

High
Cl. Low

x5
e.gtr

head
joint
away from amp (pick up ts)
Fl.
iPad
TS
Keys/fb

knob 2 - sim.

High
Cl. Low

e.gtr fermata: wait until tape

has fully rewound &
remove stops on its own

-8-
 sfz c. mic on amp E off

iPad
Fl. TS
Keys/fb

bell with off

c.mic
iPad
Cl. TS
Keys/fb

e.gtr
off
max speed
( )

p-mf

improvise (~25 ) improvise (~15 )

148
vamp with feedback possiblities - adjusting position of contact mic **adjust volume on amp as necessary -

J
Y
from amp ts volume should become louder than feedback by the end of this cresendo
to headjoint
Fl.
iPad
TS ¿
Keys/fb ( )

1
improvise (~25 ) improvise (~15 )
vamp with feedback possiblities - adjusting position of contact mic
J
Y
breath as needed, subtly decresendo to breath from amp
Cl.
iPad
TS œœ ¿
Keys/fb
blend with feedback
**
1
improvise (~25 ) improvise (~15 )
e.gtr
vamp with cassette player controls following the below parameters/controls

( )

-9-
3following contour of dynamic. Alternately,
the volume may be control on the cassette player itself
 152 slide fingers into headjoint - slide whistle effect
mimicking guitar sound
on repeat: pick up body of fl.
head-
Fl. joint
fp fp

iPad
Cl. TS
Keys/fb

with repeat as exactly

slide as possible (don’t perform on repeat)
e.gtr
let ring
( )

1 3
f

F as distance changes from mic to amp - mf

1

° 3
changes in color should occur, let1short burst of feedback occur 1
- 1
-
159 mp 1 3

-- --
2 2

4- - - -
‰
- - - ‰
Keys/fb
‰ ‰ ‰
Fl.
>- - - -
f on (f)
pos.
to
amp

¢ 4
Cl.
3 ∑ ∑ ∑
mf

c.p vol to 0 contact mic on surface of cassette player

3 œ ˙
4
c. mic
&
c. player
on
p mf
- 10 -
2
 1

°
-- - -- -- -- --
163 1

-- --)
2

Keys/fb -) - - -
∑
‰ ‰ ‰
( (
Fl.
pos. - - -
to
amp

on
Cl. table ¢ direction
feedback w amp
on table
∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

œ œ œ œ œ
‰ œ
c. mic œ
&
c. player

mf

- -3 -
1
-3
1 1
- -
° - - -- - -- - -- Œ - - -
167

-- -- )
2 2 2

--
Keys/fb ∑
‰
(
Fl.
pos. -
to
amp

short bursts of feedback are okay and encouraged

F I
¢ ∑ œ œ ‰ Ó œ Œ ˙_
(inst. down)
on
Cl. table
on
p mf p p mf
mf
knob 2 - sim.
knob 2 to
follow dyn. contour.

c. mic œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
&
c. player ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰

- 11 -
 -3 -3 -3 1 -3 1
1 1
- -
°
171

-- - ‰ -- - ‰ - -- -
1

-- --
2 2

- -- -
4
- - -
Keys/fb 4
‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
Fl.
pos. - - - -
to
amp
bell with contact mic close to amp
allow feedback to occur -

F I
any frequency is okay

¢ ˙_
‰ Œ Œ Œ ˙ 4
on
Cl. table Ó œ œ œ 4
p mf mf p mf p mf
p
(knob 2 - sim. ) (knob 2 - follow contour )

œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ 4
4
c. mic
&
c. player ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰

-3 2
1
-3
1

° 44 - - -- - -- - - - -- ) - -
175 2
2

- -- --
2 ‰
‰ -
Keys/fb 4 Œ
‰ ‰
(
Fl.
pos.
- - -
to
amp

¢ 4˙
4 ˙ 2 ∑ ˙ ∑
on
Cl. table 4
p mf p mf p p mf

4 œ 2œ œ
c. mic
& 4 4 ‰ œ ‰ œ
c. player

- 12 -
 silently depress key so that feedback occurs -

°
179 any frequency is okay

Keys/fb - - - - 4-
3 - Œ -- Œ ‰ - Œ - ‰ Œ ‰ -
Fl. pos.
to
amp

3 F I _˙
on
Cl. table ¢ ∑ 4œ œ ‰ œ Œ Œ ˙
p mf
p mf p mf p mf

œ 3 œ œ
4
c. mic
œ œ œ
&
c. player
hold

=
15 amp off light off
17

°
183

- -
longer silences between gesture
Keys/fb ‰ x7 x7
off
Fl. pos. p mp
to
amp

breath as need - always decresendo when needing to breath

15 17
inst. ‰ œœ amp off light off

¢
˙œ
Cl.
on
table
p mp off

amp off

15 17 (7-10 )
œ
c. mic rewind as needed
&
c. player
mf off

- 13 -