Reverberance is an exploration of the many timbres and textures that the Tam-Tam can produce. Through the use of a variety of implements and techniques, the performer takes us on a journey beyond our normal perception of the Tam-Tam, and with the help of Max/MSP creates a lush world full of color, warmth, and light.

Rather than using traditional score notation, Reverberance uses notes and cues hosted directly in Max/MSP to instruct the performer which gestures to perform throughout the piece. This allows the live performer and the electronic elements to remain organically and seamlessly intertwined. 

Through the use of electronics, the reverberant qualities of the Tam-Tam have been isolated from their attacks, and augmented to show their range and depth. Decays have been impossibly extended to create rich harmonic textures and often overlooked sonorities have been moved into the spotlight. Reverberance is truly an expansion of the under-utilized characteristics of the Tam-Tam.

Reverberance - For Solo Tam-Tam and Live, Interactive Electronics

Composer Brian Sears’s music is based on his attraction to timbre, space, and texture, and is heavily influenced by the concept of augmenting reality through the use of electronics. His compositions use these forces as a foundation for creating immersive sonic environments that communicate intimate and emotional connections. Brian holds a Master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Composition & Theory at Brandeis University where he studies with Eric Chasalow and David Rakowski. Brian is continually inspired and influenced by his interactions and collaborations with performers and sound artists, as well as past teachers and mentors like Elainie Lillios, Mikel Kuehn, Pablo Furman, and Brian Belet. These interactions have had a huge impact on his work, leading Brian to be a vocal proponent for the importance of community and collaboration in the new music world. His music has been performed nationally at festivals and conferences like ICMC, SEAMUS, NYCEMF, Electronic Music Midwest, N_SEME, Electroacoustic Barndance, and CEMICircles, as well as by members of the International Contemporary Ensemble, SPLICE ensemble, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the San José Chamber Orchestra. He has also been a participant artist at various residencies including the Atlantic Center of the Arts, the SPLICE Summer Institute, and the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at New England Conservatory.

Reverberance - For Solo Tam-Tam and Live, Interactive Electronics

Brian Sears Composer