Left to Right: Guitarists Gavin Harper, Geremy Schulick, Kenji Shinagawa, James Moore, Brett Parnell, and Simon Kafka at the Rattlestick Theater, 12/3/07

"exPAT" by Eric km Clark
for as many electric guitars as possible (2007)

     “Hearing Deprivation in my music comprises mixing earplugs with headphones playing very loud white noise. This masks each performers' hearing; as they are each playing the same musical material, a Hermetic Canon develops due to the varying inner tempi of each unique musician. Odd harmonies and rhythms envelop the space, and new experiences are formed through each performance!” – Eric km Clark

     Written for the debut performance of Dither, “exPAT” began as an electric guitar quartet, and it is quickly taking on a life of its own. Over the past few years, I  have had the pleasure of performing Eric’s hearing deprivation music in both large ensembles and small groups. However, this was my first opportunity to work with him on one of these pieces as it was written, and to present it to several unexpecting, yet enthusiastic, audiences. I would also get the opportunity to direct a large ensemble of guitarists for the New York premiere of the Deprivation Orchestra. As we continue to program this piece with increasing numbers of guitars, one can only dream of the possibilities!