Side OneI am a Fool, I Slap Myself - Igor Thomas MyernickRooms - Tim SmithSalty Old Man of the Sea - Steven DresslerScience Friction - David BeardsleySide TwoThank You Mr. Mao - Brian DornbachNo Direction - Karl FuryGuide to Living: Level 1, Exterminating Sheep - Jemy FükashThe Trenton Avant Garde Festival Composer's seriesA Recital Without MusiciansSeptember 9, 1995, 3:00 p.m.Trenton N.J.Igor Thomas Myernick - I am a Fool, I Slap MyselfThis piece is percussion oriented. It was created in August 1995 for the Trenton Avant Garde Festival. It is in five segued sections. It features vocal and body percussion, scraping and tapping of various drums and items such as pots, cardboard boxes, toys and learning gamelan. I also utilized a sampling drum machine. The piece was recorded in my home studio. On many occasions I had to turn off the air conditioning so that the microphone would not pick up the sound that it makes. Because of this I suffered greatly.Tim Smith - RoomsThe piece is about contrasts. As if going into different rooms of a house. The piece utilizes voice, synths and computer. It was recorded at home on a four track tape recorder.Steven Dressler - Salty Old Man of the SeaInstruments: harmonium, model canon, Casio SK-1, bongos, donkey, stupaphone, autoharp, intersound, Hohner organ, kazoo, electronically simulated voice (jiggled microphone wire). The first section of the piece can be outlined as the following: tension is introduced by the first donkey bray. It is interrupted by the stupaphone (a yard sale brass instrument, resembling a primitive, oversized, valveless french horn). Following a brief autoharp solo, motion continues where it left off. The second donkey bray brings a deceptive resolution, the third call is the final release. A watery wave atmosphere is then created by the intersound, a spring reverb so idiosyncratic, it deserves to be credited as an instrument unto itself. The second part of the piece is a bid to enter the community of modern dub and high tech record makers.David Beardsley - Science FrictionScience Friction uses the ratios of just intonation and rhythm as compositional elements. The tuning used: 1/1, 17/16, 9/8, 19/16, 5/4, 21/16, 11/8, 3/2, 13/8, 27/16, 7/4, 15/8. The composition was realized at Endorphin Computer Music Studios, Rahway, N.J. Brian Dornbach - Thank You Mr. MaoSoon after June the 1st 1989, the first of many versions of this piece was recorded. During the next 6 years, many reworkings were done. As I had an opportunity to record a piece for the Trenton Avant Garde Festival, I decided to start over again on Mr. Mao. In the end, the benefit of purpose and more importantly a deadline were to be the main factors in an end product I was really satisfied with. The piece was recorded at Wire Rope Studios. Karl Fury - No DirectionMr. Fury is a local guitarist/composer. He utilizes acoustic, electric and MIDI guitars in various styles and has been doing so for 25 years. No Direction is scored for a large ensemble of woodwinds, strings and pitched percussion. It combines minimalist and strong melodic elements. The piece was realized with electronic instruments and computer. Jemy Fükash - Guide to Living: Level 1 - Exterminating Sheep Jemy Fükash is an artist/mental terrorist from the Trenton area who has been living in relative obscurity for the past 25 years. He feels his self imposed exile is at an end and has thrust himself, screaming into the world. This is music of the revolution, therefore no sensibility has been spared.