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The third etude, "Touches bloquees" ("Blocked Keys"), uses the same technique that first appeared in "Selbstportrait," the second of the Three Pieces for Two Pianos. Certain keys are held down silently with one hand while the other hand plays a very fast chromatic line on and around the blocked keys, which of course do not sound. The result is a complicated rhythmic pattern that gives the music a somewhat mechanical quality. At first the silent gaps are all the duration of a single eighth, but eventually the gaps are two eighths, then three, and continue to increase in length until the texture becomes increasingly sparse. Again, this etude is about the creation of illusion; we see a continuous pattern of eighth notes on the page, but what results in performance are quirky rhythmic patterns that are not discernible to the eye and would be all but impossible to notate in a more traditional fashion to achieve the desired effect.Actually, it wasn't so much about the listening for me. What put me in a state of awe was the seeing. It is the clear struggle between the hands, the tension between the immobile one and the one that runs crazily above it or under it. Also, the tension of the one that is supposed to stay immobile, simply blocking some keys, but cannot resist the opportunity and spurts out sounds now and again, as if to underline it has total power. And then they switch. And we hear it, we hear this body negiation, we hear it once we see it, once we understand the game, it becomes obvious.
Their facilities are located on the property where poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived at the height of her literary career. They have a seven-acre campus with meadows and forest in Austerlitz, New York, USA, adjacent to the former Millay home and gardens and the exquisite Harvey Mountain State Forest.
The Millay Colony provides food for breakfasts, lunches, and weekend dinners, and will happily respond to vegetarian or other dietary requirements. On Monday through Friday evening meals are prepared by an excellent local chef. There is no obligation, however, to be present with the group at the prepared evening meal. They have a share in a nearby bio-dynamic farm and so the bulk of their food is local and farm-fresh.
To Apply: NEW: Online application submission for 2011 Residency Program. http://millaycolony.submishmash.com/submit Application submissions via mail also available for 2011 season. http://www.millaycolony.org/apply
For more info and application details, visit their website. Applications must be postmarked or posted by October 1, 2010 for a month-long residency in 2011. They have other deadlines for other sessions, so if you miss this one, there are others. For more information, please call our Residency Director Calliope Nicholas at 518-392-3103 or email at residency@millaycolony.org.
***Note from Mirabee: The landscape at Millay is stunning and an extra perk: this residency is amazingly accessible for disabled artists.
(ALL) ART 342 Residencies in Fort Collins, CO, USA: ART342 is now accepting artist-in-residence applications for Spring 2011. Residency dates: January 17 – April 22. On-line application: https://art342.slideroom.com/ Deadline: October 11, 2010.
ART342 offers 14-week residencies to emerging and established artists, writers and composers. Studios, a kiln and basic equipment are available for most visual artists, including ceramicists. Quiet spaces exist for creative or scholarly writers. The composer’s studio is outfitted with a Steinway B, computers and software for writing and recording.
Awards for accepted applicants include 24-hour access to free studios, living space and a modest stipend. Residents are responsible for personal expenses and travel to and from the site. Situated in a semi-rural area, ART342 is just 6 miles north of Historic Old Town in Fort Collins. Up to 7 studios and 5 living spaces are maintained as private places for creative work. Pets, children, visitors and partners are strongly discouraged.
For more information regarding future application deadlines and residency details, visit: www.art342.org
(ALL) 3331 Arts Chiyoda Residency in Japan: 3331 Arts Chiyoda has recently launched a new residency program open to artists, curators and creative practitioners internationally. This includes not only the visual arts but also practitioners in design, architecture,dance and music etc. With a full range of facilities including accommodation, studio and gallery, creative practitioners have the exceptional opportunity to extend their artistic engagement in the heart of Tokyo.
The residency includes accommodation and studio space and also has a gallery, event space and coordinator available as an additional option. They are accepting submissions and enquiries all year round but have a deadline set for 19th November for applicants wishing to stay between February/June 2011. They also have availability between November2010/January2011 and eagerly invite artists to contact us as soon as possible if they are interested in this opportunity. For full details please see the following link
http://www.3331.jp/news/en/residency/
**Note from Mirabee: unlike most of the ones I post about, this is not a free residency and they will not accept you if you don't have funding at time of application. So if you are interested, you should try to get funding before you apply.
(ALL) New Pacific Studio Residencies: New Pacific Studio offers two residency sites, one in New Zealand, the other in Vallejo, near San Francisco, USA. (Note: Neither are free residencies although the cost per week looks reasonable and the locations are lovely):