Balancing Act (Performance by Fifth Column)

Join Hinge Resident Artist Scott Miller for this special, free music performance at the upcoming Zachmann Studios in Fergus Falls! Performing will be Scott Miller's ensemble Fifth Column, and they will premier a new work Miller is creating for acoustic instruments, computers, and lighting. The event will also be an opportunity for the public to get a sneak preview of Fergus Falls? newest art space, studio space and a future gallery owned by artist Jeff Zachmann. Scott L. Miller is a composer from Maple Grove, MN. He is a Professor of Music at St. Cloud State University and President of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the U.S. (SEAMUS). He composes music for every variety of musical ensemble, but specializes in music that uses computers, microphones, and electronic instruments, frequently paired with performers of acoustic instruments. The working title for Miller's new composition is Balancing Act. Using Symbolic Sound's powerful computer music and sound design hard/software system, Kyma, he will transform the performance space into a sonic ecosystem. His programming in Kyma will control what sounds the audience will hear, where the sound of the performers comes from, and what the lighting of the space will be. Miller says, "This approach creates an ecosystem of sound and light where every element seeks a balance of existence with all the other elements. It can be a precarious balance, easily upset, and this creates an interesting kind of musical tension that the audience is physically aware of, since they are a part of the ecosystem themselves." The electronic sounds created will be based on recordings made in Fergus Falls and at the Kirkbride Building. Miller's approach is an attempt to create a work that has a very real sonic and physical connection to the community, which directly addresses the idea of finding a balance in one's existence.