I have been too busy to do any proper writing lately.  This will hopefully change eventually.

The Experimental Music Collective (for more on this read Doug's july 20th post over at stainonsilence.blogspot.com) has regrouped in Oberlin with several new members.  Besides the warm fuzzy feeling it gives me to see our little family grow, there are a lot of new possibilities and challenges that this expanded line-up brings.  In freely improvised music, a greater number of musicians calls for even greater levels of focus, self-control and communication amongst all involved.  The larger ensemble means a greater number of ideas are brought to the musical table.  Although this is clearly a good thing, it can also make it more difficult to find a common ground in an improvisation.   Think of how two people can carry on a continuous and thoughtful conversation while absorbing everything the other person says.  If there are say, seven people in the room, the conversation can split into factions, and topics of discussion sway uneasily and chaotically. 

Nevertheless, the challenge has been a welcome one for all of us.  This Sunday, a somewhat reduced version of the collective convened for what has been one of our best meetings.  The music had a level of continuity which had been very elusive.  This had been the subject of an argument amongst several of us over the summer, whether "form" and "continuity" were possible or desirable in this type of music.  On this particular night though, there seemed to be a natural flow in the transition between various sections of the music.  Solos and duets emerged naturally out of the ensemble for very effective contrasts.  It was a very satisfying night of music.  

Hopefully there is much more of this to come.