COMPOSITIONS

impulse response (2012)



two tenor saxophones, ableton live/max-msp, 4 channel audio



see/download FULL score (pdf) here (1.3 Mb)

part 1:




part 2:




notes on impulse response


Impulse Response is two-part sonic landscape based around a feedback control system environment for two tenor saxophones.




subterranean spaces (2011)



soprano saxophone





download/see full score




notes on Subterranean Spaces
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haptics (2011)



tenor and soprano saxophone sans blown air

• I. strict-slop
• II. trill-mechanisms
• III. dotted
• IV. stereopush
• V. soprano 1
• VI. soprano 2


notes on haptics

Haptics explores the fingering mechanisms of the saxophone. The hidden, resonant chambers within the saxophone’s conical bore are exposed through a signal-process of amplification, distortion and and reverb. Within these ritualistic miniatures, the harsh, subterranean spaces of the saxophone are revealed, intimating the urgent, inner-workings of the instruments’ metallic machinery.

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solo tenor saxophone
for KJHK Radio Show: July 31st, 2011 (2011)


solo tenor saxophone

• I. scavenger

• II. sleight

• III. veil face

• IV. messhand

• V. globular

• VI. conclusion



notes on solo tenor saxophone

Dense, layered streams of melodic lines suggest to the listener a three-grounded sonic hierarchy.
The foreground evokes the complex, note-to-note details of the sounds as they emerge linearly from the instrument. The middle-ground suggests the larger structures—the (a)symmetrical groupings of rhythmic and/or melodic patterns that form the cellular content of the pieces. Lastly, the background relates to the listener an intense, unwavering energy that is contained within the general aesthetic at a perceptual-stasis. back to top

saxophonic subterranea (2011)



soprano saxophone, MAX/MSP,ableton live, 4 Channel Audio

saxophonic subterranea from nolan lem on Vimeo.

notes on Saxophonic subterranea


Notated, cellular vessels comprised of continuous strings of patterns to be used as a vehicle for exploring the vibratory potentials of those musical structures, timbres and physical ergonomics of the saxophone. The interplay of these three parameters will constitute the breadth of this piece as they interact throughout the course of the repetitions.

The structures of the cells are not to be interpreted directly but rather are intended to be used as a starting mold from which different sounds can emerge, each sculpted from the various trials of techniques within the performer’s arsenal.

In this way, the cells will be presented as atomistic in the piece’s structural hierarchy. These kernels will serve the performer in an architectural manner whereby the building blocks will hopefully induce or build upon one another, forming entirely new structures at which point the performer will have to decide when to move on to the consequent cells.

The cells are to be performed in numbered sequences which dictate that the perfomer maintain a continuous stream of air through the technique of circular breathing. These sections last approximately 3-5 minutes in length. Because these directions and method of performance place great strain of the mental state of the performer, it will be a physical feat to endure the entire process of the piece. It is through this practice that the performer will attain the robust mental capacity to better integrate the different psychological roots of his/her cognitive inconsistencies, creatively or not. back to top

adagio for saxophone quartet (2009)

• 1 soprano, 1 alto, 2 tenors

commentary on Adagio for Saxophone Quartet

Adagio for saxophone quartet is scored for 1 soprano, 1 alto and 2 tenor saxophones. It is in a rounded-binary form with the last statement of the theme being a canon on the unison. The initial title was “A slow recovery” as I was thinking about the fragile mental state of a patient undergoing surgery and having to will the process of recovery. There is the pathos of sorrow, but also the suggestion of nostalgia for the loss of life. The somber tone of the middle section precludes the final statement of the canonic melody that serves as a final whimper, wavering between resignation and hope. Nevertheless, the final section’s harmony is never resolved, the fate of the patient’s will balancing on a single tense note. back to top

silver and bronze (2009)



2 soprano saxophones, 2 altos saxophones

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commentary on Silver and Bronze:


‘Silver and Bronze’ is a piece I wrote for 2 alto and 2 soprano saxophones. Each instrument is given its own metric framework of repeats. Each instrument has differing lengths of repeats (7, 9 and 15 bars) with the final instrument repeating with an even number of bars (4). In this way, the piece is generated by its own asymmetries as no two systems of material will every repeat in the course of the music. The exception to this system occurs about midway through the piece. This section, in phrases of 5 in the altos and 4 in the sopranos, is the prelude to the final wailing section (complete with glissandos). While the repeating-rhythmic material is fixed, the harmonic component changes throughout time. It was my goal that these changes would be subtle enough to be gradual and process-oriented. Additionally, the empty “space” between the repeats are gradually filled with more repetitions of the sixteenth note motif until the climactic glissando section renders the motif obsolete and the motif is elongated(quarter notes taking their place). The passage of time is deccelerated.

The choice of pitches was unique the overtone system of the individual saxophones. The pitch center in the beginning of the piece is the note, Bb, for the sopranos and the note, Eb for the altos. The fingering for this note is the same on both saxophones and enables the player to easily(or accidently) sound the immediate overtone(s) an octave above (or more). In this way, the vibrancy of the notes, and the unisons between the instruments, blossom into an unusually bright timbre. This note is also used as a springboard for injecting other harmonies into the field. back to top

CHAMBER(ish)

standard deviation (2010)



for 4 jazz quartets and any additional number of horns and 2 independent metronomes

click to enlarge scores



see/download full score
notes on standard deviation


This piece is for 4 jazz combos with any number of additional horns. This piece makes use of a technique I call convolution: simultaneous tempos, each provided to the respective jazz combos serves to convolute the musical content of each of the groups. It is the ratio of the designated tempos which will determine the deviation from each group’s temporal reference point. This piece uses the approximate ratio, e: π. As tempo can only be gauged from the perspective of a reference tempo (or another unit of time), the process of additive tempos provides the listener with a multi-referential, temporal field in which different metric structures can be established and consequently, abandoned.

The first section begins and concludes with these 4-group convolutions as wind instruments are added sequentially to each of the groups.

The interludes make use of a simple tom/snare rim 4 part convolution.

Ultimately, the convolutions serve the (seemingly impossible) purpose to generate an auditory approximation of organized chaos.
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klaviersplat (2011)



incisive orchestrations generated from improvisations done to graphic scores




I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

--> see parts of score


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proto-canon-field (2010)



harmonic arrays distributed to an assortment of woodwinds and subjected canonic,temporal relationships

notes on proto-canon-field:

In this piece for a slew of woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, saxophones), prime-numbered sequences of pitches are distributed to each instrument. In this way, the resulting temporal arrays are setup to generate different harmonies within the groups of instruments, never to repeat.
The arbitrarily chosen pithes can be played at any given register within the instruments’ capacity. Accent-trills--into the next note in each sequence—-are directed to be performed with a relative, frequency-per-event designation (e.g. 2 trills per each sequence, 1 trill every other sequence, etc.) with the performer given the liberty to choose which pitches to apply them to.
The “stiffness” of the static, quarter note pulse allows the audience to better discern the resultant harmonies and compare their relative harmonic density.
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music for PIANO

performed by Nolan Lem on piano



• fugue in d minor (2010)
  
  

  bach style counterpoint with fugal subjects

• sonata in F (2010)
  
  

  theme and variation in sonata form

• etude in Ab minor (2003)
  
  

• etude in G (2010)
  
  

• baroque moment (2011)
  
  

• muslin tapestries (2010)
  
  

  strict canon form

• my ludlam piano (2009)
  
  

  prepared piano to an old, cavernous lester piano in miami.
  for: metal spoons, knives and forks, duct tape, screwdriver, quarters, computer paper



My Ludlam Piano commentary;


'My Ludlam Piano' actually came about from my desire to preserve and document an old Lester spinet piano from the 60’s that I owned in Miami from 2008-2009. While the piano was far from being a traditionally valuable or “good-sounding” piano, it had other qualities that I found to be very beautiful. Of these desirable characteristics was a unique cavernous quality in the low register that intimated small gongs sounded in a dungeon (or another large space). Additionally, the high register had a tinny, metallic timbre with a noticable wavering of pitch. The instability of the piano’s ability to hold pitch was also one of the contributing factors to general sound of the piano. Images starting generating in my mind: a giant dungeon full of different piano rooms—a building full of practice rooms where each room’s piano contributed to the acoustic wash of the cavernous space. It was from this idea that I started composing Ludlam Phases.

For the piece, I used a variety of methods to prepare the piano. For the beginning section, I duct-taped spoons to the piano strings and repeatedly struck them lightly with the hammers of the keys to create the sustained, ringing sound. Among the other techniques I employed for preparing the piano was the use of screw-drivers, coins, aluminum foil, forks, paper, duct tape, etc… One of my favorite techniques was the sound resulting from stripping away duct-tape from the piano strings and letting the sound decay.

I collected over 500 audio files for this piece. I broke the sounds down into components of attack and decay/sustain. Mostly, I worked with the sound of the piano with the sustain pedal down but without the attack of the notes recorded. In this way, the gong-like quality of the piano came through without the sound of the hammers striking the strings. I pasted many of these sound-snippets together, treating them like they were samples. Much of the time, the attack of a note/chord/strum/stripping is paired with a different note’s (attack’s) decay. In this way, the resulting sound is unphysical but still preserved (made up of the same components). At first, the attack-decays are longer, but as the piece goes on they begin to contract—shorter snippets of the “sound-rooms” interact and communicate with one another. I didn’t apply any electronic, 'unacoustic' effects to the sounds after they were collected in an attempt to preserve the acoustic nature of the piece. back to top

• industry (2010)
  
  

percussion music
• velocities for toms (2010)
  
  
  intervalic temporal relationships mapped onto 4 toms pitched like a double bass

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notes about velocities for toms

notes: The durational system (series of repeats) is based off a linear function that is accelerating at different rates. what this means is the repetitions are subjected to a process that will in turn, create the impression that the music is speeding up . Each tom is also subjected to its intervalic harmonic ratio (i.e. all in fourths with the fundamental being the lowest-pitched tom: therefore the harmonic ratio is as follows Perfect 4th (4:3, E to A), minor seventh ( 16:9, E to D) and minor tenth (12:5). basically what this means is that if you slowed down these intervals (or played them very slow) they would vibrate with periodicities with these ratios. the A pitched-tom would "cycle" 4 times every time the E pitched-tom cycled 3 times, the D pitched-tom would cycle 16 times everytime the E pitched-tom cycled 9 times and so on. (most simply an E above the low E would cycle 2 times as fast as the low E--a simple octave).

nevertheless, these ratios are approximated throughout the entire piece (as many of the ratios become irrational with different periodicities) , the acceleration occurs because the E tom repeats every "swell" 4 times with the length of each swell becoming shorter (via a linear function). it is my goal that these swells are consistent with the natural, harmonic periodicities of the intervals themselves (and the open bass strings). add the fact that the toms tunings are not tempered, the harmonic ratios are completely whole numbers (idealy that is) - the higher, very brilliant and blossoming overtones should come out of the intervals themselves with these trem. swells reinforcing each other.

pots and pans(2010)

harmonic distortion to pots and pans

other/projects

prosody for paul (2011)


saxophonic prosody for an imaginary language by paul bedal