For 2024, here at WPR, I will be posting videos of me improvising on my piano, keyboard, melodica, and any other instruments. This is part of my practice as a performer and a good way to integrate it more regularly with the writing and art I do on this platform.
Playing music in front of a camera means that it will be seen by an audience. This is no different than performing live on stage. In both instances, I must be fully present and have the clearest intentions.
My goal will be to film one take of a completely improvised piece. Some kind of rhythm will also be part of the mix.
Watch below to see the first installment:
I played that improvised piece above in one take with the camera rolling. My intention was to simply have fun and be in the moment. The only parameter I gave myself was that the entire piece had to shape itself around a dissonant chord. In this case, that was an Abmaj7. (It is the first chord I play, and it reappears several times in the piece at various octaves.) Everything else outside of that chord had to be melodic and complementary. I love the juxtaposition of dissonance with melody. The interplay between tension and resolution is something I explore a lot in my work.
Of course, somewhere in that improvisational mix is the years of knowledge and muscle memory I have gained from being a live performer, and I was able to create sonic shapes and move with intention on the keys as a result.
At the end of the piece, I leave it all unresolved by pushing that dissonant chord against the beat, giving it more resonance by doing so. I did not know I would end it that way until I did. It was a split-second decision that simply felt right in the moment.
Improvising has always been an integral part of my approach to music. When composing a song, I improvise a lot before I pick and choose the parts that serve the song best. What I wind up playing on stage is often the most recent of several iterations borne out of trying out a whole bunch of stuff.
When I improvise, I let go of any expectations and let each moment of the performance evolve organically without overthinking. What results is usually a fun, exuberant, playful, and surprising journey toward something new.
I hope you enjoy the improvisations heading your way. Most of them will be musical concepts I am working out in my head. Something I improvised for these videos will likely make it on stage eventually.
This is going to be fun.
Upcoming Shows: July 21, 2024 at DrkMttr Collective (Nashville, TN)
More Details TBA
You can hear my new song, Vampire, on every major streaming platform, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.
Give it a listen, share it, and add it to a playlist if you want. Search for Roqué Marcelo or visit any of the following links:
Spotify
Apple Music
Tidal
Amazon Music
Deezer
One of my most recent artist dates happened in Nashville, TN, at a place called The Porch, which is a writer’s collective that “inspires, educates, and connects writers and readers of all ages and stages through classes and literary events” (according to their mission statement). I attended the book launch party of my friend Erica Ciccarone and her book Borough Features. This debut novel has been several years in the making, and I was proud to see it all come together. It was a memorable evening as attendees were treated to an engaging Q&A with Erica. (They also served bagels with lox, and I wanted to devour the whole spread. Sigh.) I love getting a glimpse of an artist’s creative process, and hearing about what Erica went through to complete the gargantuan task of writing a book was very informative.
I headed back to my home in the woods feeling inspired and with a fresh new signed copy of Erica’s book in my hands.
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