29 Sep multiMORF Kids at BrassWind

NyNorsk Brass Quintet and Knarvik School Band will premiere multiMORF Kids at Nykirken in Bergen on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

multiMORF Kids will be performed by NyNorsk Brass Quintet and Thorolf Thuestad in collaboration with musicians from Knarvik School Band. The young musicians are invited into the electroacoustic universe of composer Knut Vaage and sound designer Thorolf Thuestad, exploring experimental ways of creating sounds on their instruments inspired by the musicians in the quintet. They will also experience how electronics manipulate their sounds, transforming them into innovative hybrid soundscapes unlike the traditional tones of a band or brass ensemble. 

The piece is based on sketch material from multiMORF VII, featuring a question-and-answer dynamic, where the musicians in the quintet act as "leaders" for their respective parts, while the kids mimic them.

The framework for multiMORF Kids is multiMORF VII, an extension of Knut Vaage's multiMORF series (2007–2013), in which he and sound designer Thorolf Thuestad developed a hybrid electroacoustic soundscape by expanding the sonic range of instruments through extensive use of microphones. Subtle sounds from the brass instruments, such as valve clicks, lip smacks, and tongue pops, are captured. By varying the distance to the microphone and the mouthpiece, a nuanced soundscape is created, which Thuestad processes into a unique creation of electroacoustic sound weaves.

But also rhythmic music: The brass players move between performing synchronously and asynchronously with the electronics. One by one, the musicians leave the electroacoustic soundscape to embark on a journey, performing an acoustic solo. When they return to the ensemble and the electroacoustic soundscape, they are embraced by a chorale. 

multiMORF VII was premiered at BrassWind on October 3, 2021.