by Daniel Temkin
27. January 2011 07:51
This is a Velato program that copies all input text back to the screen, performed by me on accordion (I play B System). It was interesting composing for Velato: the melody was more-or-less set, although I used the tricks it gave me (like changing root notes) to make it more musical. I played it many times until I found note durations that created a flow, and found chords to add tension. It's a strange way of writing music, but also led me to places I wouldn't have gone musically otherwise (part of the aim of Velato), even in a simple piece like this. I would love to see what would happen in the hands of a more gifted composer, working off a more complex program. Any volunteers?
How this works: the melody is the Velato code, the harmony is not. To work as a Velato program, it would be divided into two MIDI tracks, with the melody first. They would play simultaneously, but since Velato reads only the first track as the program, only that would be compiled. This is a Velato hack allowing more flexibility & complexity in composition.