From late high school to about half through my time at my first university, I was a real purist about how I created music involving instruments. I never used samples, I always did everything in whole takes, I tried to use minimal editing and never did any processing in the box apart from EQ, minimal compression and sometimes reverb. I had this idea that Pro Tools should just be a glorified tape machine and recording was only to capture a performance. Of course, I was still interested creative studio techniques, but I didn't want it take the place of my "musicianship". Now, I'm far less naïve and a lot more relaxed. But, I thought it would be interesting to try that method again, though not for the same reasons, but instead with the idea of setting constraints to spur on creativity.

So, from that, I'm starting up another little series where each work focuses on a specific means to excite vibration in an instrument. This week is rosin. In this case, rosin on bow, rosin on plastic ruler and rosin on fingers to excite piano, banjo and sheet metal.

Tags: week 15 2016, View by:kevanatkins