Music Tech

The rare, secret world of electronic, computer-generated and otherwise experimental music could be called a cultural frontier just out of public earshot. For the most part, it carries on and evolves underground in select, specialized corners of academia or private networks.

For the last quarter century, one of those internationally known laboratories has been at CalArts in Valencia. This weekend, the segment of the public interested in this niche world can tune in, courtesy of the third annual CEAIT Electronic Music Festival. Twenty-four works will be performed, and “tape pieces” will be available on the Internet over the three nights.

The festival is the brainchild of Clay Chaplin, a composer who was a graduate student at CalArts and now teaches in the Center for Experiments in Art, Information and Technology, or CEAIT.

“I remember in my first year there,” Chaplin said, “I was wondering, ‘Where are the festivals or performance opportunities?’ You have to make them for yourself. I think that was the whole impetus for starting this whole thing. We needed a place to showcase not only our work, as graduate students, but also other people’s work, to help keep CalArts on the map.”

This year, Chaplin and his co-organizers listened to more than 100 submissions from around the world, culled from invitations mostly posted on the Internet. They came up with a festival’s worth of material.

Much of it is computer-generated, but not entirely. There are works using “found sounds,” video work, non-computer electronic pieces and a few sound installations to be experienced outside the concert hall. With modest funding, they also were able to host visitors from San Francisco, New York and New Hampshire.

Chaplin will perform in a “laptop improvisation” with his mentor, Mark Trayle, chairman of the composition faculty.

Fittingly enough, the Internet is playing an important role in the festival. Besides being able to visit the CEAIT Web site at https://shoko.calarts.edu/ceait for information on the festival, one can be a virtual concert-goer and tune into the live broadcast of the performances.

The new “MP3 Jukebox” on the site allows a visitor to listen to select tape pieces that were submitted. Using the jukebox allowed the organizers to expand the forum they give to worthy submissions.

“We were able to showcase a little more music that way and not do it in a live context where people might not give it the attention they should,” Chaplin said.

“Nothing against tape music, but in a concert setting, it does get a little tedious after a while in a live context.”

CalArts has a rich tradition of promoting experimental music. Noted electronic composer Morton Subotnick began teaching there in the 1970s.

“Only a place like CalArts would be willing to do something like this, mainly for the aesthetic of the music,” Chaplin said. “ A lot of it is improvisationally based and a lot of it can be kind of noisy.”

BE THERE

CEAIT Electronic Music Festival, tonight through Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Roy O. Disney Hall at CalArts, 24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia. Free. (661) 253-7832.