* A Come-as-you-are-not-party (2004)

Hello, my name is irrelevant, and tomorrow I will be playing "ambient
music" in your bedroom. Please forward this message to other regular
bedroom occupants!

I'll need about two square yards of space on a table or floor that I
can stand next to, two spots to put my powered speakers, and access to
a wall power outlet for my power strip. I'll need to fill a teapot
with water before I begin playing.

Once I begin, probably around 10pm, I will continue playing until I
stop. As a regular occupant of the bedroom, you are allowed to tell me
to stop playing at any time, and I will comply immediately.  You are
not allowed to tell me what to play or how to play it.  I will be
making ambient sound conducive to my own relaxation.  You and any
others in the bedroom may do whatever you want so long as it does not
interfere with my playing.  This includes nudity, sexual intercourse,
operation of devices for the administration of recreational narcotics,
production of excessive stench, and brandishing of deadly weapons, all
of which will distract me too far and thus interfere.  This does not
include boozing, talking, shouting, dancing, playing video games, or
snoring.  At the end of this letter is the text of the "program" for
the performance, which may help to explain things further.

This is all officious nonsense, of course.  But I have learned from
playing other venues, it's better to get these few basic nonsense
facts sorted out than to allow too great of a surprise in performance.

Here is the "program".

--------

It is like Erik Satie's "furniture music", in that you are invited to
talk, drink, and otherwise amuse yourself during the performance.
Please do not feel as though you must pay attention to the performer
as you might at a recital.

Most of the sound is unplanned.  If you decide to listen directly, you
may need to try an unusual strategy. Try as many or as few of these at
the same time as you wish or are able to:

*) Close your eyes.

*) Listen to everything, not just what you think you're supposed to.

*) Put your fingers in your ears. Play with your ears, and see how
   this changes the sound.

*) Be sure you're not too hungry, too full, too thirsty, or otherwise
   uncomfortable for easily resolved biological reasons.

*) Relax. Take a deep breath.

*) Straighten out your back.

*) Try to pay attention to something other than what you're hearing.

*) Answer this question: "What does the sound remind me of?"

*) Promise yourself that you will never discuss what you think of the
   sound with anyone else. Resolve to free yourself from having to
   come up with opinions you think your peers will find acceptable (or
   conversely, opinions you think might anger your enemies).

The performer built the instrument hanging from his neck by attaching
many smaller devices together.  The instrument interfaces with a
laptop using more little connected devices, all tucked into a box.
The laptop does no more than MIDI processing.  A Kurzweil 2500
synthesizes the most of the audio.  The (obligatory) short wave radio
is not tuned to anything specific, but the performer will tend to look
for numbers channels during this performance.  The tea is probably
Earl Gray, unless something better appears.