Telepathic Improvisation

PAULINE OLIVEROS   November 1971

Group Activity
from Sonic Meditations


To the musicians with varied or like instruments: Tuning - each musician in turn sits or stands in front of the audience for a few minutes. The audience is asked to observe the musician carefully and try to imagine the sound of his or her instrument. The audience is instructed to close eyes and attempt to visualize the musician, then send a sound to the musician by hearing it mentally. The musician waits until he or she receives an impression of a sound mentally, then he or she produces the sound. Members of the audience who have successfully “hit the target” raise their hands as feedback to the musician.

After the tuning exercise the musicians distribute themselves throughout the space among the audience members and utilize the following instructions:

If you are sending, try to visualize the person to whom you are sending. If you ore receiving, listen for the sound and visualize the sender. The quality and dynamics of the tones you play may be influenced by your feelings, emotional or body sensations, or even impressions of colors, which might come from the audience members. Continue until It seems “time” to stop.

To the observers: Try mentally to Influence the musicians by wishing for one or more of the following elements: (the musicians are instructed to play only long sustained tones)

  1. Focus mentally on a specific pitch. If you are sending, visualize the musician to whom you are sending. If you are receiving, listen for the sound which matches yours. Also visualize the musician.
  2. Focus mentally on stopping or starting a sound at a particular time.
  3. Focus mentally on loudness or softness of tone production.
  4. Focus mentally on the quality of the tone.
  5. Focus mentally on an emotional character for the tone.

This meditation is best done in very low illumination, or with eyes closed,




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