Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

The plan was to make ten pieces, each with a duration of exactly three minutes with titles referencing real or imaginary everyday events. It turns out that lots of people have made pieces called 'ordinary moments'. It must be a thing.

Mine are quite challenging to play on a real piano, so this is a rendition on the pseudo-piano using the digital audio workstation Reaper. Other versions are possible. (The pieces, in notated form, are available from the publisher Wirripang.)

Some of the events referenced are real: the man eating the meat pie happened at Flinders Street railway station, Melbourne; many people have begun to work from home since the pandemic; shoelaces come untied; people shout, whistle and sneeze. On the other hand, Elon Musk has not yet flown to Phobos, but he might.

The music uses various well-worn strategies: isorhythm, static harmony, and so on, but the essential idea is that of listening to one thing for a long time, namely three minutes. You will not find a 'middle eight' anywhere.

Available from Bandcamp.

1. a man eats the remains of a meat pie from a rubbish bin

2. rain obscures a sunrise

3. Elon Musk flies to Phobos

4. a shoelace unties itself

5. shouting at six things five times

6. working from home

7. humming a tune from the opera

8. a father bequeaths a sneeze

9. the speaker twice pauses for effect

10. the correct embouchure for the mbira explained in easy steps