Back in the 90s, I had the privilege of working with the innovative composer, pianist, and performing artist Felix Bopp. He revolutionized music by playing it through his Midi hookup on his baby grand Steinway, triggering visual images on the screen. This was a groundbreaking concept, as video-led audio was yet to be discovered.
As part of the Fusebox Festival, Graham Reynolds, a composer, improviser, performing artist, and multi-instrumentalist performed “The Forgetting Curve”. Onstage, with a humongous red drum, his keyboard, computer setup, and the video screen behind him, the audience witnessed a cacophony of sounds against pleasant and some disruptive imagery on screen.
Prepare to be captivated by the one-of-a-kind solo performance of composer-improviser Graham Reynolds in “The Forgetting Curve”, a collaboration with Fire Records from London. This show is a journey into the themes of memory and forgetting, orchestrated through a diverse array of sounds, from traditional piano to expansive orchestral beats, samples, synths, and guitar effects. Each turn of the auditory experience is transformed, complemented by a captivating video projection system by designer Jim Findlay, immersing the stage in visuals that explore the enigmatic realms of memory and the “forgetting curve.”
Drawing inspiration from the pioneering work of German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in the mid-nineteenth century, Reynolds explores the intricacies of forgetting—the process, its timeline, and strategies for memory retention. Ebbinghaus’s seminal “forgetting curve” visually represents how learned information diminishes over time. Through his engaging solo performance, Reynolds delves into this concept and beyond, offering audiences a fresh perspective on memory and the human psyche.
Reynolds has written scores for ballet, film, TV, and stage. He tours internationally, and when he’s in Austin, we highly recommend you grab a ticket as his shows are usually SRO.
Learn more about Graham Reynolds here https://www.grahamreynolds.com/