it is impossible for everyone to achieve everything they want (2018)

it is impossible for everyone to achieve everything they want asks the players to construct sequences of sounds, responding to what they hear preceding players do. Players have control over their own actions, but generally not those of others. They can influence some behaviours but not control the group totally, although forming allegiances might enable more control to be exerted on the group. The piece uses a set of artificially constructed or presented sounds, including text-to-speech computer voices, recordings of real world sounds, algorithmically generated music, synthesisers, radio, dictaphones, and spoken commands delivered over megaphones. The title is taken from Larry Diamond’s text ‘What is Democracy?’ (2004).

it is impossible for everyone to achieve everything they want was commissioned by Matrix New Music Centre, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Musical Foundation for the 2018 Nadar Summer Academy. It was first performed by Nadar Summer Academy Ensemble at Transit Festival, Leuven, on 13 October 2018

Score preview below, or download from the scores page.