Jarvis Cocker has decided to take music back to being an art form. He has set himself up for the week in a Paris art gallery.
In a posting at his website he ponders, “I have lost count of the number of articles proclaiming the imminent or actual death of the music industry. Does this mean that music can now go back to being an art form again? & If so, is it the first art form to begin adapting itself to the post-capitalist society we now find ourselves living in? Or is it just something you get free when you buy a mobile phone? Digital content”.He then took that one step further. “What happens if you get a band to rehearse in an art gallery instead of a rehearsal space?,” he asks. “What if you invite members of the public to play with the band? Or invite them to submit song titles which the band then have to base an improvisation upon? Could a live band provide the accompaniment to an aerobics class? What happens if you play music from 12 noon til 7pm, 7 days a week? & What if you invite the kids from the local school to come round on their Wednesday off?”
The next step was to put the plan into action and that is what he has done this week.
The Jarvis Cocker timetable this week is:
TUESDAY 5th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 -3pm - BRING AN INSTRUMENT (members of the public are invited to bring an instrument with them & play along with the band. Amplification will be available for electric instruments).
3 - 4pm - YOGA CLASS (with a qualified instructor. The band will provide suitable live accompaniment. Participants must provide their own yoga-mat.).
4 - 5pm - IMPROVISATIONS ON A THEME (throughout the course of the exhibition a box will be available in the gallery into which members of the public can post titles, phrases, suggestions, lyrics or anything else that the band can then base improvisations around. During this hour the band will create a number of pieces based on selections of this material).
5 - 6pm - GUEST PERFORMANCE ( an invited guest will play with the band)
WEDNESDAY 6th MAY
12 -2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 - 4pm - CHILDREN’S DAY ( French children traditionally have Wednesday off school. The band will supervise a number of music-based children’s activities over the course of these 2 hours. Parental supervision is required for children under 11).
4 - 5pm - RELAXATION ( the band will provide musical accompaniment to a relaxation class. Participants should provide their own exercise mat).
5 - 6pm GUEST PERFORMANCE ( see Tuesday 5th May)
THURSDAY 7th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 - 3pm - IMPROVISATIONS ON A THEME ( see Tuesday 5th May)
3 - 4pm - PILATES CLASS (with a qualified instructor. The band will provide suitable live accompaniment. Participants must provide their own exercise mat)
4 - 5pm - BRING AN INSTRUMENT (see Tuesday 5th May)
5 - 6pm - GUEST PERFORMANCE
FRIDAY 8th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 - 3pm - IMPROVISATIONS ON A THEME
3 - 4pm - AEROBICS CLASS
4 - 5pm - BRING AN INSTRUMENT
5 - 6pm - GUEST PERFORMANCE
SATURDAY 9th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2- 3pm - BRING AN INSTRUMENT
3 - 4pm - DANCING ( the band will play an hour of music designed to encourage people to dance. Dress appropriately)
4 - 6pm - SET-UP FOR OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE (weather permitting)
6 - 7pm - OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE ( the band will play a short open-air concert just outside the gallery)
SUNDAY 10th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 - 3pm - QUIET HOUR ( an hour of the softest music the band can play)
3 - 4pm - GUEST PERFORMANCE
4 - 6pm - REVIEW OF THE WEEK ( the band will play music written over the course of the past 6 days)
