Disquiet Junto Project 0697: First Third
Dear Members of the Disquiet Junto,
There are a few projects we do each year in the Disquiet Junto. We start the year with the “ice” project (record the sound of ice in a glass and make something with it), and we end with the “diary” project. And somewhere during the year, we do the “trios” project. That’s about to happen, starting today.
A longtime Junto participant and observer, music educator Ethan Hein has described this particular sequence — it’s actually three projects over three weeks, though to be clear, you don’t have to do all of them — as “a horizon-broadening creative experience.”
Here’s how I’ve summarized the trio projects in the past:
[T]he first week, participants upload a solo piece, one that is intended to, over time, with the contributions of other musicians, become a trio. Thus, for the first week, it’s helpful for participants to leave room for who and what will follow.
The second week, musicians each select solo pieces from week one, pan them to the left, and add a second channel on the right, creating not just duets, but incomplete ones. Then the final week, new participants add a third track in the center, thus completing the trios.
It’s a pretty incredible project to listen to as it unfolds, especially when, come week two, you can sometimes hear multiple duets built from one initial solo track — and the same, when the trios are complete, come week three.
And that about covers it. Detailed instructions appear below. I hope you enjoy joining in. And thanks, as always, for your generosity with your time, creativity, and curiosity.
Best from San Francisco,
Marc Weidenbaum
marc@disquiet.com
. . .
Disquiet Junto Project 0697: First Third
The Assignment: Record the first third of a trio.
Please note: While this project is the start of a three-part sequence that will unfold over the course of three consecutive weeks, you can participate in any or all three of those parts.
Step 1: This week’s Junto project is the first in a sequence intended to encourage and reward collaboration. You will be recording something with the understanding that it will remain unfinished for the time being. Your part will be done, but more will happen. Read on.
Step 2: The plan is for you to record a short and original piece of music using any instrumentation of your choice. Conceive the piece as something that leaves room for something else — other instruments, other people — to join in. (Keep in mind that your piece resulting from this week’s project will be panned to the left in the second and third weeks of this sequence.)
Step 3: Record a short piece of music, roughly two to three minutes in length, as described in Step 2.
Step 4: This is important: be sure to make your track downloadable because it may be used by someone else in the next Disquiet Junto project, and the one after that.
Tasks Upon Completion:
Label: Include “disquiet0697” (no spaces/quotes) in the name of your track.
Upload: Post your track to a public account (SoundCloud preferred but by no means required). It’s best to focus on one track, but if you post more than one, clarify which is the “main” rendition.
Share: Post your track and a description/explanation at https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0697-first-third/
Discuss: Listen to and comment on the other tracks.
Additional Details:
Length: The length is usually up to the musician, but for this one, please, per the instructions, keep it to roughly two to three minutes in length. Thanks.
Deadline: Monday, May 12, 2025, 11:59pm (that is: just before midnight) wherever you are.
About: https://disquiet.com/junto/
Newsletter: https://juntoletter.disquiet.com/
License: It’s preferred (but not required) to set your track as downloadable and allowing for attributed remixing (i.e., an attribution Creative Commons license).
Please Include When Posting Your Track:
More on the 697th weekly Disquiet Junto project, First Third — The Assignment: Record the first third of a trio — at https://disquiet.com/0697/