Suzanne Ciani: a masterclass in modular synthesis

[@studentsmusic]

A great human being and artist. What i really like is her gentle, very reflecting and peaceful speaking - no showoff - combined with her unique skills on the instrument and a lot of musical headroom coming from classical music. A real inspiration for young musicians to find their own expression and go into what they feel for, not what others tell them.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

i know, right? Working with her would be such a bliss because she's so relaxed, creative & passionate. :)

[@EpicWinz]

I could listen to her read the phone book...

[@digitalbeat666]

artist of cords

[@M_C79]

The University of Chicago had a Buchla (a big one, don't know which number)back in the late 70s/early 80s. During school breaks, I'd lock myself into the lab and spend a week or two working out on the Buchla. Fortunately, they had a four-track reel-to-reel, so I could play with that too. I still have the tapes. What an experience! I didn't realize then how privileged I was.

[@andyg6465]

I had the same experience at San Jose State Uni. I also still have my old reel to reel tapes (We are going to see/hear Suzanne at Grace Cathedral this evening. Feb 24, 2023

[@M_C79]

@@andyg6465Lucky! Have a great concert!

[@itimmy101]

You can tell she loves what she does and is very passionate about it!

[@antr7493]

or high?

[@itimmy101]

@@antr7493 nope!

[@ctarsund]

itimmy101 I agree.

[@mr.critic]

Proof that music keeps you young.

[@patromo]

Wow. i received a sheet music book of her's over 30+ years ago from my piano teacher .. I never knew who she was (in the days before internet.) And had totally forgot about the book. So grateful for stumbling across this.

[@phira360]

Woah that's awesome

[@Art-zs6sl]

Suzanne Ciani creates a fantastic bed of sound, sometimes soothing and asking to be in the background on it's own terms. For me, it's the type of music that allows contemplation.. invites ease, and turns you upward. She seems to understand the relationship of the musician and the listener better than most. The sum is more than it's parts here, and I can understand how busy self absorbed types can miss the beauty here. Too bad for them. Thank you very much Suzanne Ciani!

[@rsinclair689]

She has such a kind soul.

[@josemarrero9979]

Mother Ciani preaching the gospel of the modular synth.

[@patrykjaworski4852]

Great stuff, Suzanne Ciani speaks so well about electronic music and instruments... love that 5!

[@therarelement]

I could listen to her for hours and hours..i like people who love what they are talking about.

[@SONICrider]

Iconic performer, iconic instrument, iconic musical approach.... superb venue (this video), hope to see Suzanna a third time live \0/

[@jeremythornton433]

She's mad! I love her and her music! I've always had a thing for electronic music but I've always found too often it all revolves around a 4 on the floor dance beat instead of other more interesting grooves. Suzanne make electronic music that has heart and soul.

[@yucuma6827]

Oh yeah, 4/4 techno or house doesn't have a soul neither heart. (Irony)

[@pabloplato]

@@yucuma6827 you're being sarcastic right? if not, then you're obviously not exposed to the good stuff. expand your horizons.

[@yucuma6827]

@@pabloplato I do love Suzanne Ciani, I was just answering the commentary about the 4 on the floor not being a interesting groove. I like both.

[@lrrich8023]

That's what I feel like too..... That temp just seems way too easy and feels almost like it doesn't require thought to put melodies and such over it.

[@wokeil]

​@@lrrich8023 most techno is really about the ambience. It's hard to nail as a producer.

[@FrancisMaxino]

Like WOW ! Why have I not heard of Suzanne Ciani before this ?! The first clip I heard of her in a studio brought a tear to my eye, so moving is her symbiotic relationship with electronic synthesis.

[@chrisb.1214]

I'm so glad she still does things like this. For a while I worried she might have abandoned the synthesizer because she was releasing albums where she was playing acoustic piano along with a classical ensemble backing her up. I really like her work with synthesizers and it's a joy to hear her talk about them and her history in electronic music. She has a very beautiful mind and peaceful spirit. Suzanne is an absolute joy to listen to and learn from. God Bless her!

[@NICUofficial]

modular synths are fascinating but it's nice to go back and forth between conventional instruments and these monsters of electronic sound design :)

[@TzadikTheManic]

Great lil documentary - Ciani is still something of an unsung pioneer. Thank you for sharing 👏👏👏

[@davidtro1186]

Wait, this isn't an ad?

[@TzadikTheManic]

Well, it’s informative, yet not an infomercial - it’s ADmirable yet no not an ad - there’s no mention of shipping & handling - no $ back guarantee - hope this answers your query

[@mixanalogcloud]

Music by an experienced, passionate and articulate musician like Suzanne is truly inspiring to listen and relate to. It makes so much sense that a Buchla modular is involved :)

[@slowblack3947]

My Goddess Of Electronic Music

[@setphaser]

her performances are an incredible experience. nothing on youtube will help you understand just how good she is. partly because its quadraphonic but also becUse of her innate sense of experience and performance added to her musicality. you gotta see her!

[@NICUofficial]

oh damn, this is quadraphonic when live?

[@RadicalCaveman]

There need to be two separate KZbin videos for one quadrophonic song. Play them simultaneously on different computers in the same room!

[@ctarsund]

If she were a teacher back in the highschool i used to go to. ( she'd make a great teacher ) I'd definitely would've wanted to take that class. She has a way of explaining things that not only seems very interesting but also wants you to learn more. Amazing.

[@setphaser]

ctarsun dysart yeah her communications skills are higher than the average musician and i think it’s what gave her the edge commercially to be seen and heard and stand out even in a not well understood field. that is what makes great leaders, great visionaries of a movement.

[@SpeccyMan]

If she WAS a teacher back in.... so it's past tense, therefore it is was and not were!

[@WasabiNoise]

Awesome small documentary. RESPECT!

[@ftrc]

She is amazing.

[@willswitchcraft]

I was lucky enough to meet her, in her studio in NYC, in the mid 80's, as I had some custom sounds she was interested in.....what an inspiration.....

[@dugdowndeepdog]

What an incredible human being she is.

[@lordundhimself1310]

That ocean waves patch at the end are the only reason I added a noise module to my eurorack system

[@mirandajeanned]

mesmerizing to watch her work. It's so amazing how much emotion can be conveyed in this seemingly cold, unforgiving format

[@Novaheart1998]

The Velocity of Love 😍

[@pabloplato]

"...slowly, slowly, with the velocity of love."

[@elvinlawcc]

Great musician! Love her music!

[@averymilner157]

It’s incredible how she synthesizes natural sounds…the grain of her snow into that rushing water is spectacular, could only hope to emulate using a less complicated patch

[@Ryanstuff]

I love that her brain is on another level.

[@jamiestewart1644]

I watched her perform with this setup last night at the barbican center London. Absoulutly amazing show. She really seemed to get a kick out of taking the buchla to the edge of chaos and then rescuing it at the last second. She was supporting Cortini but she stole the show.

[@jamiestewart1644]

She also used 3 iPad's one of which was running animoog.

[@raduvladcg4218]

I love your philosophy. We are one with our instrument and launched into the universe on a non-stop flight.............

[@therarelement]

I would love her to teach me everything about music. She is just such a badass!

[@maryowen6094]

Thankyou for this, you are, it is, heavenly inspiring.....

[@celiaayneto9232]

how intelligent and sweet artist !!

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

Still beautiful.

[@HarkMadley]

absolute legend!!!

[@alexandrossalaz1200]

Super... THANK YOU... an important document...

[@kingdiamond5840]

Looks like an exciting show.

[@robertparenton7470]

Thank You!

[@meesterrain]

it's dumb, but I just found out about her and 'Seven Waves.' It was released the year of my birth and at the time she was the same age I am now. Odd coincidence, but happy I stumbled onto her work.

[@RadicalCaveman]

1:22 The inscription above the archway, translated from German: "Christ said: I am the way, the truth, and the light" But translated from Synthian: "Buchla said: I am the current, the patch, and the sound"

[@miguel180195]

Thank You

[@LisaBellaDonnaMusic]

L E G E N D

[@Octambulism]

The master.

[@Jmpwfdpdl]

perioddddd!!!!!!!!!

[@Jack_Rivet]

Both of you are. She's just got a couple of decades head start :)

[@st0rmchild]

You too!

[@xorthontech]

Lisa, do you give synth or modular lessons or teach fundamentals of systhesis? If so, please sign me up!

[@cjfromgtasanadreas]

her voice is MUSIC

[@mfuji02]

dam glad she still plays

[@Jenity]

This gave me goosebumps.

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

I find it curious that she performs with her back turned to the audience. I feel that it is a statement, that she is more a driver taking them on a journey than an artist performing a piece to listeners.

[@ab8jeh]

Indeed. I'm seeing her in London tomorrow, also quite curious how it will be.

[@DriverGuy23]

Not saying that Daft Punk did a bad job, quite the opposite. But, it sure would have been interesting to have Suzanne do the soundtrack to Tron Legacy

[@komizutama]

That was lovely. Thank you.

[@oracle-0018]

I find the fascinating point is that she comes from a classical background! This interaction is sort of a clash nearly oxi moronic but the ocean is important which is sort of a force of elements! I myself see music as a dimension of reality I wonder if we exist at a different point in time!

[@ChazSeamus28]

beautiful

[@AlexandreSoma]

Aplause! Aplause! Aplause! Aplause! Aplause!

[@jjbing3]

I saw her on the TPain episode about Pop on Netflix. 🤔

[@OK-st9st]

Reverb with electronic sounds 👌🏿👌🏻👌🏿👌🏻

[@danfry909]

I bet it sounded amazing in that hall.

[@HankleburyTV]

She is so cool.

[@ThomasGriffin-d2d]

I did miss television last night, yes, of course. I was thinking about the norms of my life and getting important things right....

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Suzanne is a perfect example (together with Laurie Spiegel and of course Delia Derbyshire) that women should not be shy away from embracing electronic sound creation devices but instead should let their passion and creativity shine and show. The musical Landscape would seriously miss a LOT without the works of Ciani, Spiegel or Derbyshire. It would not be the same without them. So dear ladies, don't hesitate to try it out. There's nothing to lose, only to gain. For all of us :)

[@alamunez]

Interesting to see you’re placing the responsibility for the absence of women in the synth community solely on women themselves.

[@lordundhimself1310]

Master Ciani🙏🏿

[@eyesyc]

How fun!

[@immersiveworlds]

Amazing!

[@Carol120454]

Finally, a female musician playing synthesizers. Up until now I've only seen men. I'm a keyboardist and I'm fascinated by this music.

[@kaaaaos]

Check out Laurie Spiegel if you haven't yet, she's from the same era and worked on Buchla as well!

[@elintrepidomoncho2779]

She is the first woman!!! For many years.. Pioneer!!

[@xxhorrorpunkxx]

Wendy Carlos. She did the Shining soundtrack and is also a pioneer in synths.

[@totalbrainfail1812]

Many of the first pioneers in electronic music were women.

[@dadecounty5012]

mate there has always been a female everything, the media just hid it from society.

[@perkynson]

Sound design as a art form

[@kosmikmusa]

it´s nice to see that she is doing performance in church. Here in Finland church says no to Wimme Saari who would like to perform in a church. But here like everywhere the original culture is burned down.

[@OFR]

I get REALLY tired of people saying other synthesizers are keyboard-based and limited therefore; some models are (including buchla circa 1972) but these critics never find that the repetitive looping-lockstep-rhythm-sequencer music they make is also a cliche'd traditional musical form. Note how the sequencer usually is used to control pitch - another limitation that is not necessary. A fixed sequencer rhythm is just as limited as any keyboard-scale; a creative mind knows you can change the rhythm of a sequencer, and the same mind knows that "keys" can control anything with voltage, not just pitches. The world has changed since the old days; yes, keyboards are still one controller, and sequencers another - we have options and most people know how to use them. They are NOT limitations at all.

[@PaulJBurns]

The key word is control. It's very easy to lose it and descend into the world of RNB (Random Noise Bollocks). Then you get badged a "Noise Artist".

[@OFR]

@@PaulJBurns Agreed; that's a good way to put it. Always any tool in the hands of a bright, open mind will yield new and strong results. There are tonal artists with great control and some with very little, and "noise" artists (which can be a good thing) with serious control and thought into their designs/arrangements, or some that have little control.

[@PaulJBurns]

@@OFR I concur.

[@Superman-x6c]

Love ya!

[@racer67]

She could out dj the best of the best!

[@nuansabunyi]

Sadis mantap banget

[@MagruderSpoots]

Who wants to see Suzanne and Imogen Heap jam?

[@Foolian1332]

hoooly fuck yeh

[@conjured_up_skeletons6178]

thanks for correcting me - all these years I've been pronouncing your name Chee-ani

[@markymark1644]

Is this the church from the movie "The White Ribbon"

[@VeganFLA]

dios, la amo

[@BobIrving2]

Epic.

[@alskywell]

What is she programming at 1:00?

[@k_e_d_e_i]

alskywell score for Xenon

[@eddiemoore6216]

Surely it would have been better to perform at night-time to give the performance a more atmospheric feel

[@junkynote4799]

In welche Kirche wurde das Video gedreht wenn ich fragen darf?

[@tietziano65]

Kirche in der Chilchgasse in Saanen(Berner Oberland) Kanton Bern Schweiz/Svizzera/Suisse

[@tylerram2590]

Can someone explain double gating?

[@yungacid1]

The part during the last few seconds of the video was it. You hear how the arp gate morphs through time (that's the second gate applied to the original signal).

[@seanicusvideo]

nice to at least somewhat of a subwoofer in that churchy space!

[@sanjeevkhatta9540]

Suzanne Ciani you are very sweet and lovely. God bless you.

[@24hardkor]

Miss uplifting lioness you get an A* for watching this

[@bigfoot9405]

my g

[@Seekthetruth3000]

The sound coming out of this synth is monophonic, I'd run the sound through a delay and reverb unit to give it a stereo effect.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@thomasbrown3325]

And yet the main melody she was improvising on an ipad app (Animoog), not the modular.

[@chuckh9168]

Just a MIDI input, really. Nothing to get in a wad over.

[@thomasbrown3325]

@@chuckh9168 .Not a midi input. It's not driving the buchla at all. She's playing the Animoog synth on the ipad.

[@alfdesigncom]

[@dumpydoctor7670]

queen

[@DangerousPOSSE]

she is a fucking master

[@marcogentile7292]

👏👏👏💕

[@VoldularCave]

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[@tontaelli]

Is this Colin Benders mom?

[@ricochetpig]

OG

[@SDS-1]

💕

[@Finiteintelligence]

Fucking awesomeness

[@homeworldmusic]

I must be missing some basic concept: if you want to perform a melody, you need some sort of input device that allows you to play specific intervals. If a keyboard or fretboard are too un-cool and limiting, fine, but you need their functional equivalent, which is why most manufacturers include or assume the use of a keyboard interface. Making your input device look like a World of Warcraft rune is fun aesthetically, but I don't see how it is very different functionally.

[@prizegotti]

They use sequencers, you program the sequencer to make each sound play at a certain time.

[@salpuma9145]

I love how the early electronic synth world is like a gender-equal utopia.

[@Jack_Rivet]

Strangely enough that was apparently true across the board of the early tech world. My Dad remembers doing research in the 60's and early 70's and explaining parameters of his search to a woman at the front desk who would write the database query code that would print the punched cards that he would run through the mainframe computer which took up a whole floor of an office building. The story that is coming to light now is that once programming and info management started being taken seriously as an academic and money-making pursuit blokes took over and edged the women out.

[@rohamtavakkoli7562]

Believe it or not, if you're not an absolute asshole, every field is and has always been blind to gender, race etc. always been that way...but some people make it just about gender or race because they lack the core material to be successful in a field and they see manipulation as the only way to move forward...

[@JJJ-mh8tg]

Huh?

[@daysweregolden]

@@rohamtavakkoli7562 Incorrect

[@rohamtavakkoli7562]

@@daysweregolden Thank you for furthering my point with your one-word "argument"...

[@SirUncleCid]

LSD has had some influence here.

[@vincentcarrot]

Do you mean the comment section?

[@danielzjazz]

Hi Suzanne

[@matthewferguson7084]

Not to mention how beautiful women were back then, slim, sweet, giving

[@sasufreqchann]

btw why is this inside a church ?

[@PatriciaGoodsonpianist]

churches often serve as concert spaces in Europe, sometimes due to the interesting acoustics, sometimes because that's what there is, sometimes because they are way cheaper to rent than a regular concert hall.

[@FlockOfHawks]

btw why not ? "god" won't mind :o)

[@Ernthir]

masterclass. 6 min. right

[@longfade]

Totally. "Suzanne Ciani talks about herself for 6 min" would be a far more accurate title. All due respect to Ciani of course.

[@bor.is.coffee]

lovely, you pleasure my heart