In Place by Kory Reeder

American composer Kory Reeder’s 10th album In Place returns to
the Grid Series heard on 2 of the 4 tracks from Reeder’s debut
release on Edition Wandelweiser Records Love Songs/Duets. With
raw recordings of three works from the mid-phase of this Series
of 45 works, In Place is the first release exclusively containing
pieces from the Grid Series and features Reeder on piano with
long-time collaborators Kathleen Crabtree and Michael Moore on
violas.

Each track is a space to dwell, on the edge of silence, on the
edge of collapse, and in a kaleidoscope of tones repeating again
and again, cycling around each other in a freedom of movement
motivated by the poetic prose-scoring of each piece.

Influenced by Agnes Martin’s “innocence of the grid” and rooted
in the methodology of series composition, the Grid Series
presents a collection of works that explore the intersection of
structure and spontaneity. Each piece offers a unique balance
between fixed harmonic frameworks and performer agency,
employing text-based scores and graph-like notational grids.
Echoing Martin’s belief that beauty resides within the viewer,
the Grid Series emphasizes the performer’s experience and the
listener’s lingering emotional memory, the “aura” of the piece
over exact musical detail. These works are not linear narratives
but sonic environments, open-ended and deeply personal, inviting
exploration rather than dictation. Through suggestive prose and
intuitive navigation of pitch fields, the Grid Series resists
traditional expectations of musical authorship, offering instead
a reflective, spacious mode of performance grounded in intimacy,
presence, and the poetic potential of silence and sound.

The three compositions featured on In Place embody Reeder's
distinctive approach to music-making, where structure and
spontaneity coexist within a framework that emphasizes performer
agency and introspection. Each piece, while unique in its
construction and intent, contributes to a cohesive sonic
environment that invites both performers and listeners into a
shared space of contemplation.

"Landscape Study" puts instruments into sustaining and non-
sustaining categories, creating an interplay between continuous
textures and ephemeral gestures that mirrors natural landscapes,
where persistent elements like terrain and climate interact with
transient phenomena such as light and movement.

"Field" offers a sparse sonic tapestry encased in field recordings
from Nebraska, where sound emerges from “silence” in subtle,
fleeting moments. The piece's minimalistic approach encourages
deep listening and heightened awareness, as the absence of sound
becomes as significant as its presence.

In "Present Tense", performers navigate a grid-like score with the
freedom to choose their starting point and path, moving
adjacently through the material. This open-ended structure
fosters a sense of immediacy and presence, as each performance
becomes a unique realization shaped by the performers' decisions
and interactions.

Kory Reeder is a musician based out of Denton, Texas.

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