No Nutritional Value (2001)

LISTEN (world premiere)
LISTEN (Univ of Arizona, Kendra D'Ercole, dir)

For as many players as possible, amplified as needed. You will need:

• Ingredients list of a commercial junk food product (the "Recipe"). Use several Recipes, at least one Recipe per player, switch around so ingredients do not become too familiar.

• Bubble Gum (such as Ouch! or Bazouka brands for maximum burst factor). For safety reasons, Bubble Gum is not used by those who Swig and Hoot or use pop Rocks.

• Pop Rocks (not used with Bubble Gum)

• Straw Friction Drums (empty plastic cups with lids and straw that squeaks when pulled; use Rosin if necessary).

• Twisties: Empty plastic soda bottles for twisting and manipulating in rhythm.

• Slurpies (nearly empty malted milk shake cups with lids and straws for sucking and slurping the last remains)

• Reddi Wip can of whipped cream product.

• Swig and Hooters: Full bottles of Classic Coke. (Not used with Bubble Gum.)

• Melody Pops (hard candy slide whistles). Follow each instruction in your own time, independent of others. Parts will go out of phase until brought together in the final section. If not playing in a certain section perform silently so as to maintain timing.

Start together on cue.

1. Pick a recipe. Put Bubble Gum in mouth. Read text as fast and loud as possible.

2. Choose 1 - 10 of your favorite words. Put Pop Rocks in mouth (not for those with Bubble Gum, who remain silently chewing). Whisper the words near the microphone as slowly as possible (eg, one word per breath) bringing out the fizzing vowels.

3. (All) Take the same favorite words at normal reading speed and articulate the verbal rhythm with Straw Friction Drums, Twisties, Slurpies, and Reddi Wip. Repeat pattern 10 times.

4a) Open Coke bottles and Swig and Hoot: alternate long tones with gulp of liquid. Continue until bottle is empty.

4b) Blow Bubble Gum bubbles and make loud random bursts.

5. Take Melody Pops; blow long, slow glissando from high to low. Repeat 5 times.

6. Whisper whole recipe as fast as possible until everyone is whispering.

7. At visual cue, together in unison, take Melody Pops and try to play the first 2 phrases of "Food, Glorious Food" from Oliver. Stop.