Research
Full Publication List
▪ Perks, R and McGrath, J (2023), 21st Century Guitar: Evolutions and Augmentations Edited by Richard Perks & John McGrath ▪ Perks, R (2022), 'David Gilmour: Defining the Melodic" Guitarist', in The Routledge Handbook of Pink Floyd Edited by Chris Hart & Simon A. Morrison Perks, R. (2019). Fretless Architecture: The Expansion of Improvisatory Techniques and Sound-Palette Specific to the Fretless Electric Guitar
Perks, R. (2019). Fretless Architecture - Towards the Development of Original Techniques and Musical Notation Specific to the Fretless Electric Guitar. Perks, R. (2016). Fretless Architecture: An Exploration of the Fretless Electric Guitar.
Perks, R. (2015). Fretless Architecture: An Exploration of the Fretless Electric Guitar.
Through a process comprising collaboration with composers and a critical evaluation of performative practice – drawing directly from extensive engagement with the fretless electric guitar across diverse performance contexts over the last ten years – this research focuses on the development of original, extended performance techniques – specific to the fretless electric guitar – and how an engagement with technology (incl. effects pedals, Ebow etc.) might create new timbres. Furthermore, it offers a corresponding system of musical notation, through which the techniques and timbres of the fretless electric guitar might be disseminated into the wider musical community, allowing it to grow as an independent force, both as a solo performance instrument, and within ensemble settings.
In January 2015, Rich released an international call for scores (for solo fretless electric guitar) in conjunction with Colchester New Music. This enabled him to subsequently collaborate, engage in dialogue, and exchange feedback with composers, over approximately a one year period, in order to develop a repertoire for – and explore the technical potential of – this new and exciting instrument. Rich curated and carried out a live performance (and recordings) of a selection of five of the entries at Colchester Arts Centre in November 2015. The concert was received well, and videos were subsequently uploaded to YouTube for both documentation, and public dissemination. As a direct result of this project, a body of contemporary pieces for solo fretless guitar now exist, one of which – Turbulence by Julia Usher – has been published by Primavera and is available to purchase and download from their website on request. Rich believes this to be the first instance of a publicly available repertoire piece for solo fretless electric guitar. In March 2016, he was invited to deliver a follow-up lecture-recital at the International Guitar Research Centre’s annual conference (hosted at the University of Surrey), where he premiered Divisions 2, a new piece by composer Andrew Hall, and discussed his findings from previous calls for scores and performances. A selection of Scores, Live Studio Recordings, and Live Videos can be found here.
An open access, peer-reviewed, article addressing the advancement of original performance techniques and musical notation specific to the fretless electric guitar – and approaches to developing instrumental techniques through collaboration – was published in April 2019, in Music and Practice Journal, vol 4, New Perspectives on Technique and Practice; and this work – along with the premier of an original part-composed, part-improvised piece: Improweb MMXIX, by Perks, R. – took place at the International Guitar Research Centre's conference on Improvisation and the Guitar, at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in July 2019. Click here for video
This research project investigated the extent to which the improvisatory approaches of musicians from non-congruent musical cultures could be combined to create a programme of original, eclectic, collaborative works, within a limited time frame. Furthermore, it examined how much, and what kind of musical information should be provided initially by the musical director to optimise productivity, whilst maintaining contextually-relative improvisatory freedom(s).
In September 2017, Rich led a collaborative performance project entitled Strung Together in San Francisco, US. After the initial proposal was accepted, full funding and promotional support was awarded by Diaspora Arts Connection. The ensemble comprised five professional musicians from Iran, Syria and the UK (oud, santour, saz, percussion and fretless electric guitar), each with a background in a different tradition of improvisatory music. Rich acted as musical director/performer (fretless electric guitar), composed the preliminary musical material, and was ultimately responsible for the project’s curation and delivery. The musicians gathered together daily for a week, and during this time collectively developed, arranged, curated, and rehearsed a complete performance programme of original, culturally-eclectic music; a live performance of the show took place on the evening of the final day. The basis of the musical content was improvisation – in its broadest context – combined with the pre-composed, identifiable 'Fragment(s)' which incorporated influence from each of the performers’ respective musical cultures, and served as initial ‘vantage points’ for the development of the final pieces. The performance was received very well by both the audience and the greater World-music fan base of the San Francisco Bay area; it was broadcast live via social media (and videos were later uploaded), reaching an international audience, maximising impact. In response to the videos and the live feed, comments have been received from all over the world, including Iran, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. Live videos from the performance and copies of the preliminary scores can be found here.
Perks, R., Hall, A., Atherton, T. (2019). Performance with vLookup Trio – Dutch Fretless Guitar Festical VIII, NL. [Concert]
Perks, R., Hall, A., Atherton, T. (2015). Performance with vLookup Trio – Colchester Arts Centre, UK. [Concert]
vLookup Trio (trumpet, percussion and fretless electric guitar) explore the sonic possibilities of an otherwise limited instrumentation by incorporating effects and live electronics.
In 2015/16 this trio generated much public interest by performing a series of concerts at prolific UK venues including The Forge, The Spice of Life and Colchester Arts Centre, showcasing original pieces which stretched the sonic limits of this instrumentation. In 2019 they produced an (EP/Mini-Album) of original pieces, which will showcased their latest discoveries in terms of instrumental techniques and soundscapes. In may 2019, vLookup Trio performed at the 8th Dutch (International) Fretless Guitar Festival in Amsterdam.
Books
Chapters
Journal Articles
▪ Perks, R (2019), Fretless Architecture - Towards the Development of Original Techniques and Musical Notation Specific to the Fretless Electric Guitar, in Music & Practice, Vol 4.
Practice-based Research projects:
• Fretless Architecture: An Exploration of the Fretless Electric Guitar (ongoing)
Premier performance of Improweb MMXIX, composed by Perks, R. – International Guitar Research Centre, Improvisation and the Guitar Conference, Academy of Perfroming Arts, Hong Kong. [Lecture-recital]
Music & Practice, Vol 4, New Perspectives on Technique and Practice [Journal Article]
Premier performance of Divisions 2, composed by Hall, A. – International Guitar Research Centre, University of Surrey, UK. [Lecture-recital]
Premier performance(s) of Turbulence, composed by Usher, J.; Divisions, composed by Hall, A.; Deadly Sinner, composed by Trotter, J.; Elephants, composed by Maguire, P.; Rhapsody, composed by Minshew, T. – Colchester Arts Centre, UK. [Concert]
• Strung Together: A Night of World Music Improvisation.
Perks, R., Manhoobi, S., Minooei, F., Zedan, F., and Osman, R. (2017). Strung Together: A Night of World Music Improvisation. Performance project, funded by Diaspora Arts Connection – African American Art & Culture Complex, San Francisco, US. [Concert].
• vlookup Trio: Contemporary Muisc/Improvisation Ensemble (ongoing)
