Imperfect Intervals by Michael Malis

Make a sound.
Listen fully to that sound.
In your own time, make another sound.
Like a river carving out its path, return to the same sounds,
Until you feel that you've always known them.

Surprise yourself!
Be generous with yourself.
Accommodate and welcome all sounds.
Give yourself permission to invent something new.

Prioritize resonance.
Let sounds ring and blend into each other.

Most of all, delight in the sound.
Delight in your capacity to be beautiful.
Delight in your image, imprinted on these sounds,
And fading into history.

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Imperfect Intervals came together accidentally. I recorded these nine pieces as improvisations in October and November of 2020, and labeled the files "Sound Diary" on my hard drive. At first, that's all they were: daily diary entries, documenting a period in my life of deep reflection.

But with each new recording, I started to notice an emergent improvisational process. It seemed like the improvisations were being guided by a logic. That logic had musical implications, to be sure -- there’s an abundance of fifths and fourths in these pieces, the so-called "perfect" intervals. But those intervals are mediated by all sorts of other intervals, some small and some as vast as the whole piano. And the sonority of my piano, which was beginning to drift out of tune while I was making these recordings, certainly made these intervals seem "imperfect" to my ears.

Moreover, I began to realize that more than anything, the process that was unfolding was about a manner of approaching the instrument. It was a mindset, a headspace. Gradually, I began to realize that the notes and intervals were the least consequential aspect of the music. The notes could have been anything, as long as they were infused with the energy that I was bringing to the piano. That energy behind the music was the music.

The text above is the closest representation of this energy behind the music. If anyone, on any instrument, wants to play Imperfect Intervals, this text can serve as their score. Certainly, when I do an Imperfect Intervals improvisation, the approach laid out in this text is my guiding force.

Nevertheless, I've decided to notate transcriptions of my nine Imperfect Intervals recordings. These transcriptions are pieces all on their own, and can be performed as such. But they also provide a window into how the diffuse process of improvising through this particular lens might manifest. Indeed, the possibilities are limitless.

Michael Malis is a composer and pianist based in Detroit, Michigan. A multi-faceted musical artist, he works across genres in improvisational, concert music, and interdisciplinary settings.

“Downright transcendental” (Maggot Brain)

“A jaw dropping display of improvisational power" (All About Jazz)

michaelmalis.com