Tea & Fences: A Virtual Tea Party (2017)

Dana Reason

Dream about a place that has a very, very, very long fence

Imagine going to that fence and inviting someone from the other side of that very, very, very long fence to join you for tea

Hold that feeling in your imagination as you prepare for our virtual tea party

Preparation

Please consider using the 2 warm ups for Tea and Fences: A Sonic Tea Party (separate document)

Invite people to meet online to share a sonic tea party with you. The tea party can be for a group anywhere from 2-8 participants.

In advance of the tea party, participant(s) decide if they prefer one person to facilitate the tea party or have all or some participants act as both host and participant.

Hosts of the tea party, should prepare hot water and pour this into a tea pot (preferably one with a real or imagined long and thin spout so as to fit through gaps in the very, very, very long fence) ahead of time.

The host should also set up enough cups for all attendees (including themselves) so that everyone participating in the virtual party can both hear and see their cup of tea being poured. Consider using headphones and microphones throughout the tea party

Additionally, all attendees should bring a cup of hot tea, sugar cubes, 1-2 metal spoons.

Score

Dream about a place that has a very, very, very long fence

Imagine going to that fence and inviting someone from the other side to join you for tea

Slowly and very deliberately host(s) pour hot water into each tea cup

Everyone joins in when ready–

Pour and listen

Listen and pour

Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of pouring made by others

Pour and listen

Listen and pour

Feel the heat of the cup in your hands

Dream of the very, very, very long fence

Pick up the metal spoon, stir the tea; add sugar cubes if desired

Keeping stirring, make patterns in the tea as though the spoon were a paintbrush and the tea a canvas

Feel the patterns reverberating in your hand, arm, shoulders, neck and torso

Sip and listen

Listen and sip

Feel the tea on your lips and tongue

Swirl the tea around the inside of your mouth–make it dance— touching the inside of your cheek, the roof of your mouth, your gums and surrounding your tongue

Sip, swallow and then trace the movement of the tea with your hand(s) as it massages your insides and migrates into your belly

Feel the warm tea linger — keep your hand on your belly

Dream that the very, very, very long fence has disappeared

Tea party ends when everyone has emptied their cup and turned it upside down.

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Optional Considerations

This version is for a virtual sonic tea party and could also be created and performed in Second life.

Participants can move between any of the suggested directions above at anytime in the tea party

They can always opt to just listen

A second spoon may also be used simultaneously, creating rhythms with the tea cup as the spoons move in circles, creating patterns of movement with the tea

Attach contact mics onto your tea cup, spoon or body.

All participants set up mics to capture and share the sounds (use mixer/speakers so others in the party can your sounds amplified)

Photograph or video your piece.

Record pouring, stirring and drinking tea. Loop the sound live.

To Download the Score: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15hPS1t1anVHtSZ4UPiNhfS53vKquuRl3/view?usp=drive_link