Personal Best - Paul Scully
is a multimedia piece in which the composer must run faster than he has ever run in his life. He is 3 km away from the venue but the ensemble has already started playing. Will he make it to the piano in time?
This high-stakes piece—using the composer’s heart rate, breath, steps, and GPS location in real-time—captures the feelings that are intrinsic to watching and competing in competitive sport. Sport is a mode of individual and collective human experience that is exceptional in its visceral appeal and emotional intensity but have playfulness and spontaneity suffered at the hands of rules, efficiency, and record times?