Fingersteps is a program in which
children with disabilities write melodies
and perform music using adaptive
computer hardware and software
developed by Dan Moffatt. Moffatt
invited jazz musicians to write pieces
based on the melodies.
The musicians include pianist
Larry McDonough, banjo player
Yoshihiro Arita, pianist Bill Carrothers,
bassist Avishai Cohen, drummer
Dave Weckl, bassist Gordy Johnson,
and bassist Chris Silverstein. The
children include Christian, Lucas,
Jeffrey, Elie, Larry McDonough’s
daughter Rosie, and Dan Moffatt’s
children Jennifer and Patrick.
McDonough has composed fives piece through the Fingersteps program, and recorded two of them. Each melody is based on melody fragments written by the children. McDonough then created harmonies and rhythmic patterns to fit the melodies. Since the children wrote melodies unrestricted by conventional music training, they pushed McDonough to use unconventional harmonies, rhythms and meters.
The pieces:
A Rose for Two in 5/4
By Rosie McDonough, Jennifer and Patrick Moffatt, and Larry McDonough
Recorded Mary 2002 by John Ziegler and Brian Houle in Duluth, MN
Mixed and Mastered by Matthew Zimmerman, Wild Sound, Minneapolis, MN
Recorded May 2005
Rosie wrote the A section melody, Jennifer and Patrick wrote the B section melody, and McDonough placed them over shifting minor harmonies and a 5/4 Latin meter.
Elie’s Theme
By Elie Gorman and
Larry McDonough
Recorded July 2004 by Matthew
Zimmerman, Wild Sound, Minneapolis,
MN. It is on the new Larry McDonough
Elie wrote the 4 note melody fragment, and McDonough put it into revolving 5 note phrases.
Solitude in 7/4
By Elie Gorman, Jack Thuleen, Christian Adzick, and Larry McDonough
Stepping Stones
By Lucas Jacobson, Jack Thuleen,
and Larry McDonough
Waltz for Christian in 3/4
By Christian Adzick and Larry McDonough
For more information on Fingersteps,
