World Harmony Project
Enhancing Harmony in the World by Enhancing Harmony in Music
A 501(c)3 Nonprofit Educational Organization (Donate)
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The SEJIC, and the Exotic Music Ensemble were the first activities of the World Harmony Project.
It's mission was to enhance the development of musical expression, by means of the implementation of Harmonic Series based Just Intonation, Polyrhythmic structures, and Timbral Tonality.
It began with a Music Studio, directed by and containing the musical instruments
(acoustic and electronic) of WHP founder, Denny Genovese.
These instruments were specially designed to be played in the Extended Just Intonation scale of 65 pitches per frequency duple (octave), developed by Denny Genovese while writing his New College Thesis, The Natural Harmonic Series as a practical approach to Just Intonation .
The first part of the strategy was to improvise with the new scale to learn it's musical properties, then to compose music using these sounds, according to the properties discovered.
The second stage was to teach an ensemble of musicians to play the new compositions with the new instruments in the new tuning.
The third stage was to produce performances of the ensemble, test for audience response, refine the music and performance according to the feedback, and finally to record the music and make it available to interested listeners.
The fourth stage, currently in progress is distribution of the recorded music, videos of performances, and theoretical and historical literature, via this website.
The name of the performing group was
Denny Genovese's Exotic Music Ensemble.
Four performances per year were co-sponsored by the City of Gainesville, Florida's Dept. of Cultural Affairs, in The Historic Thomas Center from 1992 to 1998.
The Album, produced on cassette in 1994 and on CD in 1998 is called New Music - Ancient Principles.
Electronic Studio
Electronic Studio
The SEJIC housed an Electronic Music studio, as well. It included historic analog instruments and tape recorders, as well as computer based digital composition, synthesis and recording facilities.
Computers and software for producing music in Just Intonation were provided on the PC, Mac, Amiga, Atari-ST, Apple-II, Comadore-64 and TI-99 platforms. Computers for music were still uncommon at that time and several companies were vying for acceptance. While the Atari had some of the best software (notably Dr. T's KCS), ultimately the Mac and PC overcame them for the market.
In addition to the EME, the SEJIC studio was made available to other musicians and composers who wished to learn about or utilize the Natural Harmonic Series and Just Intonation.
Denny Genovese with Barbara Hero and Robert Faulkrod at the SEJIC studio in 1997
Classes, Seminars, private Lessons and Residencies were conducted there as well.
A sitar stringing workshop, attended by Ernie Crews, Pat Pagano, Thierry Mingione, Jonathan Fletcher and others.
Carl Luma with the Cosmolyre he built during his SEJIC residency
Jeff Bunting playing his custom built Lambdoma Controller for the ARP 2500 analog synthesizer
An additional set of instruments for Harmonic Series Music were developed at the SEJIC by Jeff Bunting during his residency in 1996.
An extensive Music Library and archive of scores and recordings of music in Just Intonation was maintained at the studio.
The SEJIC was directed by Denny Genovese from 1992 until 1998.
It was directed by Pat Pagano from 1998 to 2003.
L. to R.: Thierry Mingione, Darren Burgess, Pat Pagano, Bob Benchic
It was inactive from 2003 until 2007.
In 2007, it was revived under the directorship of Joshua Lederman, who created a series of radio programs around jam sessions with various Gainesville, Florida musicians using Denny's instruments.
SEJIC advisor, Peter Coraggio demonstrates the Arp 2500 Analog Synthesizer to JI patriarch, Harry Partch in 1973. This instrument was donated to the SEJIC by Don Slepian in 1992.
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