the constant conjunction (2025)

All performances must adhere the following rules:

1. For a given day (such as today), draw an empty two-dimensional graph with a 0 to 10 scale. Label the x axis as “Pain” and the y axis as “Fatigue.”
2. On each scale, plot how you felt at various points during that day. Connect them with a single line to create an enclosed space.
3. Under the graph, write a list of words that describe the pain sensations you felt on that day. You may add color or shading to points or areas that are within your space to identify that, for example, you felt an intense burning pain. The quality of the pain determines the sonic characteristics of the pain, and the list serves as a potential set of suggestions.
4. You may repeat steps 1-3 for multiple days up to a week prior, leading to at most seven “movements” for a given performance.
5. The Pain axis is inversely proportional to frequency range and the Fatigue axis is inversely proportional to volume/dynamic range. For example, if you have the worst pain imaginable, you are limited to a set of low frequencies or a narrow band of frequencies; if you have the worst fatigue imaginable, the volume should be as low as possible yet still be perceptible to the audience.
6. If you have multiple “movements” representing multiple days, perform them in order from least recent to most recent with pauses no more than 30 seconds. The average level of fatigue you felt on a given day should determine the rate of change within and between “movements.”
7. If you experience a change in your present pain during the performance, you must not alter how you perform the piece unless you cannot physically continue. Try to remember how the pain during this performance impacted you.

Example words to describe pain and their sonic character

Description	Sonic character
dull ache	low frequency rumble
pins and needles	crackling sounds
burning, searing	filtered microtones
throbbing ache	irregular pulses
sharp pain	harsh, chaotic, with filter modulation