The Postal Pieces are a series of 11 indeterminate scores composed between 1965 and 1971. Called Postal Pieces because they were printed on post cards (or as Tenney referred to them, “score cards”), most of the works were produced for the first time while Tenney was teaching at CalArts between 1971 and 1976.

SASSAS has a long connection with Tenney—he was an advisor to the organization from the time it was formed. Additionally SASSAS worked with him on two concerts during his lifetime – a performance of his own works in 2001, which included Having Never Written a Note for Percussion and a performance of several early works of John Cage in 2002. As a part of the 2009 Anniversary Concert, SASSAS presented Tributaries: Dedicated to the Memory of James Tenney, which included both Having Never Written a Note for Percussion andKoan among other works.

“To some extent, he was the ultimate Western composer. He approached each new piece as an adventure, with the goal of discovering original territory and, if need be, taming some theoretical musical beast or acoustical bugbear.”  Mark Swed, in Tenney’s obituary for Los Angeles Times in 2006.

Location: All works in Room 3 unless otherwise noted

A Rose is a Rose is a Round(1970)
Performance time: 4:00pm (Balcony)
Played by: Jessica Catron, Julia Holter, Adrian Tenney

Beast(1971),
Performance time: 4:30pm
Played by: Dave Tranchina

Koan (1971)
Performance time: 5:00pm
Played by: Andrew McIntosh

Cellogram (1971)
Performance time: 5:30pm
Played by: Eric Byers

Swell Piece #2 (1971)
Performance time: 6:00pm
Played by: Matt Barbier, Jessica Catron, Jeremy Drake, Andrew Macintosh, Dave Tranchina

August Harp (1971)
Performance time: 6:30pm
Played by: Jane Grothe

Having Never Written a Note for Percussion (1971)
Performance time: 7:00pm
Played by: Danny Holt

For Percussion Perhaps, Or (night)(1971)
Performance time: 7:30pm
Played by: Julia Holter

Swell Piece #3 (1971)
Performance time: 8:00pm
Played by: Matt Barbier, Andrew Bulbrook, Danny Holt , Julie Holter, Andrew McIntosh, Nick Terry, Andrew Tholl, Dave Tranchina

Maximusic (1975)
Performance time: 8:45pm
Played by: Nick Terry

Swell Piece (1967)
Performance time: 9:30pm (Balcony and across site)