tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10873037447779368732024-03-17T22:00:27.080-04:00Art & Culture MavenGlobal culture, arts, entertainment and travelAnya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.comBlogger3196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-19110521358241258572024-03-17T21:56:00.005-04:002024-03-17T21:59:54.447-04:00From Neuma Records: New Chamber Music<h1 style="text-align: left;">Neuma Records: New Chamber Music<br />Galan Trio - Kinesis, Vol. 2<br />Ewart Asplund Ricks Trio - Emphatic Now<br />Hanna Hurwitz / Colin Stokes / Daniel Pesca - The Night Shall Break</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://neumarecords.org/ols/products/galan-trio-kinesis-volume-2" target="_blank"><b>Buy Galan Trio</b></a></li><li><a href="https://neumarecords.org/ols/products/ewart-asplund-ricks-trio-emphatic-now" target="_blank"><b>Buy Ewart Asplund Ricks Trio</b></a></li><li><a href="https://neumarecords.org/ols/products/hanna-hurwitz-the-night-shall-break" target="_blank"><b>Buy Hanna Hurwitz / Colin Stokes / Daniel Pesca</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>Three recent releases on the Neuma Records label offer a glimpse at current chamber music. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Galan Trio: Kinesis, Vol. 2 (February 16, 2024)</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnkdmYB2QajdBysavpW0JlO0w9LsjlnkrHfylXAAwu5ys7dVD50kQh87CrC8DCOGkphDJEKSnWBKp5Dw1fs3dJVh1NZFcOuD90BviK2GkE9sXGbOdPSifA0Ee_yc-FnCPfzQsgRuAdJ4-IzPG51AnVB5gQrkmLkT9hZfmbbv6BWBcZUjAkvgNp8QxLgZo/s650/Galan%20TRio%20kinesis%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chamber music: Galan Trio - Kinesis Vol. 2" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnkdmYB2QajdBysavpW0JlO0w9LsjlnkrHfylXAAwu5ys7dVD50kQh87CrC8DCOGkphDJEKSnWBKp5Dw1fs3dJVh1NZFcOuD90BviK2GkE9sXGbOdPSifA0Ee_yc-FnCPfzQsgRuAdJ4-IzPG51AnVB5gQrkmLkT9hZfmbbv6BWBcZUjAkvgNp8QxLgZo/s16000/Galan%20TRio%20kinesis%202.jpg" title="Chamber music: Galan Trio - Kinesis Vol. 2" /></a></div><p>Based in Athens, Greece, the Galan Trio (Petros Bouras on piano, Babis Karasavvidison violin, and Marina Kolovou on the cello) bridge the gap between the Mediterranean and the US via ten works for piano trio. The composers are based in various geographical regions of the United States. The <a href="https://www.artandculturemaven.com/2023/05/from-america-to-greece-galan-trio.html" target="_blank">first volume</a> was highly acclaimed, and this is the follow-up.</p><p>This two-disc set includes works from the Midwest (CD1), South Central (CD2) regions of the US. </p><p>CD1, Midwest, is a showcase of drama and expressivity. Of particular note is the atmospheric Before the Gradual Throne of Night by Daniel Powers. The darkly emootional piece relies heavily on a minimalist kind of interplay between the instruments. I also loved Alex Lubst's Elusive, with its lovely use of the piano's dark end, and the sympathetic voice of the cello.</p><p>CD2, South Central, opened with the rhythmic intensity of Larry Alan SMith's Piano Trio No. 1. Dominic Dousa's Three Sketches on the Artwork of Tom Lee are quite melodic, even contrapuntal in style where the paintings take us to a meeting between a Franciscan monk and Native Americans. The CD ends with the virtuosic Persian Dances by Brian Bondari, peppered with a sense of humour. </p>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Ewart Asplund Ricks Trio: Emphatic (January 19, 2024)</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hW1qPQIVUbDmhfI-eQVZTx1L833g3fzLXklw8yqvgsqHeKZvB6E22lJQ8JTe_3VsggNQehd1QqL8XW6C-mMMCMfb4-mbaiX7H7Z9HwSgfviwYXBeT7k8PiAAGkZy0NV7wHOBoxuFRjudxWzwKsuIwzqk7kp90_lPreRvTFx9G8wEGyJvMZO2VLCCPQ4_/s650/Ewart%20Asplund%20Ricks%20Trio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chamber music: Ewart Asplund Ricks Trio: Emphatic" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hW1qPQIVUbDmhfI-eQVZTx1L833g3fzLXklw8yqvgsqHeKZvB6E22lJQ8JTe_3VsggNQehd1QqL8XW6C-mMMCMfb4-mbaiX7H7Z9HwSgfviwYXBeT7k8PiAAGkZy0NV7wHOBoxuFRjudxWzwKsuIwzqk7kp90_lPreRvTFx9G8wEGyJvMZO2VLCCPQ4_/s16000/Ewart%20Asplund%20Ricks%20Trio.jpg" title="Chamber music: Ewart Asplund Ricks Trio: Emphatic" /></a></div><p>The Ewart Asplund Ricks Trio, and Emphatic, the album, is essentially the result of one long jam session. It took place between Douglas R. Ewart (woodwinds, didgeridoo, percussion, voice, texts), Christian Asplund (viola and piano), and Steven Ricks (trombone and electronics) during Ewart's 2022 residency at Brigham Young University. </p><p>The album is the result of their musical encounter, in eight tracks that take their names from Ewart's poems (either the title, lines taken from them, or words suggested by them).</p><p>The approach varies from track to track.
In Isness of Love and Water Song, Ewart's spontaneous spoken work talks about social concerns, themes that permeate much of his work. “Is love something we find or something we cultivate, or is it manifold?” he asks.
The unusual combination of instruments blends into a unique, yet seamless sonic stew. Each adds its own character, from the fluidity of the flute to the humming digeridoo and staccato of percussion. </p><p>Ewart, central to all the tracks, explores the limits of expression in each.</p><p>
<iframe width="650" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iFsWyuuyelM?si=vZmOje7GGQ09kMPX" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hanna Hurwitz - Colin Stokes - Daniel Pesca: The Night Shall Break (February 16, 2024) </h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMwERxITHt6J2ySwkzF50oDzxTfA63qfULsRcsCPKaSRXcw47DAJd3LTbEjAgNc6wBL-Ggz1qhNn8qCW-7NVAqkF7HfRRQt9B55shU64v_lO9_U2kKjgSI2DcAA3EFUyvLSANjIcy8Ag5B2XOjHj__rf3-Q5KSwJC64jGRYh1SR7F_F_ckGLd-xlLjtMk/s650/hurwitz%20the%20night%20shall%20break.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chamber music: Hanna Hurwitz - Colin Stokes - Daniel Pesca: The Night Shall Break (February 16, 2024)" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMwERxITHt6J2ySwkzF50oDzxTfA63qfULsRcsCPKaSRXcw47DAJd3LTbEjAgNc6wBL-Ggz1qhNn8qCW-7NVAqkF7HfRRQt9B55shU64v_lO9_U2kKjgSI2DcAA3EFUyvLSANjIcy8Ag5B2XOjHj__rf3-Q5KSwJC64jGRYh1SR7F_F_ckGLd-xlLjtMk/s16000/hurwitz%20the%20night%20shall%20break.jpg" title="Chamber music: Hanna Hurwitz - Colin Stokes - Daniel Pesca: The Night Shall Break (February 16, 2024)" /></a></div><p>Hanna Hurwitz, violin, leads this effort, with the help of Colin Stokes, cello, and Daniel Pesca, piano. Hurwitz has a reputation for championing new works, both on her own and as a member of Grossman Ensemble and Ensemble Dal Niente.
On this release, however, she wanted to delve into the music of about a century ago, looking to unearth neglected jewels. </p><p> “I wanted to highlight my orientation toward collaboration through the presentation of intimate chamber works composed in the 1920s and 30s. This album is the first to showcase my performance of full-length works from past eras. I believe that staying active in both new and old music strengthens my overall musical approach and interpretation.” </p><p>The release includes works by Florence Price, Rebecca Clarke, Carlos Chávez, Olivier Messiaen, and Bohuslav Martinů.</p><p>Price's Romantic lyricism is tinged with drama in her Fantasie No. 1 for Violin and Piano. The work is challenging for both instruments, weaving elements of Americana and European classical idioms together to create her unique orchestral voice. </p><p>Clarke's Piano Trio is dark and cinematic in scope, covering a wide emotional gamut from spritely to ethereal to moody.
Chávez' rhythmic Sonatina for Violin and Piano ranges from moments of delicate beauty to powerful and frenetic, whizzing through four movements in less than seven minutes. Messiaen's Thème et Variations pour Violon et Piano is among the lesser known of the French composer's works, but is characteristically haunting and atmospheric. </p><p>Bohuslav Martinů's Duo No. 1 for Violin and Cello, H. 157, reflects the uncertainties and turbulence of the era in a mode that approaches dissonance, although not absorbed in it entirely. </p><p>It's an interesting musical walk through a fraught era of history between the European wars.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f2RNkSlnbds?si=5Sp6zmlZlIuuJawe" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe></p>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-21215209678703949632024-03-17T20:10:00.004-04:002024-03-17T20:11:37.383-04:00Inventive Expression In New Music | Kamala Sankaram: Crescent<h1 style="text-align: left;">Inventive Expression In New Music<br />Kamala Sankaram: Crescent<br />(Neuma Records / January 19, 2024)</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://neumarecords.org/ols/products/kamala-sankaram-crescent" target="_blank"><b>Buy It Here From Neuma Records</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>Crescent is the first solo album from composer and performer Kamala Sankaram. The album takes as its theme the impact of human technologies on the natural world. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4sHUwqMEtpRlcbZnK3dLMHb-Gg_kvfgl2PUZ35vygxyQZEUiGjglML1mqiPZONFqFgEW9AWBII3GKaFQ2aZxLQPndC_CPxN1FfZeQYy8q0FqdTSuBjYAxWf6x3K3hJtgXxg9cKqZzSvzP6paoA8ggWWQ4NiHzhfLyNqx4Cx727Clwf6D43bTB4cP4W_B/s650/Kamala%20Sankaram%20-%20Crescent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Electro-acoustic composer Kamala Sankaram - Crescent" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4sHUwqMEtpRlcbZnK3dLMHb-Gg_kvfgl2PUZ35vygxyQZEUiGjglML1mqiPZONFqFgEW9AWBII3GKaFQ2aZxLQPndC_CPxN1FfZeQYy8q0FqdTSuBjYAxWf6x3K3hJtgXxg9cKqZzSvzP6paoA8ggWWQ4NiHzhfLyNqx4Cx727Clwf6D43bTB4cP4W_B/s16000/Kamala%20Sankaram%20-%20Crescent.jpg" title="Kamala Sankaram - Crescent" /></a></div><p>Sonically, it interweaves sounds of steam engines, helicopters, and electromagnetic static with field recordings from across New York State in both composed and improvised settings, along with vocals, percussion, and electronics. The result is a seamless and expressive flow. </p><p>The song cycle Crescent is a showcase for Sankaram’s expressive singing and use of extended technique. As a vocalist, her voice has a bright quality, with a warm tone. </p><p>The individual songs are evocative and atmospheric. A Brief History of Progress begins simply, with vocals, adding percussion, then layer after layer, ending in a kind of electronic cacophony. </p><p>Poetry and spoken word alternate with singing, with and without effects. She creates a wide variety of textures that work not only as sound, but to add drama, pathos, and take listeners on an emotional journey. </p><p>Kamala works with an idiosyncratic sensibility that, in Heat Map, turns a recitation of the rising temperatures, year by year, into high drama (as it should be), and the chemical composition of polyethylene into a compellingly urgent beat.</p><p>5 Rasas was originally commissioned by Works and Process at the Guggenheim as accompaniment to choreography by Preeti Vasudevan. The piece is structured around the five different rasas, or emotional states, of Indian classical art. Kamala builds the piece with chance operations, field recordings, and found sounds. To the mix, she adds electronic noise from WWII-era short wave radio.</p><p>The string quartet plays a theme that was originally composed as a theme for Iphigenia in the Shakespeare Theatre Company production of Ellen McLaughlin’s Oresteia. </p><p><b>Personnel: </b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Kamala Sankaram – voice, electronics, field recordings, compositions; Brian Shankar Adler – percussion (tabla, bombo legüero and found objects); Drew Fleming – voice (tracks 2, 4, & 7)</li><li>For 5 Rasas: Kamala Sankaram – voice, electronics; Andie Tanning – violin; Ludovica Burtone – violin; Joanna Mattrey – viola; Mariel Roberts – cello</li></ul>
<iframe width="650" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kl0szGWJDTQ?si=5hs9sGw4MJRJu-Cy" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-62628455576693694962024-03-11T21:14:00.004-04:002024-03-11T21:15:38.070-04:00Pop/Jazz/Art Music Culture Clash | MC Maguire - Dystophilia (Neuma Records/January 19, 2024)<h1 style="text-align: left;">From Neuma Records:<br />Pop/Jazz/Art Music Culture Clash<br />MC Maguire - Dystophilia<br />(Neuma Records/January 19, 2024)</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://neumarecords.org/ols/products/mc-maguire-dystophilia" target="_blank"><b>Buy From Neuma Records</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>Toronto-based composer/producer MC Maguire has a quirky sensibility that's captured in two large works for orchestra and CPU on his recent release Dystophilia on the Neuma label.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3W68J4moZCn3UvdbSr1-D6Uq3KpKWu_Ig3KQre_Bqwjl78xx2vAUpIH5EC_6qBlz2d2qIR2DiKwhwhrzlCJ5mGyfkWcvFt-8s-HGv5xMDkRXSm33tj7r0TzO32DtZmtqj3LcHK9dvllUzEkQ0kAnnGyGYAmR3z3O83C4YY3PQiEg4RkKMoNCnfYKRm0FB/s700/McMaguire%20Distophlia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="MC Maguire: Dystophilia" border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3W68J4moZCn3UvdbSr1-D6Uq3KpKWu_Ig3KQre_Bqwjl78xx2vAUpIH5EC_6qBlz2d2qIR2DiKwhwhrzlCJ5mGyfkWcvFt-8s-HGv5xMDkRXSm33tj7r0TzO32DtZmtqj3LcHK9dvllUzEkQ0kAnnGyGYAmR3z3O83C4YY3PQiEg4RkKMoNCnfYKRm0FB/s16000/McMaguire%20Distophlia.jpg" title="MC Maguire: Dystophilia" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dystophilia</span></b> is defined, according to the liner notes, as "a fascination with the rate of social decline". It seems appropriate that the pieces are a kind of densely layered sonic assemblage that is both kinetic and seamless in its flow. </p><p>Yummy World begins with a riff on Justin Bieber's Yummy, as seen through a lens that blends contemporary jazz and art music, and then... put through a blender. </p><p>He adds elements of cinematic music, circus (or perhaps it's video game) music, maybe a bit of prog rock, and more. The album notes tell us he binged on films noirs during the pandemic, and it's easy to hear their influence. </p><p>It's inventive, and dare I say, entertaining.</p><p>Yummy World (excerpt):</p>
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<p>Another Lucid Dream, the second track, takes Juice Wrlds' song Lucid Dream, interweaving it with elements of hard metal and 16th century Renaissance music, and other flotsam and jetsam. </p><p>The piece has an airy feel, passages with high strings singing over chord changes. Beginning as orchestral music, the electronic elements gradually insert themselves into the increasingly complex texture of the wwork.</p><p>It's music that should satisfy your intellect as well as your senses.</p><p>Another Lucid Dream:</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqaAus8KrnA?si=__3GGsMt9khLxct5" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-39690879351806011712024-03-05T09:13:00.003-05:002024-03-05T09:14:20.386-05:00New York Artist Roberto Juarez: Crossing Five Decades At The C. Parker Gallery Till April 15, 2024<p><i>From a media release</i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Roberto Juarez: Crossing Five Decades<br />Works Created Between 1983 and 2023<br />On view through April 15<br />At the C. Parker Gallery</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Check It Out [<a href="https://cparkergallery.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>]</b></li></ul><p></p><p>The work of celebrated New York artist Roberto Juarez will be on display at the C. Parker Gallery in Greenwich, CT until April 15, 2024.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghH1t1jyc6sVu2YJ6Zm73J7Dfy9ijH7Hqx57AyO-jUAyfegRRVboMr8ZvXbq7e_ZJAs2uP_oL6W3MoSIicA5Cg0aXs0KXmbMrZPyye0EoBhwODGFkvnnWw8-hGfvFayQRkOuj_j1MRjSIfWgrh5KMKRRyyTseaRPk18qi8-UvkvzOk5lREs8zG2j7T_OdC/s650/Robert%20Juarez%20-%20Falo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Falo, by Roberto Juarez (1999), mixed media on linen" border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghH1t1jyc6sVu2YJ6Zm73J7Dfy9ijH7Hqx57AyO-jUAyfegRRVboMr8ZvXbq7e_ZJAs2uP_oL6W3MoSIicA5Cg0aXs0KXmbMrZPyye0EoBhwODGFkvnnWw8-hGfvFayQRkOuj_j1MRjSIfWgrh5KMKRRyyTseaRPk18qi8-UvkvzOk5lREs8zG2j7T_OdC/s16000/Robert%20Juarez%20-%20Falo.jpg" title="Falo, by Roberto Juarez (1999), mixed media on linen" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falo, by Roberto Juarez (1999), mixed media on linen</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Juarez's story is the stuff of New York art world legends, and he still makes the city his home.</p><p>In 1981, Juarez was one of the first artists of Latinx descent to break into the NYC art scene during that pivotal era that changed the culture, alongside other young artists of colour from that era who broke down barriers – and he continues to have a prominent career today.</p><p>One of his paintings was selected for the cover of the Whitney Biennial Catalog in 1987.</p><p>“This is the first time an exhibition chronicles five distinct eras of artmaking by Roberto Juarez,” says Tiffany Benincasa, the owner and curator of C. Parker Gallery. “We are honoured to present this group of exquisite paintings, illuminating his position in the canon of art history in the New York art world, for our tenth anniversary season.”</p><p>The gallery is located at 409 Greenwich Avenue, near Manhattan (just a 40-minute train ride from Grand Central Terminal, where one of Juarez’s public commission murals majestically holds court in the Station Manager’s Office, pictured below). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbYK6kzdX5-ToGYtJSqArfcHz3wChAh2rn6SeHGT5OUfe0a9O4tT4JqPJRcunXtVtQWCXNR7tyfUzrhwdRdTPEXWw3ZWR5Q5PZsNVZwQi_cyunsPP7w0z7o9TVL-W9Rm2P42hnYJ-PvERfciG1cix65VDDAaKZGyqpCkjgkaEL_uTUQI6wU3W9tuiQlno/s650/Roberto%20Juarez%20Field%20of%20FLowers%20mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A Field of Wild Flowers, public commission mural by Roberto Juarez (1997). Located in the public waiting area of the Station Manager's Office at Grand Central Terminal. Photo by Rob Wilson." border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbYK6kzdX5-ToGYtJSqArfcHz3wChAh2rn6SeHGT5OUfe0a9O4tT4JqPJRcunXtVtQWCXNR7tyfUzrhwdRdTPEXWw3ZWR5Q5PZsNVZwQi_cyunsPP7w0z7o9TVL-W9Rm2P42hnYJ-PvERfciG1cix65VDDAaKZGyqpCkjgkaEL_uTUQI6wU3W9tuiQlno/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20Field%20of%20FLowers%20mural.jpg" title="A Field of Wild Flowers, public commission mural by Roberto Juarez (1997). Located in the public waiting area of the Station Manager's Office at Grand Central Terminal. Photo by Rob Wilson." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Field of Wild Flowers, public commission mural by Roberto Juarez (1997). Located in the public waiting area of the Station Manager's Office at Grand Central Terminal. Photo by Rob Wilson.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">New York Grand Central Terminal Public Commission</h3><p>Juarez’s artistic trajectory could only have happened in New York. In 1981, the East Village underground arts icon Ellen Stewart offered Juarez an artist studio in an abandoned garage owned by the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.</p><p>The space, on First Street between Bowery and Second Avenue, had no electricity and was offered to Juarez rent-free. Renowned costume designer Gabriel Berry lent Juarez an extension cord from her studio to his, to provide light and heating.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QoY8767g0xk2bK_vZISBk5CTGmaLgc-IfiLST0264AkfuGn8FAbi4ELCg849cut58A3GuXz_8ChO2t-2ZNbCuEDFzqcdaOlU1-ki8uM_e3-DD_clrYR4G1luxgSqZjLB7qlyGdIIU9tpmWx68JtlVX0nysDsZLOgNtbfw68kUm_XkkkN58AQP_JeM9ZS/s809/Roberto%20Juarez%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A 1985 poster designed by Roberto Juarez for his gallery show at La Galleria at La MaMa" border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QoY8767g0xk2bK_vZISBk5CTGmaLgc-IfiLST0264AkfuGn8FAbi4ELCg849cut58A3GuXz_8ChO2t-2ZNbCuEDFzqcdaOlU1-ki8uM_e3-DD_clrYR4G1luxgSqZjLB7qlyGdIIU9tpmWx68JtlVX0nysDsZLOgNtbfw68kUm_XkkkN58AQP_JeM9ZS/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20poster.jpg" title="A 1985 poster designed by Roberto Juarez for his gallery show at La Galleria at La MaMa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">A 1985 poster designed by Roberto Juarez for his gallery show at La Galleria at La MaMa</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>That same year, Juarez was showcased in the New York/New Wave group show curated by Diego Cortez, who united the downtown scene for this history-making exhibition.</p><p>Cortez selected 35 works by Juarez for the 1981 New York/New Wave show, granting him an entire wall across from a wall of works by Basquiat (some of these original 1981 works by Juarez have been selected for an exhibition during the Venice Biennale this year). </p><p>During the decades that followed,<span style="font-size: large;"> Juarez’s milestones include</span>: </p><p>A Guggenheim Fellowship in Painting . . . the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award . . . the Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome . . . one of his paintings was selected for the book jacket cover of the Whitney Biennale Catalog in 1987 . . . he was chosen for a public commission mural installation in Grand Central Station in 1997 (new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/collection/field-of-wild-flowers) . . . and several art in public places commissions, including Miami International Airport.</p><p>Works by Juarez are in the collections of <b>major museums</b>, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (CA), the Brooklyn Museum, El Museo del Barrio (NY), Perez Art Museum Miami, and the Denver Art Museum, among others.</p><p><b>Museums</b> that have exhibited the work of Roberto Juarez include: Museum of Modern Art (NY); Whitney Museum of Art/Whitney Biennial (NY); Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LA); Brooklyn Museum; Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice); MoMA PS1 (NY); the China National Academy of Painting; Stamford Museum (CT); El Museo del Barrio (NY); McNay Art Museum (TX); Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (CO); Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (KS); Portland Museum of Art (ME); Center for the Fine Arts Miami; Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art; Austin Museum (TX); and Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, among others. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-d2tmDLamFXzft-m6LLjZPj7U8Ki2v56Ft_OTBNVpiUVF6kaRCjoiB7K_VYgPqMt3n3TQUlFN1PIBG5rCh6JhDDA-vsuub6DLANM8wxgWbKRD46gm8BhP8G5ECqFGSOk5vKtTsxi0ifNUqL1w0Rphc_PdxDk9ybwlLJNyC3w1q1-RBbZmuUR5-WLbfi3/s650/Roberto%20Juarez%20work%20in%20progress%20re%20-%20Miami%20airport%20mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Miami Flower Fence as a work-in-progress, photo taken at the artist's studio prior to installation at the airport." border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-d2tmDLamFXzft-m6LLjZPj7U8Ki2v56Ft_OTBNVpiUVF6kaRCjoiB7K_VYgPqMt3n3TQUlFN1PIBG5rCh6JhDDA-vsuub6DLANM8wxgWbKRD46gm8BhP8G5ECqFGSOk5vKtTsxi0ifNUqL1w0Rphc_PdxDk9ybwlLJNyC3w1q1-RBbZmuUR5-WLbfi3/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20work%20in%20progress%20re%20-%20Miami%20airport%20mural.jpg" title="The Miami Flower Fence as a work-in-progress, photo taken at the artist's studio prior to installation at the airport." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Miami Flower Fence as a work-in-progress, photo taken at the artist's studio prior to installation at the airport.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Miami International Airport Public Commission</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S-4dMrjaA0GmmSqLGY_2y6rXO9nnzA3lhlVmJTJD61WorwGQEuMr2x-OdxfbpvlUjLUGMi9Phbo9nNa11YLCxutc4jiWVMQqcxsA_vT1ffOFX5ukk71_1Euia1pIA7y2EuM37mFUhzQXVgqPN4-44pnLqfZAb3l8JdLdr9x9nlSAPOpzSq-SZ9nRhLhs/s650/Roberto%20Juarez%20Miami%20airport%20installation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="M.I.A. Flower Fence, by Roberto Juarez (2011). Installation photo taken at the Miami International Airport. The Art in Public Places mural by Juarez juxtaposes botanical-style renderings of Florida wildflowers with patchwork designs of Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians." border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S-4dMrjaA0GmmSqLGY_2y6rXO9nnzA3lhlVmJTJD61WorwGQEuMr2x-OdxfbpvlUjLUGMi9Phbo9nNa11YLCxutc4jiWVMQqcxsA_vT1ffOFX5ukk71_1Euia1pIA7y2EuM37mFUhzQXVgqPN4-44pnLqfZAb3l8JdLdr9x9nlSAPOpzSq-SZ9nRhLhs/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20Miami%20airport%20installation.jpg" title="M.I.A. Flower Fence, by Roberto Juarez (2011). Installation photo taken at the Miami International Airport. The Art in Public Places mural by Juarez juxtaposes botanical-style renderings of Florida wildflowers with patchwork designs of Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">M.I.A. Flower Fence, by Roberto Juarez (2011). Installation photo taken at the Miami International Airport. The Art in Public Places mural by Juarez juxtaposes botanical-style renderings of Florida wildflowers with patchwork designs of Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Juarez frequently employs painterly floral motifs, often inspired by the traditions of Hispanic and non-Western painting. </p><p>“Roberto Juarez is somebody I had long thought combined a sense of an engagement with the poetic, an engagement with the provocative,” said Edward J. Sullivan, Professor of Art History at NYU.</p><p>“A use of colour which brings to mind not only images but emotions, in a way that is very convincing – also allowing us to enter into a certain subconscious emotional territory.”</p><p>“Roberto Juarez is somebody I had long thought combined a sense of an engagement with the poetic, an engagement with the provocative, a use of colour which brings to mind not only images but emotions, in a way that is very convincing – also allowing us to enter into a certain subconscious emotional territory,” adds Sullivan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8oJopjpeZE1rWNyWTejeUZifXPjpPG1LBwwR74DhyphenhyphenvkKIABW5LymKeDadReCAJmTkMJK1sHfqBojbJB65qyiqLFig98QLs24Lbbp0q5P6OFtJX0FqdaFuobQU_jKXCLOPXWBtq571XL6rLlSo3QDdox_aVL25lrOllPIF7ufZhkELEVneRx9LwJBEJ10/s1295/Roberto%20Juarez%20-%20Pine%20branches%20with%20lichen%20painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pine Branches with Lichen (Grey Eye), by Roberto Juarez (2023), mixed media on canvas" border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8oJopjpeZE1rWNyWTejeUZifXPjpPG1LBwwR74DhyphenhyphenvkKIABW5LymKeDadReCAJmTkMJK1sHfqBojbJB65qyiqLFig98QLs24Lbbp0q5P6OFtJX0FqdaFuobQU_jKXCLOPXWBtq571XL6rLlSo3QDdox_aVL25lrOllPIF7ufZhkELEVneRx9LwJBEJ10/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20-%20Pine%20branches%20with%20lichen%20painting.jpg" title="Pine Branches with Lichen (Grey Eye), by Roberto Juarez (2023), mixed media on canvas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Pine Branches with Lichen (Grey Eye), by Roberto Juarez (2023), mixed media on canvas </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Edward J. Sullivan curated one of Juarez’s solo museum exhibitions that included the artist’s Pater series (pictured below, one of the Pater works in the current gallery show).</p><p>Sullivan has worked for more than thirty years in the field of Latin American and Caribbean art, and has influenced many artists and curators. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1G9Ri90pXOA4ZjY-mIbiaxhyujtuPCda7gDXDJiEnEKbWQ593kOxyrjY7Zn3sh_vCXWgCvZ9kXWvs2vWiOxNg1nghMmwxOIyRRamsrWmplM8-ovL3le-mSH1qcyNv9iWl56EttH4aNr08pC9NZAT5LwQSIrKAkiapVHgMlkQUWS9mdWCsceCIBRGPb3s/s814/Roberto%20Juarez%20-%20Pater%20painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pater Painting, by Roberto Juarez (2017), mixed media on canvas.." border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1G9Ri90pXOA4ZjY-mIbiaxhyujtuPCda7gDXDJiEnEKbWQ593kOxyrjY7Zn3sh_vCXWgCvZ9kXWvs2vWiOxNg1nghMmwxOIyRRamsrWmplM8-ovL3le-mSH1qcyNv9iWl56EttH4aNr08pC9NZAT5LwQSIrKAkiapVHgMlkQUWS9mdWCsceCIBRGPb3s/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20-%20Pater%20painting.jpg" title="Pater Painting, by Roberto Juarez (2017), mixed media on canvas." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pater Painting, by Roberto Juarez (2017), mixed media on canvas. This work was also exhibited at the Boulder Museum, in the exhibition curated by Edward J. Sullivan, the NYU Professor of Art History who influenced many artists and curators. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Pater works were produced over a number of years during which Juarez was dealing with the death of his father.</p><p>Read more about the artist and this series at the review by Clayton Kirking, former Chief of Art Information Resources for the New York Public Library <a href="https://www.nadnowjournal.org/reviews/roberto-juarez-inspiration-and-process/" target="_blank">at this link</a>.</p><h3>Captured in Time</h3><p>Juarez’s mother was from Puerto Rico, and his father was from Mexico. He was born in 1952 in Chicago.</p><p>Juarez has a BFA from San Francisco Art Institute (1975), and Graduate Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles (1978).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7_zZurMVA2DGzXGTENV5icG0_GzP27PQzXclS-tWIksevs2laJZaz4T6nZPpDw1LiDqdXWg1vkZZyC9QigWnAwFq3UyjweIowXWY82iiFVizlVXK4G32l-kjzSFxod6OMlSGVEKnGm24tS0ZufLh_JDhiuAQBZLyT3JRKPb59zXGBFXC1kGv_zVkwMzK/s967/Roberto%20Juarez%20-%20portrait%20by%20Jack%20Pierson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Black & white Photo Portrait of Roberto Juarez (1989) by Jack Pierson." border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7_zZurMVA2DGzXGTENV5icG0_GzP27PQzXclS-tWIksevs2laJZaz4T6nZPpDw1LiDqdXWg1vkZZyC9QigWnAwFq3UyjweIowXWY82iiFVizlVXK4G32l-kjzSFxod6OMlSGVEKnGm24tS0ZufLh_JDhiuAQBZLyT3JRKPb59zXGBFXC1kGv_zVkwMzK/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20-%20portrait%20by%20Jack%20Pierson.jpg" title="Portrait of Juarez (1989) by Jack Pierson." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of Juarez (1989) by Jack Pierson.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Juarez and his circle of artist friends were often captured in time by well-known photographers/artists of the era.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-klyfVEcQEEY0382Ubjpc9OQjPTqoe3Pi7e7d0DIFA0vdwEltUr8EbyF8bG2HPh8c36XzznbpwCk8NsbDbZ-jNC_NZiHhcJQaGfLSoMXMCkn4nwz_7LtGF3g_8kaihIjcsbvAChKiift3pIyDlormUzZEmdkXAgDcG2o1zgqACDKPpcFLi_TCoVi5em4/s968/Roberto%20Juarez%20portrait%20by%20DAvid%20Seidner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Black & white photo Portrait of Roberto Juarez (1985) by David Seidner, for Interview Magazine." border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-klyfVEcQEEY0382Ubjpc9OQjPTqoe3Pi7e7d0DIFA0vdwEltUr8EbyF8bG2HPh8c36XzznbpwCk8NsbDbZ-jNC_NZiHhcJQaGfLSoMXMCkn4nwz_7LtGF3g_8kaihIjcsbvAChKiift3pIyDlormUzZEmdkXAgDcG2o1zgqACDKPpcFLi_TCoVi5em4/s16000/Roberto%20Juarez%20portrait%20by%20DAvid%20Seidner.jpg" title="Portrait of Roberto Juarez (1985) by David Seidner, for Interview Magazine." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Portrait of Roberto Juarez (1985) by David Seidner, for Interview Magazine. </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-11867993151663947592024-02-26T08:45:00.002-05:002024-02-26T08:46:10.506-05:00Jazz Meets Choral | Hamilton's Musicata Chamber Choir Offers The Joy Of Blue March 3 2024<h1 style="text-align: left;">Hamilton's Musicata Chamber Choir<br />The Joy Of Blue<br />March 3, 2024</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Get Tickets [<a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-joy-of-blue-tickets-738175561977?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank">HERE</a>].</b></li></ul><p></p><p>Hamilton's Musicata Chamber Choir will be presenting a concert infused with jazz and classical music. The choir will be joined by a jazz quartet for Will Todd's Mass in Blue. </p><p>Also featured will be Tierra de Ensueño by Canadian composer Javier Vasquez, among other pieces.</p><p>Founded in 1982 as the John Laing Singers by noted conductor John Laing, Musicata is a 28-voice chamber choir. Current Music Director Roger Bergs has developed a reputation for adventurous programming. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXqLRenyeHAstXopMan1YcCPttWHobxgrpK_LrwOETI9Qdy5nRUtVk-M43alDZkCrz2TnTrmcpg96ETkFfbTu1RsWIosEN4k8xL71kZpGhtDpvXKsmaZd5cTrAAGvQY0CxAI7KrXLC8tN_O9hq5_sKeu8xHjgpsiO_NjQooE1711T1Tkuvy8AB9V04p6I/s650/Musicata%20chamber%20choir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Musicata Chamber Choir at the Church of the Ascension in Hamilton, Ontario" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXqLRenyeHAstXopMan1YcCPttWHobxgrpK_LrwOETI9Qdy5nRUtVk-M43alDZkCrz2TnTrmcpg96ETkFfbTu1RsWIosEN4k8xL71kZpGhtDpvXKsmaZd5cTrAAGvQY0CxAI7KrXLC8tN_O9hq5_sKeu8xHjgpsiO_NjQooE1711T1Tkuvy8AB9V04p6I/s16000/Musicata%20chamber%20choir.jpg" title="Musicata Chamber Choir" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musicata Chamber Choir (Photo courtesy of the ensemble)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Jazz Quartet</h3><p>The quartet consists of pianist Chris Pruden, saxophonist Daniel Rubinoff, bassist Andrew Downing, and drummer Mack Longpré. Pruden, Rubinoff, and Downing have performed with the choir on previous occasions, while Longpré is making his début with Musicata.</p><p>Pianist and keyboardist <span style="font-size: large;">Chris Pruden</span> has performed widely across North America, Europe, and China. He is a regular contributor and performer with a wider range of ensembles, including Juno-nominated Tara Kannangara group, Language Arts, Zinnia, RELAY, Future Machines, and others, and his music practice incorporates contemporary classical, folk, rock, and electronic music along with jazz.</p><p>Along with performing and recording as a bassist, <span style="font-size: large;">Andrew Downing</span> is also a composer and band leader. He plays the cello along with bass, and performs as a classical chamber musician along with a range of genres that include global and roots music. His music projects include performing and leading his chamber jazz ensemble Meodeon to accompany silent film screenings.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Daniel Rubinoff</span> is a seasoned soloist and chamber musician who has performed widely across North America and in France. He is also a recording artist with several of his own well received releases. A former adjunct Professor of Saxophone at York University, as a student he won the ARCT Gold Medal from the Royal Conservatory for the highest score in the orchestral instrumental category</p><p>Drummer <span style="font-size: large;">Mack Longpré</span> holds a Bachelor of Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto. He's performed with several ensembles, including the Tara Kannangara Group, ZINNIA, and Future Machines, among others, and is also a recording artist with several albums in his discography.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJDenDGeAlb0GEy1RFKNcXYM09pO7aKw_soulI1IzuDQ539J_DL7_55N2SIJw87OwCpdqfOAziGN8s1bwqI5goZU2DtraI4VtCr_mAySyQcMlclXZPBA203MUBbRwYhrRgPvZfQrUNsvEJAaT12VaiXKzpRSAyD5DzL3xEgSadPDY0qBe3rHR-htw6QGT/s650/Musicata%20joy%20of%20blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jazz quartet instruments - piano, upright bass, saxophone" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJDenDGeAlb0GEy1RFKNcXYM09pO7aKw_soulI1IzuDQ539J_DL7_55N2SIJw87OwCpdqfOAziGN8s1bwqI5goZU2DtraI4VtCr_mAySyQcMlclXZPBA203MUBbRwYhrRgPvZfQrUNsvEJAaT12VaiXKzpRSAyD5DzL3xEgSadPDY0qBe3rHR-htw6QGT/s16000/Musicata%20joy%20of%20blue.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of Musicata</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Music</h3><h4 style="text-align: left;">Will Todd – Mass in Blue</h4><p>British composer Will Todd's Mass in Blue resets the Latin Mass with grooves and blues harmonies. The arrangement includes sections of piano solos and interactions between the soloists and the choir.</p><p>The piece was originally commissioned in 2003 by Hertfordshire Chorus. Todd wrote it for his wife, soprano Bethany Halliday, as a piece for soprano soloist and SATB choir, incorporating the standard jazz quartet of piano, bass, drum kit, and alto sax.</p><p>Musically, the work fuses jazz, pure blues, and classical choral idioms. It has quickly become a popular work in the choral repertoire, with a full band and orchestral versions also available. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Javier Vazquez - Tierra de Ensueño </h4><p>Jay (Javier) Vazquez is a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/composer/arranger. He began his musical career in his native Mexico, including studies at the National University of Mexico. Along with his own performances, he's the Musical Director and Booking Agent for JV Music company.</p><p>His piece also incorporates a jazz quartet within a choir, seamlessly weaving bluesy melodies and choral idioms together. </p><p>Here's a taste of his piece, which premiered in Toronto in 2017:</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/32bpZpZjeVc?si=s9-77g72a5tOODyZ" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-22678218215798066682024-02-21T13:20:00.001-05:002024-02-21T13:20:31.369-05:00Transcen|Dance Project's Eve of St. George Is Your Goth Fantasy Come To Life<h1 style="text-align: left;">Transcen|Dance Project<br />Eve of St. George<br />at Toronto's The Great Hall<br />February 21 to February 24, 2024</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Get Tickets [<a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/eve-of-st-george-tickets-760851195407" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>]</li></ul><p></p><p>Transcen|Dance Project's revival of Eve of St. George, based on Bram Stoker's Dracula, brings a distinctly Goth vibe to the end of February.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmSK-rTvwPV5L9OmrA5c499qCOv6QdJBk_UljJplNpjjbih5g8ynONbxrQ97toWqqpZybvJ3sk22I8dz-iLvW_bV3c7Cw-vUNrPLrF4j7FWAhiat2Xg19MQaZbuqxCS9uPLuLXjQ2YQ_reIKdlJZmRCwZNY_kr1PrYP3nQb3QHR181qG7j0oHO9kDKoAo/s650/20240220_194541%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmSK-rTvwPV5L9OmrA5c499qCOv6QdJBk_UljJplNpjjbih5g8ynONbxrQ97toWqqpZybvJ3sk22I8dz-iLvW_bV3c7Cw-vUNrPLrF4j7FWAhiat2Xg19MQaZbuqxCS9uPLuLXjQ2YQ_reIKdlJZmRCwZNY_kr1PrYP3nQb3QHR181qG7j0oHO9kDKoAo/s16000/20240220_194541%20(1).jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><p>The event brings audiences into a story that evolves over three floors of the Victorian magnificence that is the Great Hall.</p><p>Audience members can follow the character of their choice, or simply stay put, and watch different aspects of the story unfold in front of them - or any combination of those two approaches, as the mood strikes them.</p><p>It's a licensed event. The dancers are talented and expressive, and the attention to detail and set is impressive. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>More details about how it works <a href="https://www.artandculturemaven.com/2024/01/halloween-in-february-transcendance.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></li></ul><p></p><p>Let the pictures tell the story.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMdYOgV1VUKQvq0uGoS8go8wnNgLp3SPriIGL93uebeJumERlAKBBdJngNwPiQeKADFJrw1YZg6LL0UCv8oRzy0mv3MsxpprbSv-xv7FCeqbsrj4PS2rE6uppkRuLKLiny7wEAV6YKIkUyt3k0jSsVs8rxc4eC6L3EWDbulAH0eGJtWffEWXASNpiBTtJ/s650/20240220_201116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMdYOgV1VUKQvq0uGoS8go8wnNgLp3SPriIGL93uebeJumERlAKBBdJngNwPiQeKADFJrw1YZg6LL0UCv8oRzy0mv3MsxpprbSv-xv7FCeqbsrj4PS2rE6uppkRuLKLiny7wEAV6YKIkUyt3k0jSsVs8rxc4eC6L3EWDbulAH0eGJtWffEWXASNpiBTtJ/s16000/20240220_201116.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Sh3d1KWXtg9PJuFC6Vo8Yg-9BQGo6ipEvGAy9M3EScMH1bd5v5k9T7-YFEm1eDxLnnmrl9yyFCYcqxgi7zRcY-8lFSaONwe6qQg_8nC9SsCKKfvIFqHhhKzW3OvWmsSwz-wyKNnWRZL8BiT3dIejGqfHck4ZOAMdTOipvXpjwDrRnSq2SggOBxyOsXAK/s710/20240220_192721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Sh3d1KWXtg9PJuFC6Vo8Yg-9BQGo6ipEvGAy9M3EScMH1bd5v5k9T7-YFEm1eDxLnnmrl9yyFCYcqxgi7zRcY-8lFSaONwe6qQg_8nC9SsCKKfvIFqHhhKzW3OvWmsSwz-wyKNnWRZL8BiT3dIejGqfHck4ZOAMdTOipvXpjwDrRnSq2SggOBxyOsXAK/s16000/20240220_192721.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q4PyNc3i5lfscbpg8J7flU5r5b857Yl2Wzsc5ccQaPdTC_H-rKd_vlxm8STpwRMsBFb-T49jJRUYTlNf5gQtC_-puEvhEUywkkEJ8Tg0aqS-wkIO0zVXB0h8bzWgoByw1YlBn6zfbS4uSL1bQIIyxxQCD5W_Vs8ZAxNkGgIpF62uDUnuRqYd3MxNTm8O/s1154/20240220_194905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q4PyNc3i5lfscbpg8J7flU5r5b857Yl2Wzsc5ccQaPdTC_H-rKd_vlxm8STpwRMsBFb-T49jJRUYTlNf5gQtC_-puEvhEUywkkEJ8Tg0aqS-wkIO0zVXB0h8bzWgoByw1YlBn6zfbS4uSL1bQIIyxxQCD5W_Vs8ZAxNkGgIpF62uDUnuRqYd3MxNTm8O/s16000/20240220_194905.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4y7MlWbOzJf31NLcurIQujjMwN7jBuzFvmrymRsFCuzabVIYml17IdficDWahU_aoo3tMQB8iKCs0gIh_F81klc_sCdL5vxNjOoOVdJ2yseG247vIY8xFw3WH0Z1c__P-b9PT8e5L6Kze2_EZJc4yTVCMp3fQ-Cjm3UJtac0nxIDoZBz2-K80s-H10haZ/s723/20240220_195249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4y7MlWbOzJf31NLcurIQujjMwN7jBuzFvmrymRsFCuzabVIYml17IdficDWahU_aoo3tMQB8iKCs0gIh_F81klc_sCdL5vxNjOoOVdJ2yseG247vIY8xFw3WH0Z1c__P-b9PT8e5L6Kze2_EZJc4yTVCMp3fQ-Cjm3UJtac0nxIDoZBz2-K80s-H10haZ/s16000/20240220_195249.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqZOQ_mr3L2Td1YtP_UH-t56PA81TnvCseQwKbJ4lcOWiTDL1hnvq9oQJ1fv5OqzMtBIVrt5kMXXQH-nZ-kWaVV9faR0VZqSD5ftYhl3QZ3FtT3-1s-8rAZ_lR-vcil1VkTu7UIJRnvNt6cDakrwQrDZHKGIwLTjH5_F_295H3e5x0tF030SU1rQ_Cozt/s650/20240220_195600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqZOQ_mr3L2Td1YtP_UH-t56PA81TnvCseQwKbJ4lcOWiTDL1hnvq9oQJ1fv5OqzMtBIVrt5kMXXQH-nZ-kWaVV9faR0VZqSD5ftYhl3QZ3FtT3-1s-8rAZ_lR-vcil1VkTu7UIJRnvNt6cDakrwQrDZHKGIwLTjH5_F_295H3e5x0tF030SU1rQ_Cozt/s16000/20240220_195600.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4nMazb3vhmEshuwXBtPXrTNhe-S2_eeKz8x9mHwZNAVTbQfWVATsjrVA_YkVmeOWPukMMtun0bJyiB04D4CzoyWBemVcKRl-_y2EcawYIsemtJKS25_HutinrpkDwD-BfXKVihPr3RyM88q0AqP_4ppPZv-dYZpnA0DHSY5aru0eu7CsOVTc-nTeg66H/s650/20240220_195947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4nMazb3vhmEshuwXBtPXrTNhe-S2_eeKz8x9mHwZNAVTbQfWVATsjrVA_YkVmeOWPukMMtun0bJyiB04D4CzoyWBemVcKRl-_y2EcawYIsemtJKS25_HutinrpkDwD-BfXKVihPr3RyM88q0AqP_4ppPZv-dYZpnA0DHSY5aru0eu7CsOVTc-nTeg66H/s16000/20240220_195947.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisviQpPmzxfAd249Eb9z2ZK-_Fbe48OjWCGkDXy-a6STmkafDZ6IUWzxGrlOLWXSdK-s9QlarwHpF_ui0w4UVsj9iiH1v1-PK9XYMLPDB69oridF8UTYopFPy2QIbR6ZVCDb5ffPX3lCqL9Z7mZUfXMPBhp7133i56vOgNm37ShZ9a3Tvot8IHtXGf3ynP/s1022/20240220_200800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="791" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisviQpPmzxfAd249Eb9z2ZK-_Fbe48OjWCGkDXy-a6STmkafDZ6IUWzxGrlOLWXSdK-s9QlarwHpF_ui0w4UVsj9iiH1v1-PK9XYMLPDB69oridF8UTYopFPy2QIbR6ZVCDb5ffPX3lCqL9Z7mZUfXMPBhp7133i56vOgNm37ShZ9a3Tvot8IHtXGf3ynP/s16000/20240220_200800.jpg" title="Transcen|Dance Project Eve of St. George" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-30139666468394255492024-01-30T08:00:00.008-05:002024-01-30T10:15:22.163-05:00Q&A With Toronto Rocker Allan Blitz<h1 style="text-align: left;">Q&A With Toronto Rocker Allan Blitz</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Stream The Single Prove Me Wrong On <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZoebDcUvdi4i3EMXgxom4" target="_blank">Spotify</a> Or <a href="https://music.apple.com/ca/album/prove-me-wrong-feat-ellevan-single/1723246000" target="_blank">Apple</a></b></li></ul><p></p><p>Allan Blitz is a musician and artist with a new single to talk about. The rising Toronto 2SLGBTQI+ rock singer's new song "Prove Me Wrong" features Toronto rapper Ellevan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1UvqTwG6yhrjXqNHmnQ9Gtb_HVsF6LHHwQYarg1XyzKtzNqYyDQkKjD4RZy700TERbitElk2jNb4M2U8tog00UYynC-hD9E3jP-cKO0FeL54WPwmauKgnE8oYmWMxUSzu1IkKskWi2vxDYM3ZPmYsu08LmLozRx_RSlNFBiVeZB4AzvVMvU7_UgyVVhj/s650/Allan%20Blitz%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Allan Blitz. Photo by Fabian Di Corcia" border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1UvqTwG6yhrjXqNHmnQ9Gtb_HVsF6LHHwQYarg1XyzKtzNqYyDQkKjD4RZy700TERbitElk2jNb4M2U8tog00UYynC-hD9E3jP-cKO0FeL54WPwmauKgnE8oYmWMxUSzu1IkKskWi2vxDYM3ZPmYsu08LmLozRx_RSlNFBiVeZB4AzvVMvU7_UgyVVhj/s16000/Allan%20Blitz%201.jpg" title="Allan Blitz. Photo by Fabian Di Corcia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allan Blitz. Photo by Fabian Di Corcia</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Allan Blitz is also Allan Cabral, by day a photographer and digital content creator for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. (If you look at their reviews and promo material, you should find his name credited.)</p><p>I asked him a few questions about his music and career. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How did you get your start in music - when did you know it was something you wanted to pursue?</h3><p>As far back as I can remember, music has always been a part of my life. It started with my aunt taking me to church every Sunday, providing me with the opportunity to sing my heart out. I also fondly recall listening to my mom singing Brazilian folk songs and Beatles tunes around the house. I also spent countless hours in my sister's bedroom, just absorbing the sounds of Rock 'N' Roll. She would play The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and all kinds of good stuff.</p><p>When I turned thirteen, a friend from school came over and introduced me to heavy metal. I was instantly captivated by the music, especially the singing. That same year, I began studying music, focusing on piano and classical singing. I was so profoundly touched by those early musical experiences that I couldn't imagine myself doing anything other than performing and making an impact through music. That sentiment remains true to this day.</p><p>In my twenties, I attended school for Theatre Arts and completed two years of musical theatre in university. It was a lot of fun but emotionally demanding. Despite being a rock singer, I have a special appreciation for opera and musical theatre, which you can definitely hear when I sing.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nw_WCIJVOA8DArW7En8ps98WaaqUR2XxCVux5zSaAOhlTf10zRs5NsEqZCtevyQ9nEd_UYT6-JRFC1iWAhnhF7pREKlu6LOgG6yZGeWfOPSkQ6mGzP_aP6s1MqQFjv0zqxMkRMaa_7xDE2HiChiD_eoGrTEFs2aJiM3XLxdL2Zlbec39MzlL8P9AG0yT/s650/Allan%20Blitz%20performs%20live.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Allan Blitz performing live." border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nw_WCIJVOA8DArW7En8ps98WaaqUR2XxCVux5zSaAOhlTf10zRs5NsEqZCtevyQ9nEd_UYT6-JRFC1iWAhnhF7pREKlu6LOgG6yZGeWfOPSkQ6mGzP_aP6s1MqQFjv0zqxMkRMaa_7xDE2HiChiD_eoGrTEFs2aJiM3XLxdL2Zlbec39MzlL8P9AG0yT/s16000/Allan%20Blitz%20performs%20live.jpg" title="Allan Blitz performing live." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allan Blitz performing live.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">What are some of your musical influences - I hear a lot of different elements in the song?</h3><p>I consider myself fortunate enough to have been exposed to many different styles of music in my life, which I believe have greatly enriched my perception in songwriting. It all started with Rock N' Roll, Gospel, and Classical at home—my parents and my sister had a big CD collection. In my teens, I began embracing and welcoming Pop into my musical universe, especially as artists like Lady Gaga started gaining mainstream popularity. Realistically, my musical influences span Rock, Metal, Pop, Classical, and Musical Theatre. In my latest single, while it is prominently a Rap-Rock song, you can actually hear elements from all those genres, including classical (I play the harp in 'Prove Me Wrong'—specifically, the Toronto Symphony's harp, which they kindly let me take care of during the pandemic).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh_t2kmNQHfNJxnaH7TfujghdORwqzFFxFv7CrPyIFYQ5lUH5a6gYCDd4FQS43y7RImGSLo0L-qrIgQmEmzeL8oMpkfZZ_6UClbVsFrAll8nraXzKOUUsC9X-3jf-eyqovRvaMkIg-K_53upTd5ypFMhXI4cpOdTAiPgmRhEvtSAnTeAxz3ChZCRCQHBy/s650/Allan%20Blitz%20studio.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Behind-the-scenes production session of 'Prove Me Wrong'. Mr. Blitz with TSO harp in the background. Photo by Adrienne Elkerton" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh_t2kmNQHfNJxnaH7TfujghdORwqzFFxFv7CrPyIFYQ5lUH5a6gYCDd4FQS43y7RImGSLo0L-qrIgQmEmzeL8oMpkfZZ_6UClbVsFrAll8nraXzKOUUsC9X-3jf-eyqovRvaMkIg-K_53upTd5ypFMhXI4cpOdTAiPgmRhEvtSAnTeAxz3ChZCRCQHBy/s16000/Allan%20Blitz%20studio.jpg" title="Behind-the-scenes production session of 'Prove Me Wrong'. Mr. Blitz with TSO harp in the background. Photo by Adrienne Elkerton" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind-the-scenes production session of 'Prove Me Wrong'. Mr. Blitz with TSO harp in the background. Photo by Adrienne Elkerton</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Regarding some of my biggest artistic influences, my universe includes Queen (a huge fan here!), Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Linkin Park, Twenty One Pilots, Paramore, Lady Gaga, Michael Bolton, Céline Dion (oh, yes!), Sam Smith, and Sia—I could go on. Simultaneously, I don't deny my deep connection with the Classical world, which has been present the longest in my life, especially as I worked for the Edmonton Symphony and now Toronto Symphony. I have a particular appreciation for the works of Schubert, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. In the theatre world, Stephen Sondheim undeniably had an impact on me in terms of articulating words truthfully both as a performer and songwriter.</p><p>I know... I have a lot of references! However, it is only Rock music that provides me with more visceral experiences that I can feel in my bones.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Does being a musician also help when you photograph musicians at work? I've noticed that many of your photographs really capture the passion of performances.</h3><p>Most definitely. When photographing the Toronto Symphony at Roy Thomson Hall, I aim to capture the truthfulness and honesty of each moment. While passion is undoubtedly an important element, I find that there is great power and responsibility when performers demonstrate vulnerability on stage. It's an invitation to the audience, not an imposition. I actively seek out these moments because I understand that, just like the pieces being performed on stage, images will tell a story later.</p><p>I had the incredible privilege of meeting Yo-Yo Ma at a community outreach event in 2022, and I'll never forget the lightness and serenity he exuded, not only during his performances but also in his personal interactions. For me, his vulnerability ranged from tenderness to courage, and that certainly showed in the pictures.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Tell me about your performance with Against the Grain Theatre. How did that come about?</h3><p>That took place during their Pride Opera Pub Cabaret in 2022, marking my first performance to an audience post-pandemic and my first official performance in Toronto. Alongside nine other singers who are members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, we curated a concert where each of us had the chance to share songs that held personal significance. I chose to perform "The Show Must Go On" by Queen and briefly shared about Freddie Mercury's journey with that song and his impact on my life. This song became a source of solace for me during a time when I needed to process grief.</p><p>This event also held particular significance for me as a queer individual, especially as I explore the intricacies of queer life and finding one's voice through my own music.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The current single: what inspired it, and what does it mean to you?</h3><p>"Prove Me Wrong" is a song about broken trust, originating from the complexities of navigating a toxic relationship I experienced years ago in the professional realm when I was still living in Alberta. The cycle was more or less like this: love-bombing at first until they earned my trust, and then, once established, little passive-aggressive comments were introduced in our interactions, leading to full-on gaslighting, which I noticed was very much targeted at me. Whether in the workplace, friendships, love, or family, toxic relationships are extremely puzzling to navigate, especially when you once trusted the individual. What's particularly interesting is that when I first presented the song to Ellevan, my collaborator, I mentioned what it was about but didn't go into too much detail. Later, he told me that the inspiration for his verse, for which he wrote the lyrics, was also professional. Although his experience was less about dealing with toxicity, we both come together on the topic of having our trust broken. Personally, creating this song was my release and a way to cleanse the emotions stored within me.</p><p>It's funny that songs like these typically originate from romantic relationships or something considered more on the "personal life" side. However, it makes sense when work usually occupies eight hours a day in Western society, which is at least 33% of every single weekday. That's a significant amount of time! Yes, we should be talking about it.</p><p>I hope that listeners who have had similar experiences dealing with broken trust find relief and strength when listening to "Prove Me Wrong."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKuhnWymYijqbz7dW0ViPE3jBLRtPkH5GrD_4lN158WceqNl7vgOaa_iDH6By0ZZfryfVlio9rYWatbpj8iLvqfge2Vl9_EmhIUA8q0gKheA0QqI_j_kwav9CbbVNjK5JRv-YmPMaCP8fNVgC2zpXYt7uwP1bJho9snbsODZpDlqyca-PRQlfDieW3BJc/s650/Allan%20Blitz%20CD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="'Prove Me Wrong (feat. Ellevan)' cover art. Photo by Stelth Ng." border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKuhnWymYijqbz7dW0ViPE3jBLRtPkH5GrD_4lN158WceqNl7vgOaa_iDH6By0ZZfryfVlio9rYWatbpj8iLvqfge2Vl9_EmhIUA8q0gKheA0QqI_j_kwav9CbbVNjK5JRv-YmPMaCP8fNVgC2zpXYt7uwP1bJho9snbsODZpDlqyca-PRQlfDieW3BJc/s16000/Allan%20Blitz%20CD.jpg" title="'Prove Me Wrong (feat. Ellevan)' cover art. Photo by Stelth Ng." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZoebDcUvdi4i3EMXgxom4" target="_blank">'Prove Me Wrong (feat. Ellevan)' cover art. Photo by Stelth Ng.</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-30954035461200730582024-01-28T14:32:00.003-05:002024-01-28T14:32:43.713-05:00Halloween in February | TranscenDance Project’s Eve Of St. George Returns To Toronto February 20 To 24 2024<h1 style="text-align: left;">Halloween in February<br />TranscenDance Project’s Eve Of St. George Returns To Toronto February 20 To 24 2024<br />For The First Time Since Its 2019 Sold-Out Run</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Tickets Available [<a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/eve-of-st-george-tickets-760851195407?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank">HERE</a>]</b></li></ul><p></p><p>Guests will don masks and roam throughout the gothy Great Hall to experience the return of Transcen|Dance Project’s Eve of St. George. The immersive - and voyeuristic - retelling of the Dracula story includes music by Canadian composer <b>Owen Belton</b>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUL82lTCmXsnl2zWeab9SpHAoW970ceEVC08qhF5asGCErHlw0AkAjsnQmPOhPKf8vls_wpY6vaD4tDKrkbVoowhucbwrp3MxQm_d2jkSz6Zg1tqYTLaTizLh1Advo2DxD8thSt_AA4ebysTBtTl2EeBwz5e07YYRRMJ7BEnM7sgu3nwY-HyJ7v7koB-K/s650/Transcendance%20Dracula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUL82lTCmXsnl2zWeab9SpHAoW970ceEVC08qhF5asGCErHlw0AkAjsnQmPOhPKf8vls_wpY6vaD4tDKrkbVoowhucbwrp3MxQm_d2jkSz6Zg1tqYTLaTizLh1Advo2DxD8thSt_AA4ebysTBtTl2EeBwz5e07YYRRMJ7BEnM7sgu3nwY-HyJ7v7koB-K/s16000/Transcendance%20Dracula.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transcen|Dance Project’s Eve of St. George</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As you wander through four floors of the atmospheric environment created by the organizers, the intersecting stories of 16 characters will take shape. You can choose your own path by choosing a character to follow, or simply by staying put and watching the story unfold as they flit in and out of the room. </p><p>You can rifle through the personal effects they may drop as they make their way through the building, and you may even find yourself interacting with them at various junctures in the story - maybe even <b>Count Dracula</b> himself....</p><p>The immersive production played to soldout houses in 2018 and 2019. This remount will be the swan song for the production in Toronto.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">About Transcen|Dance Project</h3><p><a href="https://www.transcendanceproject.com/" target="_blank">Transcen|Dance Project</a> is a Toronto-based company looking to stretch the boundaries within the Toronto dance community and create a new environment for audiences to experience art and live performance. Founded in 2015 by former Canadian dancer, Julia Cratchley, who trained as a contemporary dancer at the illustrious Arts Umbrella in Vancouver and danced as a freelance dancer across North America.</p><p>Here's a peek from the 2019 production:</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ER5kib9eepg?si=Rf8K_aYAKvrL5DhG" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-85942206936899937892024-01-28T14:24:00.001-05:002024-01-28T14:24:56.871-05:00Tibet's Yungchen Lhamo In Brooklyn February 24, 2024<h1 style="text-align: left;">Tibet's Yungchen Lhamo<br />In Brooklyn February 24, 2024</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Order the CD One Drop of Kindness[<a href="https://store.realworld.co.uk/product/one-drop-of-kindness-cd/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>]</li><li>Get tickets to the February 24 show [<a href="https://www.worldmusicinstitute.org/yungchen-lhamo/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>]</li></ul><p></p><p>The ancient music of Tibet speaks to the modern ear in the music of Yungchen Lhamo. She'll be performing in Brooklyn on February 24.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlqMqhwyvwZlDlrsUgb6nh_BfF2whbmLOonGgnkdp6QkOpJ5F7o5DqLMKaTpM1JMBGk7pRBBjtp3McvKPLwNT-pZ4KeVPcc7n-VPsFFaVHKgV3BeKENjqXTWm9MwXqF1NznYIoxEpCPT8s_Ok1rLwUG7rTefnfbYR06ckTxbrW4ylLuodatfOtGaNXLWS/s650/Yungchen%20Lhamo%20One%20Drop%20of%20Kindness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yungchen Lhamo" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlqMqhwyvwZlDlrsUgb6nh_BfF2whbmLOonGgnkdp6QkOpJ5F7o5DqLMKaTpM1JMBGk7pRBBjtp3McvKPLwNT-pZ4KeVPcc7n-VPsFFaVHKgV3BeKENjqXTWm9MwXqF1NznYIoxEpCPT8s_Ok1rLwUG7rTefnfbYR06ckTxbrW4ylLuodatfOtGaNXLWS/s16000/Yungchen%20Lhamo%20One%20Drop%20of%20Kindness.jpg" title="Yungchen Lhamo" /></a></div><p>Yungchen is an agile and expressive vocalist, and the songs retain their distinctive melodic and rhythmic character while adding a contemporary groove. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Yungchen Lhamo</h3><p>Born and raised in Lhasa, Tibet, Yungchen's name, given to her at birth by a lama, means "Goddess of melody". </p><p>She left her native country to pursue music by making the 1,200 mile journey across the Himalaya mountain range to Dharamsala, India on foot. Yungchen later settled in Australia, where her meditation prayers inspired her first album, appropriately titled Tibetan Prayer. The release won the Australian Recording Industry Award (ARIA) for Best World Music Album in 1995.</p><p>She signed with Peter Gabriel's Real World Records to release three more albums through 2006. Her fifth release, Tayatha, came out in 2013, featuring a collaboration with Russian classical pianist Anton Batagov.</p><p>Now setted in New York state, she released her sixth album, Awakening, on Six Degree Records, in 2022. </p><p>One Drop of Kindness, her seventh album, was released in 2023 on the Real World Records label, with guest artists and musicians Osher Levi, Norik Manukyan, Bob Bottjer, Ari Langer, Dr Eric, Jordan Anderson, and Christopher Krotke.</p><p>Yungchen has performed, acapella or accompanied, in venues as Carnegie Hall, New York, Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall, London, The Louvre, Paris, Philharmonic Hall, Berlin, and the Sydney Opera House, among others. She performed at the 1997 Lilith Fair festival, many WOMAD festivals, rock and benefit concerts. She has also contributed soundtracks to many films. </p><p>Check out the second single from One Drop of Kindness here:</p>
<iframe width="650" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_oAcc7LW1zs?si=HJ0dGBsvR4FEbFCG" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-74991378058290976272024-01-22T09:07:00.002-05:002024-01-22T09:08:23.816-05:00Thoughts On Culture | The Relentless Tyranny Of A Visual World <h1 style="text-align: left;">The Relentless Tyranny Of A Visual World </h1><p>I was a kid when the first Star Wars movie (the first, not, you know...) was released, and I will never forget that first time that Han Solo punched the Millennium Falcon into hyperspace. Even my excited child mind knew that it was Hollywood trickery, but I was completely enthralled.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKlfzxzWxFR7Xue-YQ2TOIrKNl3Fp1IE1MXaIfxGMP6OZnYSHy66UlH0F6CctgmRq35hel9vAtD7KtnGisT6mK5sWCrb2LLN1Q-Ks_iU7ytP8o_lHPRo_oFLS4zEl_UuMijRSpHNETJS8dQOVKlzsum9GQb-aeJ8-SBsnVvGZkKi5AgkwEBsPaSUXj5RC/s650/film-1668918_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKlfzxzWxFR7Xue-YQ2TOIrKNl3Fp1IE1MXaIfxGMP6OZnYSHy66UlH0F6CctgmRq35hel9vAtD7KtnGisT6mK5sWCrb2LLN1Q-Ks_iU7ytP8o_lHPRo_oFLS4zEl_UuMijRSpHNETJS8dQOVKlzsum9GQb-aeJ8-SBsnVvGZkKi5AgkwEBsPaSUXj5RC/s16000/film-1668918_640.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gerd Altmann from Pixabay/CC0C</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>My brain and my emotions were convinced</b>. That’s how movies work. We talk about the suspension of disbelief that’s necessary to the movie experience, but that suspension of disbelief works largely by one means: the visual. We’re hardwired to believe what our eyes see – no matter what we may know intellectually.</p><p>If it was something confined to movies and entertainment, it would be a tolerable situation, one without necessarily negative repercussions. </p><p>But of course it’s not. It’s the meanings and connotations they carry, and in a preponderance of them, what ideas they serve to perpetuate. It’s the way we’ve decided it’s okay to sell things, to influence public opinion, and in general, overwhelm almost any other consideration by making something look good. </p><p>It’s also about how we treat people, animals, and pretty much everything else. </p><p>And, it begs the question: how can we pretend to navigate the world with anything like rationality when we are, in fact, enslaved by our senses, which in turn, connect directly to our emotions?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5KmhRnyZu8-lWBKJgapeVKUl0OvUNTktuRl8_rF3THba-nQtECHhyphenhyphen2DPyzsVv3GqFdXVh1O_IA7H4BpFR24SOwxSN1SakY1fQB2EXUJv7xvA6OtlMk9W9Ur_ENrxia9Qd8EkuUHhS2ZI0XE2AcIakL1X_GHLNy73PVvHpSXWkiPpHbqvmJhVDit-teea/s650/frog-1347642_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5KmhRnyZu8-lWBKJgapeVKUl0OvUNTktuRl8_rF3THba-nQtECHhyphenhyphen2DPyzsVv3GqFdXVh1O_IA7H4BpFR24SOwxSN1SakY1fQB2EXUJv7xvA6OtlMk9W9Ur_ENrxia9Qd8EkuUHhS2ZI0XE2AcIakL1X_GHLNy73PVvHpSXWkiPpHbqvmJhVDit-teea/s16000/frog-1347642_640.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexa from Pixabay/CC0C</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">What do we see?</h3><p>Neuroscience says that what we think of as reality is, in fact, a product of our imagination. We think we know what we see based on sight and other sensory information, but who knows whether that actually represents objective physical reality? Our brains, on their own, manufacture alternate realities every time we dream. </p><p>Simply put, we use the same part of the brain to interpret all visual stimuli, whether that comes from inputs via our eyes, or from our imaginations. The processing goes on in the same place. That’s why both avenues of visual stimulation feel the same, and why we trust in what we see.</p><p>Science has also proven that we don’t actually see what we think we see to begin with. Our brains, in essence, scan the environment, and then fill in the blanks with what we expect to find. That’s why eye witness accounts are often so problematic and unreliable. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to edit your own writing.</p><p>Modern Hollywood film making is predicated on the dominance of image over, say, coherent storytelling (Ridley Scott and Prometheus, I’m most definitely looking at you). The multi-billion dollar success of that strategy is concrete evidence that the formula works. Essentially, they set up a series of big scenes, and then cobble together a bit of a story to take audiences from one to the next. While it’s on screen, we’re overwhelmed by the visual magic. We are completely roped in by what we see, and our brain blithely skips over logical fallacies. </p><p>But, I’ll point out that in the age of streaming, when it’s common to view movies multiple times, that magic does dissipate. Over time, those logical fallacies will loom larger and larger. It’s as if the pull of the visual can be diminished, but only by repeatedly and consciously noticing the flaws. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBlgvN31QTDCehJ6UMDmP3Ib5se9_oZ-LOSXBr97ek4hdvIQFhDX9pHPmaernZl5lFWrr29-h1AmEghz9hFo2CTKZy_n2KjYYOj1nYaLRojpeuImqWwuk1cjG3fr8LCR5C52xtLWDBL5nRBZhMGy3J9ihNBcuh0Qb79jiP2wzK9DHKVlpYRBzhWuIBaHd/s650/lipstick-1942172_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBlgvN31QTDCehJ6UMDmP3Ib5se9_oZ-LOSXBr97ek4hdvIQFhDX9pHPmaernZl5lFWrr29-h1AmEghz9hFo2CTKZy_n2KjYYOj1nYaLRojpeuImqWwuk1cjG3fr8LCR5C52xtLWDBL5nRBZhMGy3J9ihNBcuh0Qb79jiP2wzK9DHKVlpYRBzhWuIBaHd/s16000/lipstick-1942172_640.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CihanU44 from Pixabay/CC0C</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">It’s all about basic design principles</h3><p>On a personal level, I learned a great deal about the relationship between the most <b>basic visual design principles </b>and my acceptance in the broader world through modeling for artists – which includes sitting through years of art classes, and listening to many, many lectures about <b>design and colour theory</b>. It taught me that those involuntary responses to what we see affect people on a personal level.</p><p>Visual illusion is how painters create the illusion of space on a flat canvas. It’s all about how you create and play with emphasis, as well as emotions through colour.</p><p>When I began modeling for art classes, I had no experience (I lied about that), so I read up on it. What I read, as it turned out, was quite antiquated. Students were never to speak to models. Models were never to wear make-up or jewellery. I took that to heart at first, and so spent three to four days a week when I was working, for a period of those first several months, completely unadorned and wearing shapeless clothes.</p><p>My natural colouring is monochromatic. Like the Coldplay song, I’m kind of all yellow. Or, ivory, as makeup companies like to categorize my skin shade. But it’s not just my skin, it’s my hair, eyebrows – I even have flecks of yellow in my green eyes. (And green eyes are created by the presence of yellow lipochrome in the iris.) If you look at my face, you’d notice my nose, since it protrudes out at you.</p><p>After a few months of modeling completely au naturel, and navigating the world that way for most of my weeks, I began to feel somewhat invisible. It sounds strange to say that, on a podium where a circle of up to 30 people are staring at your naked form while they draw it. I felt like a lump of clay. A thing.</p><p>So, on days when I didn’t model, I became a bird of paradise – full make-up, jewellery, loads of colour. I hadn’t gone to that extent in cultivating my appearance since high school, and it had an extraordinary effect on the way people treated me. </p><p>Someone I’d known for a couple of years and saw regularly didn’t recognize me. And was suddenly very friendly.</p><p>When I wore certain shades of eye shadow, complete strangers would stop me in the street and mention my eyes. Every time.</p><p>Everyone was super friendly <b>when I wore pink</b>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjw90RzjXWmvCrF9dEP66VUNSLnu3dWAzE_PHzyzDhhlDPGpjX8myfliPt9cjj0k_Yr4uUKpGjY5QQs4jQtCbsYp0TjKdiE8n0lDuGumDegnWJ1Aj8bac4yWL1o9qwSm_FcxGEPRPS1HtkXfWgKtiz96cEsLcxd_Eld6IdDxLdYbAycZ9f5fzytXxMcom/s650/video-2562034_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjw90RzjXWmvCrF9dEP66VUNSLnu3dWAzE_PHzyzDhhlDPGpjX8myfliPt9cjj0k_Yr4uUKpGjY5QQs4jQtCbsYp0TjKdiE8n0lDuGumDegnWJ1Aj8bac4yWL1o9qwSm_FcxGEPRPS1HtkXfWgKtiz96cEsLcxd_Eld6IdDxLdYbAycZ9f5fzytXxMcom/s16000/video-2562034_640.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">StockSnap from Pixabay/CC0C</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was also writing as a freelancer at the time, and at one point, chasing down photographs for an art show I was covering. I’d contacted the person in charge of media at the art gallery in question several times, and he kept brushing me off. For two weeks, his answer was, “Come back in a couple of days…” Meanwhile, the show was obviously already open, and the timeliness of a review quickly dwindling away.</p><p>Then, one day I went into his office on my way home from running errands, on a day that I wasn’t modeling, and his eyes widened when he saw me. He was attentive, smiling, and look at that – he had the photographs right there in his desk drawer. </p><p>On the way out, and deeply puzzled by his about-face, I hit the ladies’ room. It was when I was staring into the mirror that it dawned on me. I was wearing make-up, dressed up, in full bloom as it were. </p><p>All of it is explainable by <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>visual design principles</b></span>.</p><p> • The eye is drawn to<b> the area of highest contrast </b>– making my eyes pop out instead of my nose, for example, when I wore eye shadow.</p><p> • Contrast can be created by light/dark, or by <b>complementary colours</b> – strangers freaked out over my eyes when I wore a purplish shadow with a lot of red in it, red being complementary to green.</p><p>If I, in my fair-skinned whiteness, experience the whims of others depending on what colours I wear, it throws the everyday effects of racial prejudice, which always has a visual component, into high relief. I learned that it was really quite easy for me to manipulate my image for the occasion; I could be either invisible or highly visible, accessible or inaccessible, at the whim of styling my wardrobe and make-up. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlmyRPIubnF27xWtqsKFiHveTX4XsKj9VavXedbWIwfkRzDnk7sW0cTLgwIAjqeEsqPbCFlXC1VPO_Alh5ltE1zhyphenhyphenYbInEmiJAqUKUQvgoSLgyXaa4hSHKJYWCHhj5CefqiSpsYWwZXpEBXbTVQv3s_kCrE9lykxSJNaE6nwPb6EiZc6GTgGfPdGD7qcH/s650/store-window-1532093_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlmyRPIubnF27xWtqsKFiHveTX4XsKj9VavXedbWIwfkRzDnk7sW0cTLgwIAjqeEsqPbCFlXC1VPO_Alh5ltE1zhyphenhyphenYbInEmiJAqUKUQvgoSLgyXaa4hSHKJYWCHhj5CefqiSpsYWwZXpEBXbTVQv3s_kCrE9lykxSJNaE6nwPb6EiZc6GTgGfPdGD7qcH/s16000/store-window-1532093_640.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PIRO from Pixabay/CC0C</td></tr></tbody></table><p>If my skin were Black, Brown, or otherwise non-beige, I wouldn’t have those options.</p><p>Modeling, and a very brief dip into acting, also allowed me to see objectively why I have been typecast by the world. I saw how other people see me, which is at odds with the way I see myself. According to Hollywood casting logic, I should be a teacher, somebody’s mother/sister/aunt. A second grade school teacher. Not the leading lady, not by any means. </p><p>So, I’ve had to cast myself, and there’s always been a degree of resistance.</p><p><b>It’s amazing that an industry that claims to be creative goes out of its way to regurgitate the same stereotypes over and over. </b>And again, when it comes to race, it’s so much worse than annoying. It’s about how very few positive portrayals of Blacks/Asians/Arabs/Muslims means that those populations encounter suspicion and hostility routinely from everyone from store clerks to police and the courts. </p><p>It works to perpetuate every bad stereotype. <b>Whatever you see often enough, you accept as true. </b>That’s a direct consequence of a culture where what we see is manipulated and modified on an ongoing basis. The more we go online, and certainly, in a metaverse universe, the more manipulation is possible.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What’s the alternative?</h3><p>One of the things I enjoyed most about teaching online is that it entirely removes the influence of appearance. Often, I don’t know what gender my students are, and it doesn’t matter – it shouldn’t matter anyway, but in any classroom, you can observe bias based on appearances at work.</p><p>After all – how do you choose a teapot? A dog? <b>By the way it looks.</b></p><p>Our response to what we see is involuntary to a large degree. It’s emotional, and not rational. So, what, if anything, can be done about the bias anyone who is sighted is subject to?</p><p>There’s education. Can we adequately prepare children for a world where they are led by what they see, even before they can formulate the analytical reason to really conceive of it? Perhaps the effects can at least be mitigated.</p><p>Can we ever get Hollywood to rethink the casting logic that is linked to racism, fatphobia, and ageism, and is locked into eurocentric beauty ideals? <b>Any kind of change in society will be hard to put into motion if our relentlessly visual media keeps throwing the same old ideas back at us.</b></p><p>In the real world, for example, murders are rare, yet about half the crimes we see committed on our favourite TV shows are murders. It persuades the general public that we live in a world that's more dangerous than it really is. What could happen? Increased military-style police budgets, perhaps?</p><p>Should manipulation by visual design be allowed if it’s in the service of influencing consumer demand? There is no real free will or caveat emptor when you don’t even know what to protect yourself against. Subliminal advertising has been around for decades. Why is that kind of unconscious manipulation legal? </p><p>Why are advertisers allowed to wield this weapon we have no defense against?</p><p>The best/worst part about this scenario is that we, as a society in North America, are both aware of this phenomenon, and in complete denial of it, all at the same time. We act as if we can trust our institutions to treat us impartially, and make “informed” consumer choices, and at the same time, insist that it’s necessary to wear uniforms, or adhere to dress codes – or get women to stop dressing so sexy if they don’t want all that attention. </p><p>It weighs heavily when it comes to gender and race discrimination. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Two dimensional</h3><p>Emphasizing the visual in our culture has fundamentally changed how we see ourselves.</p><p>Since the arrival of photography, then television, and then accelerated exponentially by the Internet, we’re constantly bombarded with images – two-dimensional images. If you were asked to think of an image of yourself, right this minute, chances are what you are thinking of is a two-dimensional image. It’s a posed picture, probably Photoshopped and filtered – the last one you uploaded to Instagram. </p><p>It’s kind of ironic that, in a visual culture, we’ve lost the very sense of what we actually look like. </p>
<iframe width="650" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLEC4NlduLY?si=Givcer1MpwDFuC1d" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-57764875971777000452023-12-12T16:06:00.007-05:002023-12-12T21:43:28.914-05:00Documentary Feature | The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ Directed by John Bolton Available To Stream December 14 2023<h1 style="text-align: left;">Documentary Feature<br />The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ<br />Directed by John Bolton</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://watch.telusoriginals.com/ " target="_blank"><b>Stream It Free Online From December 14</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>A new opera film will take the work of pioneering Canadian composer Barbara Pentland and bring it into the 21st century. Pentland wrote the opera The Lake in 1952 about the Syilx people of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, and their first contact with settlers. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kAko_hRlUA_RqFoNALO49OHRLQtI0pv-bEeRNmYNYNHVYQN5vUwIfbmupHuX3GaGfzLWixMy8fbfBJqM-35UbZ3G_lmWaD94_GatsEICYrEPuwn0DAivyKC2cJRiXHTVV2vY_hiNQCeSDbaV2TwSdTiBsclR_9SNWcEbp3LTdAb9jZSeR4gGwGxxuDpO/s650/Lake%20Heather%20Delphine%20Corinne%20(2)%20Dance%20CROPPED.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kAko_hRlUA_RqFoNALO49OHRLQtI0pv-bEeRNmYNYNHVYQN5vUwIfbmupHuX3GaGfzLWixMy8fbfBJqM-35UbZ3G_lmWaD94_GatsEICYrEPuwn0DAivyKC2cJRiXHTVV2vY_hiNQCeSDbaV2TwSdTiBsclR_9SNWcEbp3LTdAb9jZSeR4gGwGxxuDpO/s16000/Lake%20Heather%20Delphine%20Corinne%20(2)%20Dance%20CROPPED.jpg" title="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The new project is said to be the first Canadian opera shot specifically as a film. It spotlights Westbank First Nation elder and artist Delphine Derickson, and award-winning Canadian soprano Heather Pawsey, who worked together over two years to create a film out of the opera that was never staged during Pentland's lifetime.</p><p>The TELUS original documentary feature The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ will be available on December 14th to audiences across Canada free on demand and online worldwide <a href="https://watch.telusoriginals.com/ " target="_blank">at this link</a>. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The story of an opera… </h3><p>The new version incorporates the perspectives and culture of the Syilx people. More than just the story of how an opera was adapted, the film becomes a story about the friendship between Heather Pawsey of Astrolabe Musik Theatre, and Delphine Derickson of Westbank First Nation.</p><p>It combines Indigenous and non-Indigenous storytelling, music and dance, some from the original productions, along with an honest oral history of the ups and downs of the project. </p><p>Essentially, as the materials state, it's a film about what can be possible when people truly listen to each other.</p><p>True reconciliation isn’t just lip service or social media posts. It’s looking to try and redress the wrongs of the past as we acknowledge the First Nations culture and society today.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDyjHo0GqQpEsZuatsYt32LwJhTgca7qH2fQGWXJj3chhgb37jZ0_IqvKp10VwuIDvFoYByX_E9lOSRmBnTFbxjxSRhSDZRd1EDNRxEZnx7Z8hTjM8jpIzUfEAq96FnTxUURnbMWPgWGD8WXIaggO4v0Fab6bvBcBL60AfOR9zU_iIwlNII0v-lDNQ5Ru/s650/Lake%20Susan%20John%20Mac%20Marie%20(3)%20Allison%20House.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDyjHo0GqQpEsZuatsYt32LwJhTgca7qH2fQGWXJj3chhgb37jZ0_IqvKp10VwuIDvFoYByX_E9lOSRmBnTFbxjxSRhSDZRd1EDNRxEZnx7Z8hTjM8jpIzUfEAq96FnTxUURnbMWPgWGD8WXIaggO4v0Fab6bvBcBL60AfOR9zU_iIwlNII0v-lDNQ5Ru/s16000/Lake%20Susan%20John%20Mac%20Marie%20(3)%20Allison%20House.jpg" title="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Director John Bolton</h3><p><b>Why did you take on the project? Can you give an overview of how that story of making the opera became a compelling piece in itself?</b></p><p>"The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ —like my previous hybrid documentary Aim For The Roses (about the album by Mark Haney), and like my forthcoming hybrid documentary King Arthur’s Night (about the medieval musical play by James Long, Marcus Youssef, Niall McNeil and Veda Hille) —is a film about a work of art, as well as an adaptation of a work of art. In all three cases, I found the backstories just as interesting as the stories, and I felt inspired to explore the parallels between the creators and their creations.</p><p>"The biggest difference The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ and the other two projects is that my subjects —Delphine Derickson, of Westbank First Nation and Heather Pawsey, of Astrolabe Music Theatre —approached me about making a movie about their collaboration, not the other way around. I already had a relationship with Heather (we’d wanted to work together for a while), but I didn’t have a relationship with Delphine, so I (along with Heather) took a trip to Westbank First Nation to meet her.</p><p>"The more time I spent with Delphine and Heather, the more I realized that this was really a story of a friendship, and if I focused on that, I’d figure out how to make the rest of the film, which is indeed what happened.I’ll admit that there were times when I wondered if I —as a non-Indigenous filmmaker —was the right person for the job, but Delphine gave me the most incredible encouragement and support throughout. Looking back, I feel less like I was invited to make a movie, and more like I was invited to participate in a cross-cultural collaboration that had been happening for a long time, and that continues to this day." </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsasDFIrK9UgkCcRZ_abiX4wOh2SUNRtyQP0vZnZV47fqabwr-Z7SH5SMyu0CzSVF3BUUjdWJ7w_FnTyYpPGQwRzZigFUtvnEQN_Q19ApiXFCFYYRTLdxdXbtiMwJznYucqPSUK6FB0JLEdl4i8gu4ztFYixNQBvVYwU0wGAolHMyQVHVwONfbNBVTN9V/s650/Lake%20Heather%20Delphine%20Interview.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsasDFIrK9UgkCcRZ_abiX4wOh2SUNRtyQP0vZnZV47fqabwr-Z7SH5SMyu0CzSVF3BUUjdWJ7w_FnTyYpPGQwRzZigFUtvnEQN_Q19ApiXFCFYYRTLdxdXbtiMwJznYucqPSUK6FB0JLEdl4i8gu4ztFYixNQBvVYwU0wGAolHMyQVHVwONfbNBVTN9V/s16000/Lake%20Heather%20Delphine%20Interview.jpg" title="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Q&A with Heather & Delphine</h3><p><b>What drew you to this particular work?</b></p><p><b>Heather:</b> It found me. I knew from the moment I opened the score of The Lake that it was a work I was going to have a long and close relationship with—though I could never have imagined that it was going to be this long and this close!</p><p><b>What is the story behind reviving Barbara Pentland’s opera? I’ve read that Heather has been involved since its overdue live premiere in 2014 (at least)> Why is it important to present this work?</b></p><p><b>Heather:</b> I found the score for The Lake at the Canadian Music Centre, BC region in 1995 when I was looking for an aria from a Canadian opera to sing in the Eckhardt-Gramatée National Music Competition. I discovered that the opera was a true story that had happened in BC’s Okanagan Valley in the 1870s; that it was the only opera that Barbara Pentland had composed; and that it had never been performed. Barbara Pentland is one of Canada’s most important composers, and had been a strong advocate at a time when women weren’t taken seriously as composers. At the beginning, it was important to me to produce the opera to honour Barbara, her work, her advocacy, and her musical legacy. Of course, the project turned into something much, much more …</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLxjxiEGu7L-Q5Zmf33OrmTiKRnLrrHjLI2qg67gOGHJXrySoUL_uwF8WFZ2SwZN8tCp9tD7ndfVAgvD5Rh4wdussZ3kE96ICthJHvKZqBN6sIzH4ItuJUrnCMlUWZYZlDEiLwFvPL_6h3npmlk6APi10aGSQ2VLtUJUTG_1KzD7aJcSWxYGhR8uwvT80/s650/Lake%20Susan%20John%20Mac%20Marie%20(2)%20Bluff.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLxjxiEGu7L-Q5Zmf33OrmTiKRnLrrHjLI2qg67gOGHJXrySoUL_uwF8WFZ2SwZN8tCp9tD7ndfVAgvD5Rh4wdussZ3kE96ICthJHvKZqBN6sIzH4ItuJUrnCMlUWZYZlDEiLwFvPL_6h3npmlk6APi10aGSQ2VLtUJUTG_1KzD7aJcSWxYGhR8uwvT80/s16000/Lake%20Susan%20John%20Mac%20Marie%20(2)%20Bluff.jpg" title="The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ (Still courtesy of TELUS Originals)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>The 1950s were not known for informed representation of First Nations peoples or culture. Would I be correct in assuming the First Nations characters and culture in Dorothy Livesay’s libretto are somewhat problematic?</b></p><p><b>Delphine:</b> We don’t sacrifice animals; we don’t throw pigs and chickens into the water. We don’t do a ceremony; we never held a ceremony at the lakeshore or, if our ancestors did, it would be private, sacred.</p><p><b>Heather:</b> Dorothy Livesay wrote her libretto based on the memoirs of Susan Allison, the protagonist of the opera and first settler in what is now West Kelowna. A Métis character in the opera, Johnny MacDougall, was a real person, who built Susan and John Allison’s house at Sunnyside Ranch. How he is portrayed in the opera — as a friend and source of knowledge about the syilx/Okanagan culture — is not necessarily how he was viewed by the syilx/Okanagan people then or now.</p><p><b>Does the story change, or is it essentially the same tale of the syilx people and first settlers in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley?</b></p><p><b>Delphine:</b> I don’t think it changed. The only thing that changed was including people of today, who are alive, with their culture. </p><p><b>Heather: </b>Delphine and I created a scene where an Indigenous woman and a settler woman meet, not knowing each other’s languages or cultures, and they reach out and try to communicate, try to build a bridge.</p><p><b>Delphine:</b> Heather and I role-modelled how we can work together. It doesn’t matter about our backgrounds, what colour skin we are or our culture, or whatever —we modelled that we can work together.</p><p><b>How does Ogopogo fit into the story? What is its significance in syilx culture?</b></p><p><b>Heather:</b> nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ is what Susan Allison believed she saw on that stormy day in 1873. The original opera is her telling her story of that sighting</p><p><b>Delphine:</b> nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ is part of our history. It’s part of who we are as sqílxʷ people.</p>
<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/698936707?h=dbb18d2665" width="640"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/698936707">The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ - Excerpts</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/opus59films">Opus 59 Films</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-85067023766257897252023-12-05T22:34:00.006-05:002023-12-05T22:35:19.244-05:00Maasaï Dance In The Contemporary World | dance Immersion presents Kenya’s Fernando Anuang’a<p><i>With material from a media release</i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Maasaï Dance In The Contemporary World<br />dance Immersion presents Kenya’s Fernando Anuang’a<br />January 19 & 20, 2023 in Toronto</h1><p><i><b>He'll also be teaching workshops on January 16 & 17</b></i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Get <a href="https://theatrecentre.org/event/traditional-future/" target="_blank">Tickets Here</a></b></li></ul><p></p><p>Toronto's dance Immersion presents Kenya’s Fernando Anuang’a performing his contemporary Maasaï dance solo TRADITIONAL FUTURE in its North American premiere. The performances take place January 19 & 20, and will include an artist talk.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVcJcpLe0F7RL1Xgf_b7HrzGwt5PlGzfJRu3zZcveuIyi8GvssYth2hN4qiF2t1JB76IfrAk2r6I9y8cVtdt_1EiavEXYLwUkyO105QmWMYAE7hIPfVAPW8p-7HHFKBHXae0xtnXQDOi3oUP4TnP0hgVDy37NVk_4APZth37CC0Q8w47GSwJrVQV7cMhj/s650/Fernando%20Anuanga.jpg"><img alt="Fernando Anuang’a" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVcJcpLe0F7RL1Xgf_b7HrzGwt5PlGzfJRu3zZcveuIyi8GvssYth2hN4qiF2t1JB76IfrAk2r6I9y8cVtdt_1EiavEXYLwUkyO105QmWMYAE7hIPfVAPW8p-7HHFKBHXae0xtnXQDOi3oUP4TnP0hgVDy37NVk_4APZth37CC0Q8w47GSwJrVQV7cMhj/s16000/Fernando%20Anuanga.jpg" title="Fernando Anuang’a" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fernando Anuang’a (Photo courtesy of the artist)</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Dancer/Choreogrpher Fernando Anuang’a</h3><p>Fernando Anuang’a began his journey into dance in 1990 as a member of the renowned Rarewatts Maasaï dancers in Kenya. He drew inspiration from Maasaï traditional dance, which is combined with song. With it, he created a unique dance language that blends the traditional with contemporary dance.</p><p>Self-taught to that point, he attended masterclasses with choreographer Carolyn Carlson to further his skills. </p><p>His dance career has taken him from Kenya to France, where he performed his solo dance works at the National Dance Center of Angelin PRELJOCAJ – Pavillon Noir in France and the Centre Chorégraphique National of Carolyn CARLSON, Colisée in Roubaix.</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Edrt58mzFrs?si=YFyP5E30LGGkQzQC" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe> <div><br /></div><div>Fernando Anuang’a has choreographed and performed his work throughout Africa, Europe and Asia. He'll be making his North American premiere in Toronto.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Fernando worked on his piece “Traditional Future” at renowned choreographer Wayne MacGregor's studio AKILI in LAMU, produced by Pierre Cardin. The premiere performance was staged at Musée du Quai Branly in Paris and Espace Cardin, in 2011. </div><div><br /></div><div>In it, Fernando explores the question: How do we evolve tradition toward modernity without obliterating its tracks, without betraying one’s roots?</div><div><br /></div><div>Bringing Maasaï dance into the 21st century with integrity is his passion. The image of the Maasaï jump tradition has been exploited; Fernando’s practice instead infuses this cultural vertical energy with evolving Maasaï undulation gestures. TRADITIONAL FUTURE was the third solo piece he choreographed. In it, he stays loyal to the Moran (Maasaï warrior) tradition as a symbolic root, while finding a deeper energy and more liberating form of self-expression to bring the tradition into the future.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Traditional Future Credits</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Performer, Choreographer & Soundscape Designer: Fernando Anuang’a</li><li>Music: Traditional Maasaï vocals with contemporary soundscape</li><li>Toronto Presentation: dance Immersion</li><li>Production Manager: Charissa Wilcox</li><li>Stage Manager: Patricia Anuang’a</li><li>Technical Crew & Box Office: The Theatre Centre</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1VeGPbXDuuDcZMCJYoEiXWPd3GFHm9V29zPTLRswxg1uLoHmtTStG3xELAYrUMojIXTAVlZmNjbPBh_d2ZGiPn8qOqihug2wun2yXBTElhw92-Xv37XMX5UnZFUHF7G7RNtLSXMSJ8_vP_rsX2dJaqLRmZvx2s-g5dvI3c-2wQA-PHU82RMy_1HimaFs/s650/Fernando%20Anuanga%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fernando Anuang’a" border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1VeGPbXDuuDcZMCJYoEiXWPd3GFHm9V29zPTLRswxg1uLoHmtTStG3xELAYrUMojIXTAVlZmNjbPBh_d2ZGiPn8qOqihug2wun2yXBTElhw92-Xv37XMX5UnZFUHF7G7RNtLSXMSJ8_vP_rsX2dJaqLRmZvx2s-g5dvI3c-2wQA-PHU82RMy_1HimaFs/s16000/Fernando%20Anuanga%202.jpg" title="Fernando Anuang’a" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernando Anuang’a (Photo courtesy of the artist)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Performances</h3></div><div>Venue -The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St W, Toronto, ON</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, January 19, 2024:</div><div>Pre-Show Reception – 7:15 PM</div><div>Performance & Artist Talk – 8:00 PM</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, January 20, 2024:</div><div>Performance & Artist Talk – 8:00 PM</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Get tickets <a href="https://theatrecentre.org/event/traditional-future/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.</li></ul></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Workshops – Dance with Fernando!</h3><div>Learn Contemporary Maasaï dance with Kenya’s Fernando Anuang’a.</div><div><br /></div><div>Workshops will take place at Canada’s National Ballet School – Studio 4D – 400 Jarvis St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G6</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Master Class for Advanced Dancers </b></div><div>Tuesday, January 16, 2024</div><div>1:00 – 4:00pm [3 hours]</div><div>$30</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Beginner/Open Level Class</b></div><div>Tuesday, January 16, 2024</div><div>7:00 – 9:00pm [2 hours]</div><div>$20</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Click <a href="https://form.jotform.com/233344964847064" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> to register for the workshops.</li></ul></div><div><i>From a performance at La Réunion for Souffle Danse ton océan Festival 26 Nov 2023</i>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1BXn5f_pjo?si=gy0V8gsFmaIOAE9S" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe></div></div>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-32163940666746132832023-11-26T18:28:00.005-05:002023-11-26T18:29:14.037-05:00Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG — dances for a sacred season December 8 to 10<p><i>From a media release</i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents<br />WINTERSONG — dances for a sacred season<br />December 8 to 10 at Harbourfront Toronto</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://harbourfrontcentre.com/event/wintersong/" target="_blank"><b>Get Tickets Here</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p><b>NOVEMBER 2023 (Toronto) -</b> Celebrating 35 years of illuminating the solstice through dance, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG—dances for a sacred season. Featuring a World Premiere by Hanna Kiel, plus works by Jera Wolfe, Santee Smith, Carol Anderson and Colin Connor, WINTERSONG warms the hearts of family audiences with a breathtaking tapestry of seasonal dance inspired by the world’s rich solstice traditions.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCXWFrVrIey394mW3QL45gdmMIoDCbIy8wdnSxUANYJkogpFSPLpU-5EYq7pINynjP0E6XJzzvRQjEjU47x3qFMU-bHj-oHtjPDjSd9kTg40CMrXKgjQNP7uI6lmQ0OGtti4mTLmgZjlCSpkvY6X76KhL8a2dbKeOjpkWohsJDZXGl7jzsWgWbQI0C3FT/s650/Wintersong%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCXWFrVrIey394mW3QL45gdmMIoDCbIy8wdnSxUANYJkogpFSPLpU-5EYq7pINynjP0E6XJzzvRQjEjU47x3qFMU-bHj-oHtjPDjSd9kTg40CMrXKgjQNP7uI6lmQ0OGtti4mTLmgZjlCSpkvY6X76KhL8a2dbKeOjpkWohsJDZXGl7jzsWgWbQI0C3FT/s16000/Wintersong%205.jpg" title="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre is a Toronto based repertory company of exceptional next-generation artists founded in 1980 by Artistic Director Deborah Lundmark and Managing Director Michael deConinck Smith. Highlights include appearances at Toronto’s Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra Theatres, five invitations to the Canada Dance Festival and tours to Singapore, Malaysia, China, Scotland and NYC. CCDT has been featured at Fall For Dance North, Toronto’s premiere international dance festival, and Harbourfront Centre’s inaugural International Junior Festival. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiKetOOflfNZkfBj90c29IU03aIAIZS6oeE6feSgW_NT0nKPUSXnV4X0LdQgK9df3WmgjHqYeArH5sPYR1qD8iFXmXSBonm6bDXG5cFJdRorI3w4TzBbR8tRvaV_OyP17obyJERnDstd65RnKUBMm8ZJdr2MfLe13aUNbh5nNPmWAuf6Um2FdQJ8_rFDx/s975/Wintersong%20-%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiKetOOflfNZkfBj90c29IU03aIAIZS6oeE6feSgW_NT0nKPUSXnV4X0LdQgK9df3WmgjHqYeArH5sPYR1qD8iFXmXSBonm6bDXG5cFJdRorI3w4TzBbR8tRvaV_OyP17obyJERnDstd65RnKUBMm8ZJdr2MfLe13aUNbh5nNPmWAuf6Um2FdQJ8_rFDx/s16000/Wintersong%20-%205.jpg" title="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"> The Programme </h2><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Sonata of Shadows (World Premiere)—Choreography by Hanna Kiel</h3><p><b>Music by Adam Campbell</b></p><p>“This composition delves into the aftermath of the solstice, examining its connection to our lives and the lessons we derive from it. There are moments when it feels like this darkness will never dissipate. However, as in the natural cycle, daylight inevitably returns. This piece explores the profound nuances of these dark moments, delving into the feeling that they might persist indefinitely.” —Hanna Kiel</p><p>Hanna Kiel is a Dora award winner, a founder and artistic director of Human Body Expression, and a resident choreographer at Canada’s Ballet Jorgen.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVg_0BAtE9YN0W5ANvF2BkkW7wWMKcfRCFsCrJWKwiTojEHiC141E9cAcvq-C0Se0M7P-KxeTjv_PVSJqf6RnhkgPoMjH2wUkZQTzQuKiKnwh43VHhv8LhX4Xh2RSNApwEDrJcErQgX4Sko7ih5TZEBzYDU0OIcGaHKX4GNT1gxTC-uglWJcV4p-c9fdR/s650/Wintersong%20-%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVg_0BAtE9YN0W5ANvF2BkkW7wWMKcfRCFsCrJWKwiTojEHiC141E9cAcvq-C0Se0M7P-KxeTjv_PVSJqf6RnhkgPoMjH2wUkZQTzQuKiKnwh43VHhv8LhX4Xh2RSNApwEDrJcErQgX4Sko7ih5TZEBzYDU0OIcGaHKX4GNT1gxTC-uglWJcV4p-c9fdR/s16000/Wintersong%20-%201.jpg" title="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Star Dreamer (2011)—Choreography by Santee Smith</h3><p><b>Music by Cris Derksen</b></p><p>“Star Dreamer celebrates the traditional story of the Seven Dancers and significance of the Pleiades to the Iroquoian Midwinter Ceremonies. During the winter solstice Shooting Star dreams the Seven Dancers into existence. Dancing and swirling in unison, they transform into the brightest stars in the sky while he falls back to Earth.” —Santee Smith</p><p>Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa is a multidisciplinary artist and the founder and artistic director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xnbNujGb9NdjR9FABFRe39GncLXvnuR3Np8sJI1KDTMf0b8wr5QZkQxRSiJVkunVw8DPuaDxCuYlA4eg4_PVP0uQ2i-yEbWNs62RCO2s-WXE5s69Rwe0JnHNbEKeM7cubY3gV8rSMXNpo0NN-9E6kzzMzZIau07acTFiSlCpC6Tj_PAJO0pOiBb7baKk/s650/Wintersong%20-%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xnbNujGb9NdjR9FABFRe39GncLXvnuR3Np8sJI1KDTMf0b8wr5QZkQxRSiJVkunVw8DPuaDxCuYlA4eg4_PVP0uQ2i-yEbWNs62RCO2s-WXE5s69Rwe0JnHNbEKeM7cubY3gV8rSMXNpo0NN-9E6kzzMzZIau07acTFiSlCpC6Tj_PAJO0pOiBb7baKk/s16000/Wintersong%20-%202.jpg" title="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Embers (2019)—Choreography by Jera Wolfe</h3><p><b>Music by Luke Howard, Lior, Shards</b></p><p>“When I think about the winter solstice I am taken to my time spent in Winnipeg. I remember the cold winters that brought me and others together. We would gather together indoors to stay warm. We would eat, play music and enjoy each other’s company. It was the warmth of us coming together that brought comfort to the harsh and unforgiving winters.” — Jera Wolfe</p><p>Jera Wolfe is a Dora award winner whose choreographic credits include the National Ballet of Canada, Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, and Red Sky Performance.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ9F4Z39eKJ-cGgHSvA9kvmgA0q5hRqgQPAIDUHJRL_KG6LpQZ3KJ9gWd6oN2RwnqDOhoEo67KL8KsyFeuI2JeDSIfiTSSsxHjBnNxb4XljilQveT7w1t2Or1PETHqRXvonDvw6INfkCa-uzEoTY_8PenVdb2KC4Gff6EZZY2xDMr3yDXNO1aOnuLOnxk/s650/Wintersong%20-%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ9F4Z39eKJ-cGgHSvA9kvmgA0q5hRqgQPAIDUHJRL_KG6LpQZ3KJ9gWd6oN2RwnqDOhoEo67KL8KsyFeuI2JeDSIfiTSSsxHjBnNxb4XljilQveT7w1t2Or1PETHqRXvonDvw6INfkCa-uzEoTY_8PenVdb2KC4Gff6EZZY2xDMr3yDXNO1aOnuLOnxk/s16000/Wintersong%20-%203.jpg" title="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">THAW (2022)—Choreography by Colin Connor</h3><p><b>Music by Patrick Grant</b></p><p>“THAW is a celebration of ice thawing and changing into rushing Spring rivers. It is also a celebration of these young dancers finally emerging from the cold of pandemic distance and isolation into the warmth of closeness and being truly with each other again.” —Colin Connor</p><p>Colin Connor is an award-winning choreographer and former artistic director of the American legacy José Limón Dance Company.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fwj84IgjuxWHoh9aHGc4wce_ZPz6ifyCfyMA_oGEt8AYWqyaRmGAbcLukgwyR3g-i-DXVn4bwpRB4XXpxOJTcPtvu2A5NkCEbZ9bCtDvffrFCneyjZ3_HwgnYGji_SvqQeAPQ7OjrJnLYQKVUzQQl1GbGF1nwv3NJURbAw9yMofX93dhaVTD9iJAP3pJ/s650/Wintersong%20-%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fwj84IgjuxWHoh9aHGc4wce_ZPz6ifyCfyMA_oGEt8AYWqyaRmGAbcLukgwyR3g-i-DXVn4bwpRB4XXpxOJTcPtvu2A5NkCEbZ9bCtDvffrFCneyjZ3_HwgnYGji_SvqQeAPQ7OjrJnLYQKVUzQQl1GbGF1nwv3NJURbAw9yMofX93dhaVTD9iJAP3pJ/s16000/Wintersong%20-%204.jpg" title="Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre presents WINTERSONG (Photo: David Hou)</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Nowell Sing We (1988)—Choreography by Carol Anderson </h3><p><b>Music by Kirk Elliott </b></p><p>Driven by the celebratory briskness of medieval carols arranged by Kirk Elliott, Nowell Sing We sets two-dimensional imagery – familiar from medieval art – into motion. Since its creation in 1988 for the inaugural WinterSong, every CCDT company member has danced in this piece. </p><p>A founding member and Artistic Director of Dancemakers, Carol Anderson subsequently went on to create ten works for CCDT as the company’s most prolific guest artist. She is a celebrated writer on the subject of Canadian dance and recipient of the Dance Ontario Award.</p>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-89501276230594974782023-11-26T17:59:00.002-05:002023-11-26T18:34:25.115-05:00Indie Pop Q&A: Sharl<h1 style="text-align: left;">Indie Pop Q&A: Sharl</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Stream the album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7LFAKql5sW3EhywQRtX0ce?si=PKYvNZoJQQm94Es_beMF5Q" target="_blank">Clichés on Spotify HERE</a></b></li></ul><p></p><p>Australian-born, and now based in London, pop artist Sharl is a classically trained musician turned pop songsmith. Her music combines upbeat electro pop with lyrics that come from the heart.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIy02Vao-VPzOCVjyh7iVmP2VwBMysHUS-0EIynFNh-gTBfkOP2iBEVdz_fe6cg7sRQpua3PGhEAunX59KcSkiYpxrNWJNtDLFjbocoDEEPQb2vr1vDxQ0dxGYOsem0j-F8iLqPs99rXqW3XEHCZTOimVpIjEm_INEKlbE7WLt_7A4Feiekh2qfQ96MtY/s770/Sharl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sharl - Photo Credit: Josh Fahmi" border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIy02Vao-VPzOCVjyh7iVmP2VwBMysHUS-0EIynFNh-gTBfkOP2iBEVdz_fe6cg7sRQpua3PGhEAunX59KcSkiYpxrNWJNtDLFjbocoDEEPQb2vr1vDxQ0dxGYOsem0j-F8iLqPs99rXqW3XEHCZTOimVpIjEm_INEKlbE7WLt_7A4Feiekh2qfQ96MtY/s16000/Sharl.jpg" title="Sharl - Photo Credit: Josh Fahmi" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharl - Photo Credit: Josh Fahmi</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Her debut music video has won film festival awards, and she's an avid advocate for Asian representation in the music industry.</p><p>I asked her a few questions after the release of her debut album Clichés. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>How did you get your start in music? When did you know it was something you wanted to pursue?</b></h4><p>Music was a huge part of my life since a young age, I learned the piano and violin starting at the age of 3 and quickly fell in love with many genres of music which came to shape my influences today. Pop music was my ultimate passion throughout my teenage years and I was fascinated by the recording process. I happened to sign to a small local indie label and that gave me the opportunity to start making my own original music professionally. This was years ago and I now work independently which is great to have total creative freedom.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>I can hear a number of influences in your new single - the classical music you studied, also the classic orchestral pop of the 1970s, K-pop - how did you come up with your musical style? </b><b>What are/were your musical inspirations?</b></h4><p>Those are all inspirations and I think they have subconsciously shaped what comes out when I write, especially melodically. I’ve always admired Taylor Swift’s songwriting and ability to capture a picture and emotions through her lyrics. I also love production which captures the essence of a mood itself so I am also inspired by different sounds and beats.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Do you have a favourite (or maybe more than one) current music artist? What kind of music do you listen to?</b></h4><p>Right now I’ve been listening to Larissa Lambert and loving the laid-back, chill sweet RnB sound. I’m usually into all kinds of pop, electropop and RnB influenced music though.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>There is a huge pop industry in Korea and through Asia, with only a few of the top artists making internationally. At the same time, there is little representation for any Asian artists outside of Asia. What reason do you think there is for that imbalance?</b></h4><p>I think it’s a mixture of fewer Asian people pursuing that path, and lack of support for it.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>How important is representation in pop culture?</b></h4><p>It’s incredibly important as representation across media pervades every aspect of our culture, what people believe and how they behave.</p><p>Lack of diversity means that opportunities are restricted for groups of people. There can be bias against them, and they may be unable to reach their full potential or live in the way which would be most authentic to them.</p><p>So I hope to see strong representation across all groups in pop culture in the future and the world certainly looks like it’s made great movement in this direction already.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Stay In Touch:</h3><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sharlmusic/">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharlmusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/sharlmusic" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li></ul>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jZH8FvmwRs?si=_yCYbxxazloY-Dq5" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-62981521577493438232023-10-22T20:58:00.005-04:002023-10-22T21:59:54.658-04:00Neoclassical | Cellist Ian Maksin's New Album Amor Renatus (Rebith of Love) & North American Tour<h1 style="text-align: left;">Neoclassical<br />Cellist Ian Maksin: Amor Renatus (Rebith of Love)<br />(October 10, 2023 / Independent)<br />& North American Tour</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://ianmaksin.com/music" target="_blank">Stream/Download The Album</a></b></li><li><a href="https://ianmaksin.com/tour" target="_blank"><b>Find Tour Dates & Tickets</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>If music has healing properties, it's what the world needs most. That's the message of cellist and composer Ian Maksin.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1JG9goD9yKaXg7OfbIglAShgaJmfUCgUtZCKvhkrKYxZrXZSxWfI7Chf619SQ2K5UAWwzkAh-rv50vn5EqFlu9uygi-lpH3MebWCWtvzqWwD7xwosB_ks2_NA4GH9ugmTiASihu7TIl1XA1hjK-6SX0x-LhO07PWlzLErcWvCTDg3iMI77yMoa8aq2r7/s650/Ian%20Maskin%20AMor%20REnatus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1JG9goD9yKaXg7OfbIglAShgaJmfUCgUtZCKvhkrKYxZrXZSxWfI7Chf619SQ2K5UAWwzkAh-rv50vn5EqFlu9uygi-lpH3MebWCWtvzqWwD7xwosB_ks2_NA4GH9ugmTiASihu7TIl1XA1hjK-6SX0x-LhO07PWlzLErcWvCTDg3iMI77yMoa8aq2r7/s16000/Ian%20Maskin%20AMor%20REnatus.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Speaking on the album, Ian Maksin shares, “AMOR RENATUS is a reflection on the tragic ongoing events in Ukraine, Middle East, and other parts of the world. It delves deep into the darkest recesses of the human soul, unearthing a myriad of feelings universal to all wars: grief, indignation, fear, and despair. </p><p>“As the journey continues, the music guides the listener through a path to redemption and a spiritual transformation, allowing them to ultimately find peace, comfort, and empowerment. As artists, we are fortunate to have music as the most powerful means of emotional healing and be able to offer it as medicine for the soul to the listener as well.”</p><p>The pieces are written for cello enhanced with a loop pedal and electronics. Percussion rounds out the sound on some of the tracks, including a Mongolian frame drum and West African djembe. </p><p>When he tours, it's much more than scheduled performances. He's travelled with other musicians he's met along the way, participated in spontaneous jams, and raised money for charity.</p><p>A portion of the proceeds from his will be directed to For Wellbeing, a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian aid in the regions of Ukraine most affected by war. Maksin has been supporting this charitable organization since March 2022 as part of his Cello for Peace tour of over 200 concerts in North America and Europe. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFuDMA5NYyOCooiWNNhpzlvWnjhliNdSbt286CewOI8TJIWw9aMLhfUl1d3fUwLIjRMaByNHsqi3NIX9dbitobN6l8-b0w6AVa65jSMuhVl17gxq3KoVU1b9lgiCT-ZFOnyvZcJk3ITy35HTdZytImRE1_YFvl0uG4vXHMFp7OCcJk0fQz9-StB7rEcqN/s650/Ian%20Maskin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ian Maskin" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFuDMA5NYyOCooiWNNhpzlvWnjhliNdSbt286CewOI8TJIWw9aMLhfUl1d3fUwLIjRMaByNHsqi3NIX9dbitobN6l8-b0w6AVa65jSMuhVl17gxq3KoVU1b9lgiCT-ZFOnyvZcJk3ITy35HTdZytImRE1_YFvl0uG4vXHMFp7OCcJk0fQz9-StB7rEcqN/s16000/Ian%20Maskin.jpg" title="Ian Maskin" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian Maksin</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ian Maksin</h3><p>A cellist, composer and singer who can perform in more than 30 languages, Ian Maksin has been travelling and touring, and that has resulted in new music. His music combines different genres, contemporary and traditional modes, taking inspiration from the music of the world. </p><p>Ian was born in Leningrad to a multinational family, and he began to play guitar and piano at 3. By 6, he was studying the cello at the School for Gifted Children in Moscow. At 16, he continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. </p><p>His path initially seemed set for a conventional career in Western classical music, and he worked within the genre for several years, including a three-year stint with the New World Symphony in Miami. He eventually decided to branch out into everything from rock and blues to jazz and global beats. </p><p>Ian turns his diverse experiences in performing into compositions that blend all his influences into a unique style. He sings in Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, English, Farsi, Armenian, French, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew, Mongolian, and Bambara, among others. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Album</h3><p>The album consists of a Prologue in four acts, Requiem (also four), Epilogue in three movements, and Postlude. If you had to put it all under one umbrella, these days, you'd call it neoclassical.</p><p>The Prologue begins with a plaintive and contemplative mood. His music is melodic and expressive, modern, yet timeless. I'm reminded of the music of the Impressionists, late Romanticism - let's say late 19th to early 20th century. By the final movement, it's a playful tango-esque piece.</p><p>As it progresses from movement to movement, the music seems to gather strength. The tech he uses produces a full and seamless sound that ranges from a solo voice to accompaniment in two or more parts. </p><p>The Requiem is perfect Halloween listening, from the whirling melody of the first movement, Requiem Aeternum, to the Mediterranean influences of Tube Mirum, the second, the cinematic scope of Dies Irae (with its eerie harmonics), and strongly rhythmic.</p><p>The Epilogue is more sombre in tone, with droning electronics underneath an affective cello melody. It's thoroughly contemporary in its aesthetic, with an emotional heart. Amor Renatus emerges as the second movement of the Epilogue, a moody composition that juxtaposes plucked and bowed cello strings. The piece finishes with a distinctly hopeful tone in Ortis Solis, the last movement.</p><p>Urbs Aurum, the Postlude, continues in an emotional and more hopeful tone. With something of a baroque flavour, contrapuntal voices come together in harmony. </p><p>Ian's music has a sense of invention that keeps it fresh, even with sounds and elements that are steeped in various traditions. It's delightful listening for anyone with eclectic tastes in instrumental music. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Tour</h3><p>The current leg of his tour began in September in Arizona, with dates set to December, so far.... Stay tuned <a href="https://ianmaksin.com/tour" target="_blank"><b>AT THE LINK</b></a> for more TBA.</p><p><b>Dates:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>October 28: Boston MA</li><li>October 29: Somerset NJ</li><li>November 2: Philadelphia PA</li><li>November 3: Washington DC</li><li>November 5: New York, NY</li><li>November 8: Toronto ON</li><li>November 9: Ottawa ON</li><li>November 10: Quebec QC</li><li>November 12: Montreal QC</li><li>November 18: San Francisco CA</li><li>November 19: Los Angeles CA</li><li>December 3: Chicago IL</li><li>December 8: Minneapolis MN</li></ul>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KmqD7zg9Huc?si=QldAyfSzpnP4QAmf" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-8426032875548465072023-10-19T15:42:00.002-04:002023-10-19T15:43:06.772-04:00Kent Monkman's Iskonikan On View At Art Toronto 2023 October 26 To 29 2023<p><i>From a media release</i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Kent Monkman Announces Iskonikan<br />On view at Art Toronto 2023<br />October 26 to 29</h1><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Tickets to Art Toronto <a href="https://arttoronto.ca/home/" target="_blank">At The Link</a></b></li></ul></div><p><b><i>Kent's work will be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Booth #B34</i></b></p><p><b>Toronto, ON, October 19 2023 </b>– Kent Monkman is pleased to present iskonikan at Art Toronto 2023, on view in Booth #B34 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre from October 26 – 29, 2023. iskonikan is a Cree word for “Indian reserve” that when translated literally means left-over land. Monkman’s exhibition at Art Toronto 2023 references the limiting of Indigenous sovereignty to reserve lands with a new installation and a selection of paintings from his 2022 Being Legendary series. The project also introduces two new editions of Monkman’s work: an unlimited, free risograph poster and a limited edition silk screen print. 50% of the proceeds from the print’s sale will be donated to <b>nēhiyawak Language Experience,</b> a nonprofit organization that hosts an annual Cree language camp focusing on producing authentic language engagement and uplifting nēhiyaw (Cree) identity, including ways of knowing and being.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKIjXQjbAnQUEVcK_xds5NatpXCN7yksGfiEFTy982RUeZOSW0DlV-G_9B_GurQOBqbo_rz7-nbMqm992y4svbDhlHE8KegGDQyZKHPoZOVwxpiBXpg8udLFvBRRCEMhPIWWSgoeIjZNWUltyBy72JZUOR7szZUtgRRNSApbnFYhtzLOioTAR2A4as5lj/s650/Kent%20Monkman%20Giants%20Walked%20the%20Earth%20-%20Art%20Toronto%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kent Monkman, Giants Walked the Earth, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 27 in. x 42.5 in." border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKIjXQjbAnQUEVcK_xds5NatpXCN7yksGfiEFTy982RUeZOSW0DlV-G_9B_GurQOBqbo_rz7-nbMqm992y4svbDhlHE8KegGDQyZKHPoZOVwxpiBXpg8udLFvBRRCEMhPIWWSgoeIjZNWUltyBy72JZUOR7szZUtgRRNSApbnFYhtzLOioTAR2A4as5lj/s16000/Kent%20Monkman%20Giants%20Walked%20the%20Earth%20-%20Art%20Toronto%202023.jpg" title="Kent Monkman, Giants Walked the Earth, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 27 in. x 42.5 in." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent Monkman, Giants Walked the Earth, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 27 in. x 42.5 in.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>“Reserves were specifically defined to dispossess and control First Nations people,” says Kent Monkman. “After European settlers arrived and spread across Turtle Island, we signed agreements to share the land with them. Our ancestors believed we were entering into a kinship relationship with them, making us all treaty people. These treaties stated that our land was not to be sold or given away, yet most Indigenous lands have been stolen, encroached upon, or embezzled. Today, most reserves are located in remote areas, far from the urban centres that were once Indigenous people’s meeting, living, hunting, agricultural and trading places. Many of us have been forcibly moved to remote areas that European settlers viewed as the leftovers. This dispossession and land theft has created many barriers to how we thrive in today’s world.”</p><p>In the middle of the iskonikan booth is <b>mêmêkwêsiwak Trading Post</b>, a miniature version of a prototypical “Indian Trading Post” partially hidden behind tall grasses on what appears to be a slice of land — the “World’s Smallest Reserve.” A cut-out roof reveals a white-cube exhibition of small paintings — a series of portraits of Cree legendary beings known as the mêmêkwêsiwak (the little people), who appeared in Monkman’s Being Legendary exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum earlier this year.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1TtI9JX5SS_hwFKRXrl4LgGmfwK_YZxhHb8S18_pUiv00lzxIOT-myvkJieFjrnGWqQaF2nUYJh56oLPQEoRyReLbpRA87S6z6B-lqCiwx6-aWLMeSveZpglXRJLeW01TMLYXxRA6Uxu8iGl9CSkXoyO2pi_Xk5p0RLVLm_5c0VH8v1QGnOxC2Ah0kRs/s650/Kent%20Monkman%20The%20m%C3%AEm%C3%AEkw%C3%AEsiwak%20Remember%20the%20Giants%202022%20Art%20Toronto%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kent Monkman, The mîmîkwîsiwak Remember the Giants, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 18.5 in. x 29 in." border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1TtI9JX5SS_hwFKRXrl4LgGmfwK_YZxhHb8S18_pUiv00lzxIOT-myvkJieFjrnGWqQaF2nUYJh56oLPQEoRyReLbpRA87S6z6B-lqCiwx6-aWLMeSveZpglXRJLeW01TMLYXxRA6Uxu8iGl9CSkXoyO2pi_Xk5p0RLVLm_5c0VH8v1QGnOxC2Ah0kRs/s16000/Kent%20Monkman%20The%20m%C3%AEm%C3%AEkw%C3%AEsiwak%20Remember%20the%20Giants%202022%20Art%20Toronto%202023.jpg" title="Kent Monkman, The mîmîkwîsiwak Remember the Giants, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 18.5 in. x 29 in." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent Monkman, The mîmîkwîsiwak Remember the Giants, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 18.5 in. x 29 in.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Surrounding the trading post on the walls of the booth are studies for several of the paintings from <b>Being Legendary</b> that reinforce Indigenous presence on Turtle Island for 100,000 years — much longer than settlers’ theories of human presence in the Americas. The paintings from Being Legendary explore the complexities of Indigenous knowledge systems, including the science embedded in Indigenous ways of knowing and the deep and extensive relationship of Indigenous peoples to the land.</p><p>Historically, trading posts were places where Indigenous peoples and settlers across Turtle Island bought, sold, and traded furs and commodity items. Monkman’s siting of a miniature trading post in a booth at Art Toronto 2023 is a meta reference to the commercial buying and selling of art. With its play on scale, mêmêkwêsiwak Trading Post emphasises that Indigenous territories have been reduced to small slices of land. Its function as a mobile gallery, small enough to travel anywhere on Turtle Island, implies that treaty rights and Indigenous sovereignty should extend beyond the limits of iskonikan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xDrh61-ZqCdFV5ZyQUNHhtmuF8YfPvP1pnkHt3GLo9OeXpdErSfPi0LJUiCqDmsYsS6zcU2a_FPRNZB4ahBcaHZXmqU1Ji-AQXLS-J6JSZg992YABlmRC_6xBQf_kFsDfiuQxRytRfs7xcW7LwBI_UQEEnhzBW1PvtFUKKeO22fZW_C4x0vPNWZuwfLV/s650/Kent%20Monkman%20Constellation%20of%20Knowledge%202022%20-%20Art%20Toronto%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kent Monkman, Constellation of Knowledge, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 93 in. x 124 in." border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xDrh61-ZqCdFV5ZyQUNHhtmuF8YfPvP1pnkHt3GLo9OeXpdErSfPi0LJUiCqDmsYsS6zcU2a_FPRNZB4ahBcaHZXmqU1Ji-AQXLS-J6JSZg992YABlmRC_6xBQf_kFsDfiuQxRytRfs7xcW7LwBI_UQEEnhzBW1PvtFUKKeO22fZW_C4x0vPNWZuwfLV/s16000/Kent%20Monkman%20Constellation%20of%20Knowledge%202022%20-%20Art%20Toronto%202023.jpg" title="Kent Monkman, Constellation of Knowledge, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 93 in. x 124 in." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kent Monkman, Constellation of Knowledge, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 93 in. x 124 in.</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">ABOUT KENT MONKMAN</h3><p>Kent Monkman (b. 1965) is an interdisciplinary Cree visual artist. A member of Fisher River Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory (Manitoba), he lives and works in New York and on treaty territory in Ontario. Known for his thought-provoking interventions into Western European and American art history, Monkman explores themes of colonization, sexuality, loss, and resilience—the complexities of historic and contemporary Indigenous experiences—across painting, film/video, performance, and installation. Monkman’s gender-fluid alter ego Miss Chief Eagle Testickle often appears in his work as a time-travelling, shape-shifting, supernatural being who reverses the colonial gaze to challenge received notions of history and Indigenous peoples.</p><p>Monkman’s painting and installation works have been exhibited at institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal; Musée d’artcontemporain de Montréal; The National Gallery of Canada; The Royal Ontario Museum; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Hayward Gallery; Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art; Musée d’art Contemporain de Rochechouart; Maison Rouge; Philbrook Museum of Art; Palais de Tokyo; and the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College. He has created site-specific performances at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Royal Ontario Museum; Compton Verney, Warwickshire; and The Denver Art Museum. Monkman has had two nationally touring solo exhibitions, Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience (2017-2020), and The Triumph of Mischief (2007-2010).</p><p>Monkman’s short film and video works, made with his long-time collaborator Gisèle Gordon, have screened at festivals such as the Berlinale (2007, 2008) and the Toronto International Film Festival (2007, 2015). Monkman co-wrote, with Gordon, <b>The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island</b>, a two-volume edition featuring Monkman’s artwork to be published in November of 2023. Monkman is the recipient of the Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (2017), an honorary doctorate degree from OCAD University (2017), the Indspire Award (2014), and the Hnatyshyn Foundation Visual Arts Award (2014) and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2023.</p><p>Monkman has self-represented on treaty territory since 2018 and hosts studio visits by appointment in New York and Toronto. Learn more at <a href="http://www.kentmonkman.com"><b>www.kentmonkman.com</b></a>.</p><p><i>From a recent show:</i></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C12tA1qYRzg?si=yLenmE0kUIgJNtIQ" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-8962646428689035642023-10-09T22:24:00.005-04:002023-10-09T22:27:01.852-04:00Smoke and Mirrors: Magical Thinking in Contemporary Art At the Boca Raton Museum Opens November 18 through May 12<p><i> From a media release</i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Smoke and Mirrors: Magical Thinking in Contemporary Art<br />At the Boca Raton Museum<br />Opens to the General Public on November 18 through May 12</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Pre-opening night fundraiser November 17 - check it out [<a href="https://bocamuseum.org/visit/events/smoke-mirrors-night-magic-museum" target="_blank">HERE</a>]</b></li></ul><p></p><p>As South Florida's museums from Palm Beach to Miami present their highly anticipated offerings for Art Basel Season, the Boca Raton Museum of Art is especially poised to lead the pack with a one-two-punch this year: the world premiere of the Teiger Award-winning exhibition Smoke and Mirrors: Magical Thinking in Contemporary Art, and the sleek new high-speed rail station just blocks from the Museum's front door, luring visitors with a quick escape off the beaten path from the art fairs. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xksKXmW-A5YlVS_esa2iTNba0C6jcgdf8mlydw11wSEkhLKxFDzTtZOuG5OMVEreFHakaRvegh3sBlzpBtpNSu2HTK4bRznclHbJfgB1ZonhRQnAOJQE567dDP5xvMt3TnfGWjJelwto9x1AO8LA52bNEtkuKWXgxQEMrL3q1nlkbv9oo4ZoMsdS6bL6/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Imponderable%20by%20Tony%20Ourser%20-%20still%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Imponderable, (film still) by Tony Oursler (5-D feature length film, 90 minutes)." border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xksKXmW-A5YlVS_esa2iTNba0C6jcgdf8mlydw11wSEkhLKxFDzTtZOuG5OMVEreFHakaRvegh3sBlzpBtpNSu2HTK4bRznclHbJfgB1ZonhRQnAOJQE567dDP5xvMt3TnfGWjJelwto9x1AO8LA52bNEtkuKWXgxQEMrL3q1nlkbv9oo4ZoMsdS6bL6/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Imponderable%20by%20Tony%20Ourser%20-%20still%202.jpg" title="Imponderable, (film still) by Tony Oursler (5-D feature length film, 90 minutes)." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Imponderable, (film still) by Tony Oursler (5-D feature length film, 90 minutes).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The new group show was originated by Kathleen Goncharov, the Museum's Senior Curator, and features 30 contemporary artists.</p><p>This is the only exhibition in South Florida (and in the entire Southeast U.S.) to win the prestigious Teiger Foundation 2023 Grant Award for Curator-Led Projects – among only 13 museum shows selected nationwide in the Single Exhibition category, recognizing boundary-pushing curatorial work. </p><p>The works in this exhibition crack through the looking glass of illusion and beliefs. While performative magic is certainly celebrated here, many of these artists are acclaimed for tackling the thorny issues of disinformation, hoaxes, cults, conspiracy theories, "alternative facts," and the rise of deceptive artificial technologies in our culture.</p><p>When exposed, these deepfakes often reveal a greater truth. </p><p>According to the Teiger Foundation site, the competition “Acknowledges the uncertainty, fear, and loss in our time of enormous change and supports innovative curatorial work committed to experimentation and creativity in exhibitions, championing curators who engage in the pressing conversations of our time. Curators are thinkers and leaders who play multiple, changing roles in their communities.”</p><p>The exhibition is anchored by an entire gallery of phantasmagorical installations by the globally acclaimed artist Tony Oursler, celebrated for asking the pressing question: what happens when the occult is confronted by its mirror image of technology? </p><p>Among the <b>30 artists</b> are: Urs Fischer, Alfredo Jaar, Jim Shaw, Sarah Charlesworth, Glenn Kaino, Christian Jankowski, Kristin Lucas, Jane Hammond, Gavin Turk, Michael Ray Charles, Faisal Abdu'Allah, Mark Thomas Gibson, Robin Tewes, Jeanette Andrews, Stephen Berkman, Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.), Jacob Hicks, and The Yes Men.</p><p>This timely exploration pulls back the curtain on modern-day deceptions, often perpetrated for political or financial gain – before our very eyes. </p><p>Today’s hoaxes, and the blatant lies posted on social media, are often fabricated with new technology yet have earlier precedents in America’s history. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBb34GCJy41lEPHUPRJFspQx9p75m08_FRdbUm3XqeSkIZrEEvN4vmP_phehFjwEKujqWrHRMRjRn5UxFxwBZriLuY1gYWdSaDIfFdgZM-hTw40G9OZI5_mGQ7-uywKKDQHscgYAFSKiW0k2h1ulHe49rhvKX8PpTqE1M3uMsSBq2KFzZaxDpD0IANa5C/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Mermer%20by%20Tony%20OUrsler.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Merma, by Tony Oursler (fiberglass, resin, acrylic paint, glitter, fake hair, gemstones, video projection, sound). Performance by Dominique Bousquet." border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBb34GCJy41lEPHUPRJFspQx9p75m08_FRdbUm3XqeSkIZrEEvN4vmP_phehFjwEKujqWrHRMRjRn5UxFxwBZriLuY1gYWdSaDIfFdgZM-hTw40G9OZI5_mGQ7-uywKKDQHscgYAFSKiW0k2h1ulHe49rhvKX8PpTqE1M3uMsSBq2KFzZaxDpD0IANa5C/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Mermer%20by%20Tony%20OUrsler.jpg" title="Merma, by Tony Oursler (fiberglass, resin, acrylic paint, glitter, fake hair, gemstones, video projection, sound). Performance by Dominique Bousquet." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Merma, by Tony Oursler (fiberglass, resin, acrylic paint, glitter, fake hair, gemstones, video projection, sound). Performance by Dominique Bousquet.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The exhibition’s temporal twist juxtaposes parallels between our current struggles and the same peculiar fascinations with magical thinking during the late 1800s and early 1900s – when the deadly flu pandemic and World War I created an epidemic of fake mediums, seances, and the golden age of stage magic. </p><p>Fast-forward to today, and these artists investigate how the trauma of our own pandemic, climate change, political extremism, violence, and the disruption of societal norms are spurring belief and fascination with the paranormal.</p><p>An explosive increase in supernatural characters in popular culture, and dangerous hoaxes that are proving difficult to discredit, are rampant again now. </p><p>“Our City is honored by this national acclaim, and that this museum exhibition is the only one in the entire Southeastern U.S. selected by the Teiger Foundation 2023 Grant Award for Curator-Led Projects in the single exhibition category,” says Scott Singer, the Mayor of Boca Raton. “We are proud of the stellar team at the Boca Raton Museum of Art for shining the national spotlight on South Florida’s museum scene.”</p><p> “The caliber of the contemporary artists in this exhibition is earning major attention for the new season at the Boca Raton Museum of Art,” says Irvin Lippman, the Executive Director of the Museum.</p><p>“The correlation between magic and artmaking has always loomed large, and this exhibition takes this idea one step further, revealing strong connections between today and earlier periods in history when crises led to magical thinking. Art itself is a process of alchemy, transforming physical medium into illusions of beauty, messages that have the power to both inspire and manipulate audiences,” adds Lippman.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeTY8N2a8aqX8fwFLa8O4p8djfbs7KXXArCVg9KYGnRxpyVs5kWUQEjwUb4bWw5tJQpueuQ6vZuf85hHBeqR8QPggv1w1TLvERkeo3TL1hfRgEeLFFrIveg4JvFFZDq-S0UVqgru0N9YLX4jjIWi-rKl6Ep0YNG-z0bLSrr1dgczliOyAbs-UXaArnKY9/s719/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20UNtitled%20by%20Janet%20Hammond.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Untitled (221, 181, 275, 156, 227), by Jane Hammond (oil on canvas). Courtesy of James and Heather Romano." border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeTY8N2a8aqX8fwFLa8O4p8djfbs7KXXArCVg9KYGnRxpyVs5kWUQEjwUb4bWw5tJQpueuQ6vZuf85hHBeqR8QPggv1w1TLvERkeo3TL1hfRgEeLFFrIveg4JvFFZDq-S0UVqgru0N9YLX4jjIWi-rKl6Ep0YNG-z0bLSrr1dgczliOyAbs-UXaArnKY9/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20UNtitled%20by%20Janet%20Hammond.jpg" title="Untitled (221, 181, 275, 156, 227), by Jane Hammond (oil on canvas). Courtesy of James and Heather Romano." /></a></div><br /><p>Cracks through the looking glass of illusion and beliefs. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6gQ1JN7jb4yqSQpACwfjJqG48SgldIvKiGRSeXYuY3h7AZWXSf_8scUujEd6A7urwabQqv81hQNvai6hbMPRBtT-lcnhy5FYlHE1hzTkViZ-T2ZOjCspdcDCFfntLZ4BXmrxCOQfviZGeM-xXGSe32S6Ja-yWtW3Wlb111FbRzFeeVKQFN6nz5_zL6kE/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Levitating%20Woman%20by%20Sara%20Charlesworth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Levitating Woman, by Sarah Charlesworth (Cibachrome with lacquered wood frame). Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery. ©The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth." border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6gQ1JN7jb4yqSQpACwfjJqG48SgldIvKiGRSeXYuY3h7AZWXSf_8scUujEd6A7urwabQqv81hQNvai6hbMPRBtT-lcnhy5FYlHE1hzTkViZ-T2ZOjCspdcDCFfntLZ4BXmrxCOQfviZGeM-xXGSe32S6Ja-yWtW3Wlb111FbRzFeeVKQFN6nz5_zL6kE/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Levitating%20Woman%20by%20Sara%20Charlesworth.jpg" title="Levitating Woman, by Sarah Charlesworth (Cibachrome with lacquered wood frame). Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery. ©The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Levitating Woman, by Sarah Charlesworth (Cibachrome with lacquered wood frame). Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery. ©The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Highlights from the Exhibition</h3><p>The largest gallery in the exhibition is transformed by <b>Tony Oursler </b>into an otherworldly landscape titled Creature Features. </p><p>The Museum has commissioned several new installations by Oursler, exploring what the artist calls the “delicate balance between creativity, mysticism and scientific ingenuity.” Based on American folklore, legends, and hoaxes likened to today’s urban myths, viewers will walk into a dream world where the artist’s collection of the unbelievable comes to life. </p><p>Tony Oursler is one of the world’s foremost pioneers of video art, working with moving images, installation and projection.</p><p>His inspirations include conspiracy, mysticism, narrative evolution and facial recognition technologies. Viewers are often disoriented and disarmed upon entering his installations.</p><p>Oursler’s video art is celebrated for transcending traditional screens, TV monitors and surfaces. His work jumps out at viewers via visual experimentation, described by his gallerists as harking back to camera obscura and psychedelia – through the surreal environments he creates with bots and intimate digital effigies, optical devices, sculptures, and ethereal talking automatons. </p><p>Central to Oursler’s work is his endless fascination with how technology impacts humanity. For several decades, the artist has amassed a vast archive of more than 3,000 historical materials pertaining to the paranormal fringes, pseudo-science that connects to cults, and the intersection of science and the occult. </p><p>The realms of magic and illusion are generationally embedded into the artist’s DNA. Oursler’s grandfather was a magician who exposed trickery used in seances by the Spiritualists of his era, who lied to desperate widows yearning to communicate with relatives who died in World War I. </p><p>Oursler’s father founded the magazine Angels on Earth, about spiritual encounters. The artist’s spirit world fascination also includes his admiration for mediums and mystics who never charged for their services, falling outside the realm of financial fraud. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p4fZ7NH8xBCgTrhwBMkJcB0rYuxtHmnxTReQNRCI_F0GxmdN1EwDwODmSeulDbpeUliOvgGkH3dbOCaadWbMQpBaHwt9xHmBD4yVZFkBOpkd0FwceAu1d5AYS2j-cG3h6nG6JQfdL20SJ5FP4CFBgoM4vp09qi5NlYOS9vCX6Fp2PEZkZu2RitIhLn57/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Imponderable%20by%20Tony%20Ourser%20-%20still.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Imponderable, (film still) by Tony Oursler (5-D feature length film, 90 minutes)." border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p4fZ7NH8xBCgTrhwBMkJcB0rYuxtHmnxTReQNRCI_F0GxmdN1EwDwODmSeulDbpeUliOvgGkH3dbOCaadWbMQpBaHwt9xHmBD4yVZFkBOpkd0FwceAu1d5AYS2j-cG3h6nG6JQfdL20SJ5FP4CFBgoM4vp09qi5NlYOS9vCX6Fp2PEZkZu2RitIhLn57/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Imponderable%20by%20Tony%20Ourser%20-%20still.jpg" title="Imponderable, (film still) by Tony Oursler (5-D feature length film, 90 minutes)." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Imponderable, (film still) by Tony Oursler (5-D feature length film, 90 minutes).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In 2000, Oursler was awarded the U.S. Art Critics Association ICA New Media Award. Oursler has been selected for solo exhibitions throughout the United States and is currently one of America’s most internationally exhibited artists (with solo shows in more than 25 countries).</p><p>Imponderable, Oursler’s cinematic 5-D experience, has only been exhibited at MoMA in New York and was created using Pepper’s Ghost, a mirror illusion technique first used in the 1800s in theatrical ghost plays.</p><p>Other installations in Oursler’s Creature Features landscape include: Fairy (a fantasy projection of a performance by Katiana Rangel); Cardiff Giant (Oursler’s never-before-seen life-size recreation of one of the most famous archaeological hoaxes in American history); Flatwoods Monster (a re-living of the 1952 legendary UFO extraterrestrial folklore encounter); Alice Cooper Head (inspired by The Amazing Randi’s infamous creations for Alice Cooper’s concert tour in the 1970s); Crystals (created in part with artificial intelligence, exploring the digital divine, 5-D technology, near-death experiences, and hallucinogenic states); Charles Doyle Fairy Painting (based on his fantastical paintings of Victorian-era fairies and other fantasy themes); and Merma (described as “beautiful in a horrifying way”). </p><p>Parallels between our current struggles and the same peculiar fascinations with magical thinking during the late 1800s and early 1900s.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifo7n9NITZGzQVERd9xj04UNukQjgSudsRT10JFIU17zNDIwabjnEK9TCRqK5FX9VUnxUyq9BZodfIcM5JMNBN_cpgtkScCmUmOIs6wA1AEDrvoEQTrgcFDRCrs7Auue2KekG0ssYEFsl9IjlsFOkYvSd4lNbqTh9BAySU0nBzjQBpjSSJvWKl6z99j-f/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20Cardiff%20Giant.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The original Cardiff Giant at the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, where it is still displayed (Photo by Martin Lewison/CC2.0)." border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifo7n9NITZGzQVERd9xj04UNukQjgSudsRT10JFIU17zNDIwabjnEK9TCRqK5FX9VUnxUyq9BZodfIcM5JMNBN_cpgtkScCmUmOIs6wA1AEDrvoEQTrgcFDRCrs7Auue2KekG0ssYEFsl9IjlsFOkYvSd4lNbqTh9BAySU0nBzjQBpjSSJvWKl6z99j-f/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20Cardiff%20Giant.jpg" title="The original Cardiff Giant at the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, where it is still displayed (Photo by Martin Lewison/CC2.0)." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The original Cardiff Giant at the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, where it is still displayed (Photo by </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/9036889@N06" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Martin Lewison</a><span style="text-align: left;">/</span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en" style="text-align: left;">CC2.0</a><span style="text-align: left;">).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i style="font-size: x-large;">The trauma of our own pandemic, climate change, political extremism, and violence are spurring belief and fascination with the paranormal.</i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMeCm5qrSnuDc01dj_BKytlItMyPBgSRhTBuSva9c9ZVmMgj2EoDNdRPDT3-XY43Hw25LV72t7M2SBOjdxzoREaIiRIqa4kbpLJC7tH69g1ltq3MZrUAlmJSaUgndoQnhhosP0iKOU5wCMQj2qRqLUGOT2ZMf9iA4Du5_LYO9nZFfkeW-ksfumWktZ1jb/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20In%20The%20Event%20of%20Moon%20DIsaster%20%20installtion.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund’s installation In Event of Moon Disaster" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMeCm5qrSnuDc01dj_BKytlItMyPBgSRhTBuSva9c9ZVmMgj2EoDNdRPDT3-XY43Hw25LV72t7M2SBOjdxzoREaIiRIqa4kbpLJC7tH69g1ltq3MZrUAlmJSaUgndoQnhhosP0iKOU5wCMQj2qRqLUGOT2ZMf9iA4Du5_LYO9nZFfkeW-ksfumWktZ1jb/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20In%20The%20Event%20of%20Moon%20DIsaster%20%20installtion.jpg" title="Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund’s installation In Event of Moon Disaster" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund’s installation In Event of Moon Disaster</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>Francesca Panetta</b> and <b>Halsey Burgund</b>’s installation In Event of Moon Disaster was made using sophisticated deepfake technology. In 1969 most of the world celebrated the Apollo 11 crew’s first successful moon landing, the exceptions being conspiracy theorists claiming it was all staged. In this work, Panetta and Burgund ask: what would have happened if the mission had gone wrong? </p><p>Their Moon Disaster installation reimagines this seminal event to illustrate the possibilities of deep-fake technologies. In this alternative history, visitors will time-travel to a Florida living room where Richard Nixon appears on a television set to announce the tragedy.</p><p><i>Dow Does the Right Thing - </i>a media hoax by <b>The Yes Men</b>:</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LiWlvBro9eI?si=HA6Cu1NUWK5spY0V" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>
<p></p><div><div>“We hope our work will spark critical awareness among the public. We want them to be alert to what is possible with today’s technology, to explore their own susceptibility, and to be ready to question what they see and hear as we enter a future fraught with challenges over the question of truth,” said Francesca Panetta. </div><div><br /></div><div>The spirit of the beloved magician, author and actor, <b>Ricky Jay</b> is also prominent in this exhibition. He was famous for tricks in which he threw playing cards, and was able to pierce a watermelon with a playing card from 160 feet.</div><div><br /></div><div>The artist <b>Glenn Kaino</b> tips his hat to Ricky Jay by creating a large-scale wall portrait of Ricky Jay by throwing cards that will puncture and adhere to the museum wall, forming the shape of the famous magician’s face.</div><div><br /></div><div>This throwing cards trick is one of Ricky Jay’s stage mysteries, and can only be installed at museums by special preparators with no other witnesses around, to avoid revealing the late magician’s secrets. </div><div><br /></div><div>The celebrated artists/activists duo known as <b>The Yes Men </b>have been exposing corporate malfeasance since the early 1990s, by convincingly impersonating government officials, corporate officers, and salesmen at real-life events. </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to videos of the pair’s many hoaxes, their installation features the inflatable Survivaball, an imagined “new Halliburton product” The <b>Yes Men </b>presented at an insurance conference about catastrophic loss, tricking the attendees of the conference into believing it was all real. </div><div> </div><div>Two timely experiences will confront museumgoers in this exhibition: one is an artwork by <b>Jacob Hicks</b> utilizing ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence, and the other is a video about deepfakes edited by the Museum team.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new artwork by Hicks allows viewers to ask questions to a virtual magician and receive answers generated by the ChatGPT A.I. Jacob Hicks trained the ChatGPT A.I. to imagine itself as an ancient entity capable of telling the future, to be aware that it is an art project, and to be aware that Hicks wants it to present as a false persona.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1a7EAJbM808hYDm1hyphenhyphen0StTd5D8KghdKdN-TU0ivpqvKq4Ox5nsO59L_-dFrTiUiEOnXIgFFTBL9SvNqZ2I10CV4xU3e0dZdIP0uehTm8ShPMbJecbCTZQ1FDtHRt6dteQ66s4q_ZwptkrtXOd_OVNYf0A4eEy3VKPfILP4k9mM4b-cCCgfiGU5kTJBUf/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20Magician%20by%20Jacob%20Hicks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="From The Magician, by Jacob Hicks. Video, computer with internet connection, black electric candles, computer tablet, crystal bubble vase, table (2023)." border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1a7EAJbM808hYDm1hyphenhyphen0StTd5D8KghdKdN-TU0ivpqvKq4Ox5nsO59L_-dFrTiUiEOnXIgFFTBL9SvNqZ2I10CV4xU3e0dZdIP0uehTm8ShPMbJecbCTZQ1FDtHRt6dteQ66s4q_ZwptkrtXOd_OVNYf0A4eEy3VKPfILP4k9mM4b-cCCgfiGU5kTJBUf/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20Magician%20by%20Jacob%20Hicks.jpg" title="From The Magician, by Jacob Hicks. Video, computer with internet connection, black electric candles, computer tablet, crystal bubble vase, table (2023)." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">From The Magician, by Jacob Hicks. Video, computer with internet connection, black electric candles, computer tablet, crystal bubble vase, table (2023).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The ChatGPT A.I. is trained to imagine itself as an ancient entity capable of telling the future, to be aware that it is an art project, and to present as a false persona.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the deepfakes video encounter, the Museum team will regularly update a video screen titled DEEPFAKE-O-RAMA with the latest deepfakes in the political news cycle during the run of the exhibition. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Museum commissioned the artist <b>Jeanette Andrews</b> (also a professional magician) to create a new interactive work titled magi.cia.n inspired by the recently declassified CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception, written by two professional magicians. </div><div><br /></div><div>She created a “clean room” in the museum – an enclosed, transparent box with two holes equipped with gloves used by the viewer to flip through a blank journal that visually transforms into a magic book and then into a spy craft technical manual before one’s very eyes. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHGoDGB87loYZcj-gBiYqctMsqPGXbWbcfgQFbx-OQDh4dcJ9dbzNvuyDvg6VSY50G64OW9Sfwv7E4z-uVzF71USMuGhZWz8xbOj4TjaVq1laP6zoLf43TjOKJUreZ4D4GGj4FaG3VYO9UIvvw6mgQX5N_lnyL2fMnUdyiNU-Vlweh1N3eMj0_xsOEeTC/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Jeannette%20Andrews.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jeannette Andrews. Photograph by Saverio Truglia." border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHGoDGB87loYZcj-gBiYqctMsqPGXbWbcfgQFbx-OQDh4dcJ9dbzNvuyDvg6VSY50G64OW9Sfwv7E4z-uVzF71USMuGhZWz8xbOj4TjaVq1laP6zoLf43TjOKJUreZ4D4GGj4FaG3VYO9UIvvw6mgQX5N_lnyL2fMnUdyiNU-Vlweh1N3eMj0_xsOEeTC/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Jeannette%20Andrews.jpg" title="Jeannette Andrews. Photograph by Saverio Truglia." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Jeannette Andrews. Photograph by Saverio Truglia.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The installation, surrounded by black curtains, also includes a video in which Andrews oscillates between her intricate sleight-of-hand as a stage magician, and then, into a CIA agent that uses the same skills for espionage in the real world. Both of her parallel realms rely on learning secret information, rehearsing until she gets it just right, and split-second timing. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8X_N42PFfGg01_Lans0uGg1Qjve8np0cBabirXXghWOqcajg-1fLcahF19LQLIcVUdUiHVJpM_UkymOvQphqhO0NU6EvETcmuqZvsVnFF7fBL5LpTSna0GfILHMsLYO3ty4djtY-hbflRsGdrPh9UHCN-GIyE8GthINeDiDzBuX7n91ut1OHibrFWiAV/s915/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20Illusionist%20by%20Jose%20Alvarez.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Illusionist, by Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.). Acrylic, colored pencil, ink, pastel, handmade paper, feathers, quills and collage on paper ( 2021)." border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8X_N42PFfGg01_Lans0uGg1Qjve8np0cBabirXXghWOqcajg-1fLcahF19LQLIcVUdUiHVJpM_UkymOvQphqhO0NU6EvETcmuqZvsVnFF7fBL5LpTSna0GfILHMsLYO3ty4djtY-hbflRsGdrPh9UHCN-GIyE8GthINeDiDzBuX7n91ut1OHibrFWiAV/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20Illusionist%20by%20Jose%20Alvarez.jpg" title="The Illusionist, by Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.). Acrylic, colored pencil, ink, pastel, handmade paper, feathers, quills and collage on paper ( 2021)." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Illusionist, by Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.). Acrylic, colored pencil, ink, pastel, handmade paper, feathers, quills and collage on paper ( 2021).</td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Also featured is a major video artwork by <b>Christian Jankowski</b> titled Magic Numbers ruminating on the parallels between magic tricks and the world of finance, and the very real power of illusion; <b>Lindsey White</b>’s leg of the famous illusionist Harry Blackstone suspended from the ceiling; <b>Faisal Abdu’Allah</b>’s Duppy Conqueror II, an Afro-Caribbean conjuror spirit; <b>Gavin Turk</b>’s video recreation of the infamous 18th-century Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing automaton; the late <b>Sarah Charlesworth</b>’s entire Natural Magic suite of eleven large color photographs; a self-portrait by <b>Alfredo Jaar </b>dressed up as a magician; and the fantastical photographs by <b>Stephen Berkman</b>, where he resurrects a vanished world of imaginary characters using period photographic lenses from the 1800s and an archaic glass plate process. </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Amazing Randi </h3><div>The exhibition also features an homage to one of the most notorious investigators of the paranormal, James Randi (a.k.a. The Amazing Randi, 1928-2020). </div><div><br /></div><div>Randi lived near the Boca Raton Museum with his husband and life partner of 34 years, the artist Jose Alvarez D.O.P.A. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxOSAjgZ8RB9wG0nTmZChRhKIW-CZSyFCT18vc0uubSOPkI9F_DnwrHrU2qJnEhTWvEIa8BhKAvDcz-sfvuVKpMs5Jfb5sLGpawKy2Ve4tcMkROg3aNRXT8IqCM0Tb_jL-yIFaEXFQZ7mSxWEU3095vDy3stSCs0FoT2FljuUmN363jNro3_9nw1ml2Gs/s912/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20AMazing%20Randi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxOSAjgZ8RB9wG0nTmZChRhKIW-CZSyFCT18vc0uubSOPkI9F_DnwrHrU2qJnEhTWvEIa8BhKAvDcz-sfvuVKpMs5Jfb5sLGpawKy2Ve4tcMkROg3aNRXT8IqCM0Tb_jL-yIFaEXFQZ7mSxWEU3095vDy3stSCs0FoT2FljuUmN363jNro3_9nw1ml2Gs/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20The%20AMazing%20Randi.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Randi was known for sponsoring the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, offering one million dollars to anyone who could prove a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. More than a thousand people applied to this challenge between 1964 and 2015, but none were successful.</div><div><br /></div><div>Randi originally defined himself as a conjuror, and began his career as a professional stage magician and escape-artist in 1946.</div><div><br /></div><div>In later years, he preferred to call himself a skeptical educator, and was a MacArthur Fellow "Genius Grant" winner. He maintained that magicians are honest liars because the audience is in on the deception.</div><div><br /></div><div>The section in the Smoke and Mirrors exhibition honoring the life of The Amazing Randi includes ephemera from his storied career, including his numerous television appearances on NBC's Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and never-before-seen curiosities from Randi’s life-long collection of arcana, including his tour with the wildly theatrical 1970s rock star Alice Cooper. Two of Jose Alvarez D.O.P.A.’s magic-related paintings are featured in the exhibition.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaca4myIuO7BUyJTf5gI5L10hIQzVzNdUYDjyN7uWKAjFcf_BaijPy0ATsiXU-GUkARv09koGNl_NYn1dGzbTc3d7SSTFjfzqdJmu_C8N3xmZtKc8qXfFcwfP5H2yCCPMJxlIAgdTQoRQYKgZnPIw3ZyU3nH-PGFbT_w0NeQMidhNqlcDnzDlZHDfPqlSr/s650/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20An%20Honest%20Liar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaca4myIuO7BUyJTf5gI5L10hIQzVzNdUYDjyN7uWKAjFcf_BaijPy0ATsiXU-GUkARv09koGNl_NYn1dGzbTc3d7SSTFjfzqdJmu_C8N3xmZtKc8qXfFcwfP5H2yCCPMJxlIAgdTQoRQYKgZnPIw3ZyU3nH-PGFbT_w0NeQMidhNqlcDnzDlZHDfPqlSr/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20An%20Honest%20Liar.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>The PBS film <a href="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/honest-liar/" target="_blank">An Honest Liar</a>, documented Randi’s investigations to expose charlatans. </div><div><br /></div><div>From the film’s PBS website: “He discovered that faith healers, fortune tellers, and psychics were using his beloved magic tricks to swindle money from the credulous. Randi devoted his life to exposing con artists with wit and over-the-top showmanship all his own."</div><div><br /></div><div>"An acolyte of Harry Houdini, Randi became a famed magician-turned-debunker, with a series of unparalleled investigations and elaborate hoaxes. His grand schemes fooled scientists, the news media, and a gullible public, but always in service of demonstrating the importance of skepticism and the dangers of magical thinking.”</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y7PkoKw_-oo_7EKpExluT71Z4pH-gS-gWpfVgWOYymjPwBmsK4HsgIitZYbP60xWXZBt4F1qQQqOERNe1_PxYX8B2Jou33OqRLBsQAMuIqgTlmmGbjfRWJvdcy-hVZhliG22eX2NWPXqyBjRAKqpeqTfYakajZlNuB20G7j32szzeVm8DSoRvk4qqFWm/s799/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Trial%20by%20Fire%20Sara%20Charlesworth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Trial by Fire by Sarah Charlesworth (Cibachrome with lacquered wood frame). ©The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth. Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery." border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y7PkoKw_-oo_7EKpExluT71Z4pH-gS-gWpfVgWOYymjPwBmsK4HsgIitZYbP60xWXZBt4F1qQQqOERNe1_PxYX8B2Jou33OqRLBsQAMuIqgTlmmGbjfRWJvdcy-hVZhliG22eX2NWPXqyBjRAKqpeqTfYakajZlNuB20G7j32szzeVm8DSoRvk4qqFWm/s16000/Boca%20Raton%20Oct%202023%20Trial%20by%20Fire%20Sara%20Charlesworth.jpg" title="Trial by Fire by Sarah Charlesworth (Cibachrome with lacquered wood frame). ©The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth. Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trial by Fire by Sarah Charlesworth (Cibachrome with lacquered wood frame). ©The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth. Courtesy of Paula Cooper Gallery.</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-82614012757616726832023-10-09T21:45:00.002-04:002023-10-09T21:46:19.307-04:00Classical Invention | Black Dog String Quartet: A Thousand Times Brighter (Independent / 28 April 2023)<h1 style="text-align: left;">Classical Invention<br />Black Dog String Quartet: A Thousand Times Brighter<br />(Independent / 28 April 2023)</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5rVjPzwSosOSkmI5GUCFlb?si=LWoxE9zHT0Ce09mzsW7zIQ&nd=1" target="_blank"><b>Stream It On Spotify</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>Vancouver's Black Dog String Quartet bring Western classical music and contemporary sensibilities together with dramatic flair and virtuosic technique. Contemporary vocalists add a contrasting element to the dazzling classical musicianship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPPduT3Fe3SPL8HSTVCs8qzs5iy7XIM3FAwaAoZPovMOjPmvoMRP0dXDu5UlD8nSJxQ4ZG5jXvFn38Jru2h8ogfNOyvkIYR21_pnCme0JxciDLwXgBIUafz1TiSmk-S0Qlf3ck4LzQh1zf5LnjpNhnCRqrLDxAZU5N3lBbpQUcIQiWxJ1h6IbIckagrZ_/s650/Black%20Dog%20STring%20Quartet%20-%20A%20Thousand%20TImes%20Brighter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPPduT3Fe3SPL8HSTVCs8qzs5iy7XIM3FAwaAoZPovMOjPmvoMRP0dXDu5UlD8nSJxQ4ZG5jXvFn38Jru2h8ogfNOyvkIYR21_pnCme0JxciDLwXgBIUafz1TiSmk-S0Qlf3ck4LzQh1zf5LnjpNhnCRqrLDxAZU5N3lBbpQUcIQiWxJ1h6IbIckagrZ_/s16000/Black%20Dog%20STring%20Quartet%20-%20A%20Thousand%20TImes%20Brighter.jpg" /></a></div><p>Their 2023 release A Thousand Times Brighter includes nine new compositions. </p><p>"These songs present the quartet in an unique role: the quartet as a band, forming the energetic core of the music, with support on some tracks from upright bass, drums, and brass instruments. The composition reflects our collective interests in contemporary composition, fiddle, folk, and pop music. Recognizable pop forms are mixed with extended instrumental sections, unexpected textures, and extended string techniques. There are stylistic elements borrowed from fiddle music, contemporary classical, Romantic-period art song (especially German Lieder), contemporary folk, and Balinese gamelan.</p><p>"The album's primary thematic material is ecology and the natural world. The songs explore specific western Canadian environments such as the interior plateau, the coastal rainforest, and the prairies, as well as our human relationship with these places. Woven through this imagery is a narrative of deeply personal reflections on mental health, intimacy, and dreams."</p><p>The Black Dog String Quartet was formed in 2007, and the group has appeared on the recordings of artists such as 54-40, Marianas Trench, Bleeding Through, among others. The individual members of the quartet have performed live on stage with acts such as Rod Stewart, Kanye West, Sting, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Video Games Live.</p><p>All The Pretty Little Horses puts the traditional lullabye into a swell of strings that rise and fall with the words. Drums in a rapid-fire jazzy mode are the bottom layer to Two. The effect is something like musical theatre in its dramatic intensity. In A Dream could also be in a staged production. Call it art song without the operatic style.</p><p>How I Remember It is a standout on the release, with its jazzy syncopations on bass and drums. The vocals offer a conventional song structure against the increasingly complex web of string lines. Thompson is a folk song with a lush arrangement of strings, and a story of love lost. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzc6-Fk-ubapzzQQqml5B2uj34ITrDO20Ndfot1_39ppC4sLbg0geOlx8GXWB4uMMg4RJ8cKVh91fIOfN4XJJqz5KLktKlkYMhyphenhyphenYXefrRfLjEcyQFUehtwFE8Xl7Cvn8fnOFIpK5zNtg7vC8hT7rYHwZJ7zoyImPshOVBCkt4sbLYPJREryCiSVHxtaYI/s650/Black%20Dog%20String%20Quartet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Black Dog String Quartet" border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzc6-Fk-ubapzzQQqml5B2uj34ITrDO20Ndfot1_39ppC4sLbg0geOlx8GXWB4uMMg4RJ8cKVh91fIOfN4XJJqz5KLktKlkYMhyphenhyphenYXefrRfLjEcyQFUehtwFE8Xl7Cvn8fnOFIpK5zNtg7vC8hT7rYHwZJ7zoyImPshOVBCkt4sbLYPJREryCiSVHxtaYI/s16000/Black%20Dog%20String%20Quartet.jpg" title="Black Dog String Quartet" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Dog String Quartet</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">In Memoriam</h3><p>During the production of "A Thousand Times Brighter", Black Dog String Quartet experienced a significant tragedy when their producer/engineer, Olivia Quan, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes at just 25 years old. She had nearly finished mixing the album at the time - the final adjustments were done by her colleague, Tom Dobrzanski. </p><p>"Olivia was a young audio engineering phenom, having already worked on multiple Juno-nominated recordings, and the BDSQ considered her a friend. We had specifically selected her to work on this project with us after having worked with her as a session quartet on multiple other artists' albums."</p><p>Olivia's colleagues and family set up the Olivia Quan Award for Audio Excellence through Music BC in her memory. The remaining fees we owed her at the time of her passing were donated to this scholarship fund for promising young engineers. "A Thousand Times Brighter" is dedicated to Olivia and the olive tree imagery on the cover is a nod to her (as the name Olivia means 'olive tree'). </p><p><b>Personnel:</b> Elyse Jacobson, violin | Molly MacKinnon, violin | John Kastelic, viola | Doug Gorkoff, cello (with John Kastelic, Chelsea Rose, and Naomi Kavka on lead vocals) </p><p><b>Websites:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Official Website: <a href="http://blackdogstringquartet.com">blackdogstringquartet.com</a></li><li>Facebook: f<a href="http://acebook.com/blackdogstringquartet">acebook.com/blackdogstringquartet</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/blackdogquartet">instagram.com/blackdogquartet</a></li></ul>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gj_kJkcHLCg?si=9Fs4rfRdHMeSzacD" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-48562651016878438492023-10-09T21:33:00.005-04:002023-10-09T21:34:40.890-04:00Guitar Meets Erhu | Rock Of Asia: TAMI (Independent / June 16th 2023)<h1 style="text-align: left;">Guitar Meets Erhu<br />Rock Of Asia: TAMI<br />(Independent / June 16th 2023)</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://rockofasia.bandcamp.com/album/tami" target="_blank"><b>Buy/Stream It On Bandcamp</b></a> </li></ul><p></p><p>Tokyo-based Rock Of Asia blend East and West, with a repertoire of traditional Japanese music in addition to its original and cover songs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0rjPunCE8-JkODowtjqUNLXwCnJINZouakSSSCjQop99azBScKqZDxnypVcy8ilJfDe5TeDQfsbhiDpwLXMreZkOIi_2aBH8TngCPCgHKHY29jhP5UlaoSpaelaB87TIQQLy7_iy9oGZGOze1yflrSRSSXHwdupLtdpp2mTSbaEyXGYkU9MXHrdGgzG9/s650/Rock%20Of%20Asia%20TAMI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0rjPunCE8-JkODowtjqUNLXwCnJINZouakSSSCjQop99azBScKqZDxnypVcy8ilJfDe5TeDQfsbhiDpwLXMreZkOIi_2aBH8TngCPCgHKHY29jhP5UlaoSpaelaB87TIQQLy7_iy9oGZGOze1yflrSRSSXHwdupLtdpp2mTSbaEyXGYkU9MXHrdGgzG9/s16000/Rock%20Of%20Asia%20TAMI.jpg" /></a></div><p>Nikki Matsumoto performed rock music as a pro in the United States for about 15 years before returning to Tokyo to form Rock Of Asia. The band blends Western instruments like the guitar and violin with Eastern instruments like the koto, shamisen, sho, and erhu.</p><p>The result is driving rock with an unexpected sound. Kizen Ohyama's virtuosic Shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute, is a particularly lovely addition to the mix. </p><p>The lyrics are in English, and Nikki's vocals are melodic when needed, and harsh enough for the rockier parts. Four-Legged Requiem has a jazzy edge and insistent rhythm, overlaid by layers of melody.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9YiPfRwoal0F-ISHogj8CMnbzKScCIqXwdtecCmz5FCZryNyA4NG_JMewRuAf2JGVkX1BoLDfo2pmyJLBr5bjrJGwD3PanWt5HUTpmZI1C82iPu86rlsJWI63TBL0TDukMU2T-4xFQGOzHQegXRaUTd4Ha9LwdNUum_IjXaukA0JezurJmTJhzcQzjw_/s650/Rock%20Of%20Asia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rock Of Asia" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9YiPfRwoal0F-ISHogj8CMnbzKScCIqXwdtecCmz5FCZryNyA4NG_JMewRuAf2JGVkX1BoLDfo2pmyJLBr5bjrJGwD3PanWt5HUTpmZI1C82iPu86rlsJWI63TBL0TDukMU2T-4xFQGOzHQegXRaUTd4Ha9LwdNUum_IjXaukA0JezurJmTJhzcQzjw_/s16000/Rock%20Of%20Asia.jpg" title="Rock Of Asia" /></a></div><p>There are eight tracks on the album, each presenting a different face to the fusion mix. </p><p>Sunbright turns to traditional Japanese melodies for inspiration, mixed with a bit of North American folk rock. The erhu and violin weave in and out of the Shakuhachi.</p><p>Capital In Your Vein leans into Western jazz, pop and rock with a gloss of Japanese instrumentation to make it interesting. Eastern Eyes is a standout track with a driving heart that showcases the violin as a rock instrument. </p><p>It's an original sound that should appeal to eclectic tastes.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Official Website: <a href="http://rockofasia.com">rockofasia.com</a></li><li>Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rockofasia">www.facebook.com/rockofasia</a></li></ul><p></p><p>Personnel: Nikki Matsumoto (Vocals, Biwa, Sanshin, Guitars, Bass, Programming & Percussions); Yasuhisa Murase (Acoustic Guitar); Kizen Ohyama (Shakuhachi); Yuki Ishii (Violin)</p>
<iframe width="650" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tw-3E7vmN6k?si=g-rVSHXzPAz4XW9x" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-9308364550114746552023-10-09T21:24:00.002-04:002023-10-09T21:26:01.766-04:00Neoclassical Piano | Frank Clare: Admiratio Magna (Independent / January 4, 2023) <h1 style="text-align: left;">Neoclassical Piano<br />Frank Clare: Admiratio Magna<br /> (Independent / January 4, 2023) </h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4yg2BZgCFVc8MqYWmnowko?si=zUF22oIYTjm4mcSR6Ffc-A&nd=1" target="_blank"><b>Stream It On Spotify</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>Neoclassical musician and composer Frank Clare delivers his debut album Admiratio Magna. It's inspired by Clare's appreciation for 19th century classical music, as well as his love of philosophy, science, and mindfulness, as he explains in a statement.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlc5P6h3CRcTAzC3yFb3tha0vHskDxpMmRgt5RkxUv1YPLrlfORSFbw1d1ShRsUeOerpB_jqiGU0SlX2LXgMbpVo6NnJdYPSb5sdyDWnSO5CV8-7rNWYioA8VuNff0WKk25qmtp1j7XanqqSYb6e9wI6qOf3o_A7SdIlUfifCmj7wxOjvpNjFA0GWMxft/s650/Frank%20Clare%20Piano%20Trilogy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlc5P6h3CRcTAzC3yFb3tha0vHskDxpMmRgt5RkxUv1YPLrlfORSFbw1d1ShRsUeOerpB_jqiGU0SlX2LXgMbpVo6NnJdYPSb5sdyDWnSO5CV8-7rNWYioA8VuNff0WKk25qmtp1j7XanqqSYb6e9wI6qOf3o_A7SdIlUfifCmj7wxOjvpNjFA0GWMxft/s16000/Frank%20Clare%20Piano%20Trilogy.jpg" /></a></div><p>"I started piano at a late age, 15, and was never good at playing other people's music. But I loved music and wanted to play, so I started composing."</p><p>The music of the 19th century spans classicism and romanticism, and Clare's style adds the sensibility of a minimalist - only as many notes as are required for the effect. </p><p>"Admiratio Magna is Latin for The Big Surprise. What blows me away is that anything exists at all. Matter. You, me. Washing machines.The Grand Canyon, the Milky Way. Chocolate croissants. Anything. Everything. The Big Surprise. From nothing to everything and back again. Admiratio Magna.".</p><p>It's an interesting premise, and results in a very contemporary expression. Patterns and snippets of melody and pure tone weave together with an eclectic sensibility. Clare leads the listener into his compositions with a skilful sense of structure - so skilful that it seems nonchalant. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubAf__vlOVhX6HXwdD6Xdx-Hmrd73XhUs4r2raMSp85e958RJhzdCCGsg2q3q5IBS-35-hSRamCg_lhZtqCjlxYUH2uAJP3uZ5FGC6le8jEXEy7yDJ3rIfZrHJmpT3En_COXVXxr-iOwT4G4Al9BZIAk_kicru320SVbrhhwV3hZo9WmrjYxgYkeZgQJr/s650/Frank%20Clare%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubAf__vlOVhX6HXwdD6Xdx-Hmrd73XhUs4r2raMSp85e958RJhzdCCGsg2q3q5IBS-35-hSRamCg_lhZtqCjlxYUH2uAJP3uZ5FGC6le8jEXEy7yDJ3rIfZrHJmpT3En_COXVXxr-iOwT4G4Al9BZIAk_kicru320SVbrhhwV3hZo9WmrjYxgYkeZgQJr/s16000/Frank%20Clare%202.jpg" /></a></div><p>"I use notes to make music. I also use notes to make space to dream in. </p><p>"Part One, Vox Intus Omnia is Latin for The Voice Behind Everything. It's inner, still, heartbeat and breath. The space between heartbeat and breath. The verge. </p><p>"Part Two, La Grande Sorpresa is inspired by Italian opera: melodramatic, rhapsodic and grand. It's ignition, excitement, catastrophe, and what's left after there's nothing left. </p><p>"Part Three, Apotheosis, starts with L'Extase, influenced by French music, creativity, frivolity, individuality, the battle between fun and responsibility, re-creation and the pure joy of being alive. Die Apotheose is culmination, transformation, transfiguration. Inspired by German classical music, it's foreboding, dramatic, apocalyptic, apotheotic. Goodbye Hello brings us back to just after the end and just before the beginning."</p><p>The seven tracks should please fans of relaxing and meditative piano music and contemporary neoclassical in general.</p><p><b>Websites: </b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Official Website: <a href="https://www.frankclare.com/">https://www.frankclare.com/</a> </li><li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012297945488">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012297945488</a> </li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/frankclare/" target="_blank">Frank Clare</a> </li></ul>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pUzYX0fgVUk?si=hNUG5WcdmuDbpPka" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-65884377598265022782023-10-09T21:10:00.003-04:002023-10-09T21:13:05.799-04:00Multi-layered Instrumental Music | MVI (Mark Vickness Interconnected): In The Rain Shadow (Independent / May 15, 2023)<h1 style="text-align: left;">Multi-layered Instrumental Music<br />MVI (Mark Vickness Interconnected): In The Rain Shadow<br />(Independent / May 15, 2023)</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/094PvzNzomQEPJFeFb6JNx?si=-cKGyByzQk66Ep6E9qEIFA&nd=1" target="_blank"><b>Stream It On Spotify</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>MVI, or Mark Vickness Interconnected, is a project of invention for the titular acoustic guitar virtuoso. On In The Rain Shadow, the collective has produced a multi-layered concept album of instrumental music.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0ZH_OQYGl8ZRdwJGM7pRzjlwSo8kaZ7ltPOSjXftRs_V4FaHV1cyqGRmkmFc9ewN20Y2ulzadbmX97EvbtfWMIHr3uBbfNULzHqvE-19ijsq8dfXH9FHTqtkKY1JEYToqkJupZlfUly8iulU6FKztZFSIG5GVlOQ9mOK6x1OrqOUiM1yXUBI8AGa_v9L/s650/MVI%20In%20The%20Rain%20SHadow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0ZH_OQYGl8ZRdwJGM7pRzjlwSo8kaZ7ltPOSjXftRs_V4FaHV1cyqGRmkmFc9ewN20Y2ulzadbmX97EvbtfWMIHr3uBbfNULzHqvE-19ijsq8dfXH9FHTqtkKY1JEYToqkJupZlfUly8iulU6FKztZFSIG5GVlOQ9mOK6x1OrqOUiM1yXUBI8AGa_v9L/s16000/MVI%20In%20The%20Rain%20SHadow.jpg" /></a></div><p>"Most of the music on In The Rain Shadow takes its inspiration from moving to the high desert (California's Owens Valley) in late 2020. We live literally in the rain shadow, which is a meteorological term meaning on the sheltered side of a mountain range where there is less precipitation because of the wind patterns. </p><p>"Most of the titles on this recording are taken from geological or meteorological features we experience daily. These compositions are intended to reflect a new appreciation for the opportunity to absorb the wonders of living in the rain shadow. It is humbling, awesome, peaceful, thrilling, tranquil and beautiful."</p><p>The nine tracks are named after the natural surroundings - The Gorge, Alluvial Fans, Roadrunner. The instrumentation is lush and subtly intertwines the various voices. Each gets a chance to shine within the mix.</p><p>The mood is generally upbeat, from the speedy rhythms of folky High Desert to the jazzy groove of The Gorge and gentle flow of Alluvial Fans. There are many different elements in the music.</p><p>The ensemble has grown to become a 7-member collective, each bringing varied influences to the music, from jazz to progressive rock to classical and more.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfk_XdoHud69q0YJJMw8RTvwfT8WpZk_zpgA3M5qfp7p8maXLvHftm-a5rADGLbwIUbdhrM8VZr7EjDm0td-42pzf0HwUz1KFKo4PpHhhyzppSxv0RMyap1V2rvpJUNlSAyS3K0-EF8EvHw1zOPi0Bv5ZQfSjqXio_p_TpfPHO6uNZHML3RUT62syD83k/s650/MVI%20Collective.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="MVI Interconnected" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfk_XdoHud69q0YJJMw8RTvwfT8WpZk_zpgA3M5qfp7p8maXLvHftm-a5rADGLbwIUbdhrM8VZr7EjDm0td-42pzf0HwUz1KFKo4PpHhhyzppSxv0RMyap1V2rvpJUNlSAyS3K0-EF8EvHw1zOPi0Bv5ZQfSjqXio_p_TpfPHO6uNZHML3RUT62syD83k/s16000/MVI%20Collective.jpg" title="MVI Interconnected" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MVI Interconnected</td></tr></tbody></table><p>"MVI is intended to reflect musically the idea that we are all part of one incredibly diverse human family. As a composer, this is my dream ensemble. Each musician is an accomplished soloist adept at many different types of music. They all bring an astounding breadth and depth of musical understanding and experience. </p><p>"There is almost no style of music we cannot draw from. We have a classical trio (violin, cello, oboe), a jazz quartet, percussion instruments from almost every continent and virtuoso players capable of playing pretty much anything I put in front of them from funk to raga style improvisation, from interwoven counterpoint to rock power chords, from a fast Irish 12/8 romp to an ambient textural tapestry and more – they do it all with ease and with an infectious energy that is palpable on every track. I could not be more grateful to be able to work with these remarkable musicians!"</p><p>Stillness (for Will) is a standout track. Its meditative opening gives way to a vibrant polyrhythm underneath a soaring solos by the oboe and violin. </p><p>After early training at the piano, Mark switched to acoustic fingerstyle guitar, and from performer to composer. He holds bachelors and masters degress in composition, and has studied classical piano, guitar, sitar, and tabla. Along with many years as a performer, he's composed film and dance scores.</p><p>The album should please fans of classical music, jazz and global jazz, and and fusions thereof.</p><p><b>Personnel:</b> Mark Vickness/guitar; Mads Tolling/violin; Matt Renzi/winds; Joseph Hebert/cello; Dan Feiszli/bass; Ty Burhoe/tabla; MB Gordy/percussion</p><p><b>Online:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Websites: <a href="http://www.markvickness.com">www.markvickness.com</a></li><li>Official Website: <a href="http://www.markvickness.com">www.markvickness.com</a></li><li>Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mark.vickness/">www.facebook.com/mark.vickness/</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mvi_interconnected/" target="_blank">mvi_interconnected</a></li></ul><p></p><p>The release has included a series of live HD videos.</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/68unZ9AKFLk?si=7EWnrSvciCHnQIOY" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-70744814405432925122023-10-09T20:42:00.000-04:002023-10-09T20:42:51.935-04:00Melodic Pop | Bill Godfrey: Hypnotized (Independent / Sept 8 2023)<h1 style="text-align: left;">Melodic Pop<br />Bill Godfrey: Hypnotized<br />(Independent / Sept 8 2023)</h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3AYk6SCflnY1mMvb7hSddm?si=zDHPYlOuSWeJv76-dPB6YQ&nd=1" target="_blank"><b>Stream It On Spotify</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p>Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Bill Godfrey's Hypnotized is an album with a kind of story to tell.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefQoz_roh1qdLj69tdlpUEc3sP6KpNoFdGan0Z9VYIbxWC-WDvNBm62xzSuhjT6ghlvGkhdtssPeCfjk2Zm-We-Xi6i-7mNnXjL_oh9QXlJ60gpf1at-lgrcKJ7bizUkoFGvCBI1PMSMYxlkGpwxOMSwkGKmMmLps_KVWVs154m-EflaPVLP3-Gw1-mWo/s653/Bill%20Godfrey%20Hypnotized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Bill Godfrey - Hypnotized" border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefQoz_roh1qdLj69tdlpUEc3sP6KpNoFdGan0Z9VYIbxWC-WDvNBm62xzSuhjT6ghlvGkhdtssPeCfjk2Zm-We-Xi6i-7mNnXjL_oh9QXlJ60gpf1at-lgrcKJ7bizUkoFGvCBI1PMSMYxlkGpwxOMSwkGKmMmLps_KVWVs154m-EflaPVLP3-Gw1-mWo/s16000/Bill%20Godfrey%20Hypnotized.jpg" title="Bill Godfrey - Hypnotized" /></a></p><p>"Hypnotized is a coming-of-age exploration of a young mind that seeks identity and love, but struggles to break free from outside influence and control. Each track explores a means of influence over the mind, by way of fear, grief, co-dependence, substances, dogma, or even malice."</p><p>His style blends elements of traditional folk and bluegrass, and a poetic sense of storytelling, with a bit of a jazzy edge. Occasionally, he throws orchestration and electronics bits into the mix. It creates an interesting sound that nods to retro jazz and pop, but with a sense of invention that's definitely contemporary.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBL9JsU4YpLNOdz9YVuNCMW1NLaieewNz5J8D1Pa4mU7sCYCqnMSY9oevZi_Lygjgit5QFrvQ9_pPfH1omIxeQgZ_NbIp7geY35PWWahcM8xUTHntOXbmIBv9CmX2HCTWC7mAsleoPRphhS_2H8ewLctzBGDeV2XSv0KSQ6pAquqXaEgdHNZ0eF5BuXJXj/s650/Bill%20Godfrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bill Godfrey" border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBL9JsU4YpLNOdz9YVuNCMW1NLaieewNz5J8D1Pa4mU7sCYCqnMSY9oevZi_Lygjgit5QFrvQ9_pPfH1omIxeQgZ_NbIp7geY35PWWahcM8xUTHntOXbmIBv9CmX2HCTWC7mAsleoPRphhS_2H8ewLctzBGDeV2XSv0KSQ6pAquqXaEgdHNZ0eF5BuXJXj/s16000/Bill%20Godfrey.jpg" title="Bill Godfrey" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Godfrey</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The themes of obsession and influence run through the lyrics of all the songs. On Hypnotized, the title track, it's a romantic obsession, while on Sprightly Gentleman, it's about the cookie cutter influence of school on kids - and how it can be broken. </p><span style="text-align: left;">As a singer, he's a versatile tenor who reminds occasionally of Paul Simon. Mama Help Me is a standout track that veers from dancey melodic sections to a heartfelt plea. Patiently has a slow and sexy groove that drives a story about waiting for love.</span><p>Bill grew up in rural Texas and started playing music at a young age.</p><p>"The Kerrville Folk Festival was a big part of my early exposure to playing and singing. It’s a 3 week long camp out in which friends bring instruments and play music together. Only acoustic instruments are allowed. I learned a ton of songs and was exposed to artists like Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Blaze Foley, James Taylor, Carol King and John Prine."</p><p>Fans of singer-songwriters who break from the mould will love this release.</p><p><b>Personnel:</b> Bill Godfrey - All instrumental performances except: Ray Zepeda - Saxophone solo on Sprightly Gentleman; Dani Poppit - Backing vocals on Patiently; Marshall Gallagher - electric guitar solo on Mama Help Me</p><p><b>Online:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Websites: <a href="https://billgodfrey.com">https://billgodfrey.com</a> <a href="https://hypnotized.billgodfrey.com">https://hypnotized.billgodfrey.com</a> </li><li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/billgodfreymusic">https://www.facebook.com/billgodfreymusic</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/billgodfreymusic/">https://www.instagram.com/billgodfreymusic/</a></li></ul>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZpHjLNrB8E?si=n_1It6b4JPuz8dAr" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-17906581454369409922023-10-01T19:49:00.002-04:002023-10-01T19:52:46.986-04:00World Premiere: Walking Through the Fire | Indigenous Collaborations with Sultans of String <p><i>With material from a media release</i></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">World Premiere: Walking Through the Fire<br />Indigenous Collaborations with Sultans of String </h1><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Stream It From Your Fave Service <a href="https://sultansofstring.lnk.to/WalkingThroughtheFire" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></li><li><b>All Tour Tickets On Sale <a href="https://sultansofstring.com/calendar/" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></li></ul><p></p><p>I'm a little bit late to get on the bandwagon of this tour of an exciting new release by global music specialists Sultans of String. They've collaborated with award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists to bring it to the stage in a world premiere production.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8CW15jRwoXNmQNczIrCx1mxrZNDE6a756NNViXe-Cv5tfDe0-AMdT5ARXTwvL1_CW5c9Z2QJ2BvsPwY77EnufXJAVOiezanCoNzd53apynoIAvXzXJk0AkGlkWftIiEZhSLbEMCUtFlL0oFWY26TVKhQnADyNEkeBo98iDZ6twftsL0ozpokDlvkpcTd/s650/Sultans%20of%20STring%20and%20collaborators.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sultans of String - Walking Through Fire" border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8CW15jRwoXNmQNczIrCx1mxrZNDE6a756NNViXe-Cv5tfDe0-AMdT5ARXTwvL1_CW5c9Z2QJ2BvsPwY77EnufXJAVOiezanCoNzd53apynoIAvXzXJk0AkGlkWftIiEZhSLbEMCUtFlL0oFWY26TVKhQnADyNEkeBo98iDZ6twftsL0ozpokDlvkpcTd/s16000/Sultans%20of%20STring%20and%20collaborators.jpg" title="Sultans of String - Walking Through Fire" /></a></div><p>The tour began a couple of days ago in Markham. See below for the rest of the schedule so far.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Walking Through the Fire</h3><p>Walking Through the Fire is a musical multimedia experience unlike any other. From Métis fiddling to an East Coast Kitchen Party, rumba to rock, to the drumming of the Pacific Northwest, experience the beauty and diversity of music from Turtle Island with Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk of the Métis Fiddler Quartet, Ojibwe/Finnish Singer-Songwriter Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), Coast Tsm’syen Singer-Songwriter Shannon Thunderbird, Mi'kmaw Fingerstyle Guitarist Don Ross, Dene Singer-songwriter Leela Gilday, Elder and poet Dr. Duke Redbird, and The North Sound from the prairies, performing on stage, as well as virtual guests on the big screen, including the Northern Cree pow wow group, and more.</p><p>A central theme running through Walking Through The Fire is the need for the truth of Indigenous experience to be told before reconciliation can begin in earnest. Embedded in the title of the show is the energy of rebirth: fire destroys, but it also nourishes the soil to create new growth, beauty, and resiliency. </p><p>Walking Through The Fire ensures that we emerge on the other side together, stronger and more unified.</p><p><i>Nîmihito (Dance) is the first single off the Sultans of String album Walking Through the Fire</i></p>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">TOUR SCHEDULE:</h3><p>The first leg of the tour features Leela Gilday, The North Sound, Don Ross, Shannon Thunderbird, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), and a multimedia extravaganza including Northern Cree, Kendra Tagoona, Tracy Sarazin, Duke Redbird and more.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sep 28 – Markham Flato Markham Theatre</li><li>Sep 29 – Stratford Stratford Symphony</li><li>Sep 30 - St Catharines Niagara Symphony-FirstOntario PAC</li><li>Oct 1 - St Catharines Niagara Symphony-FirstOntario PAC</li><li>Oct 2 - St Catharines FirstOntario PAC Education show</li><li>Oct 3 – Brantford Brantford Symphony</li><li>Oct 4 – Lindsay Flato Academy Theatre</li></ul><p></p><p>The <b>second leg</b> features Shannon Thunderbird, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), and a multimedia extravaganza including Northern Cree, Kendra Tagoona, Tracy Sarazin, Duke Redbird, and more.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Oct 10 – Sudbury Café Heritage – Education & Evening show</li><li>Oct 11 - North Bay Capitol Centre</li><li>Oct 12 – Timmins Timmins Museum, O’Gorman HS</li><li>Oct 13 – Geraldton Geraldton Concert Series</li><li>Oct 14 - Thunder Bay Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society</li><li>Oct 15 – Dryden Dryden Entertainment Series</li><li>Oct 16 - Sioux Lookout Sioux Hudson Entertainment Series</li><li>Oct 17 - Red Lake Red Lake Entertainment Series</li><li>Oct 18 – Kenora Lake of the Woods Concert Group</li><li>Oct 19 - Fort Frances Tour de Fort Entertainment Series</li><li>Oct 22 – Burlington Burlington PAC</li><li>Oct 23 – Burlington Burlington PAC Education show</li><li>Nov 12 – Walkerton Victoria Jubilee Hall</li></ul><p></p><p>2024 (more dates being added)</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Jan 19 - Ottawa Centrepointe Theatre</li><li>Jan 23 – Kingston Kingston Grand Theatre – Education & Evening show</li><li>Jan 25 – Brampton Rose Theatre – Education & Evening show</li><li>Jan 30 – Guelph River Run Centre Education show</li><li>Jan 31 – Guelph River Run Centre Education show</li><li>Feb 1 – Guelph River Run Centre – Education & Evening show</li><li>Mar 2 – Winnipeg Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra</li><li>Mar 3 – Winnipeg Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra</li><li>April 15 – Markham Flato Markham Theatre – Education Show</li><li>April 16 – Markham
Flato Markham Theatre – Education Show</li></ul>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0A5V6Q1Iabg?si=Vl_6kmoYFjTujdyY" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-53048765372543599832023-09-30T10:57:00.002-04:002023-09-30T10:58:17.849-04:00Dancer/Choreographer David Giller: From The NBA Courts To Neoclassical Opera<h1 style="text-align: left;">Dancer/Choreographer David Giller:<br /> From The NBA Courts To Neoclassical Opera</h1><p>“As a kid I always loved sports,” says professional dancer and choreographer David Giller. He played tennis, basketball, and every other recreational sport he came across. “I was always expressive physically.”</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZfFrz17d6eCtbDTI-RROLoEGqVJassrXYLsmnZLV5k5XUTd0dWaPd7g_-gy_0hraV1UxurrX6DyDxwtmrgmBLbuGLhC9P8Ru9SfJLbX7j1jfnikWpsd_s3BFVtZJ2laKTzbfrV82a-tumbBqUiDwKXpfNHEhlZnFomcXjamMmYlcPccCcXTe1oZiReND/s650/David%20Giller.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dancer David Giller" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZfFrz17d6eCtbDTI-RROLoEGqVJassrXYLsmnZLV5k5XUTd0dWaPd7g_-gy_0hraV1UxurrX6DyDxwtmrgmBLbuGLhC9P8Ru9SfJLbX7j1jfnikWpsd_s3BFVtZJ2laKTzbfrV82a-tumbBqUiDwKXpfNHEhlZnFomcXjamMmYlcPccCcXTe1oZiReND/s16000/David%20Giller.jpeg" title="Dancer David Giller" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancer/choreographer David Giller<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As he tried a series of sports and activities, dance and tennis were the last two disciplines he came to. He was already dancing competitively when he made his final choice. “I pretty much chose dance over tennis because I felt a lot more creativity and artistry in dance.”</p><p>He went on to study dance at George Brown College. “I absolutely loved the programme,” he says. “I loved being downtown.” He credits the environment for truly bringing him into the dance world.</p><p>In the beginning, that consisted of “a lot of free gigs and networking” – a familiar story in any creative field. In the process, he realized that he wanted more training, and went back to George Brown for another two years, adding more intensive training and ballet to his skill set. </p><p>His first year back, though, got cut off by the pandemic, and eventually became a hybrid online/in-person. David recalls doing ballet in a mask and face shield. “You stand, and you’re exhausted,” he laughs. “It was pretty funny.”</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">The Celestial Fox</h3><p>And, despite its drawbacks, the time was well spent. When the dance world finally opened back up again, he’d already made the connections to move on quickly. David became part of a production with the Garden Little Night Orchestra titled The Legend of Huli, based on ancient legends of the Celestial Fox. David served as both choreographer and dancer in a role that took him through several styles of music from flamenco and jazz to baroque. </p><p>Together with composer, arranger, and guitarist Roman Smirnov, Chinese pipa virtuoso Wen Zhao and oud, lyra and percussion player Demetrios Petsalakis, the show toured to Estonia as well as playing in Toronto.</p><p>“It was very much improvised,” he recalls. There was little time for preparations before the show hit the stage, and then the road. “I was dancing for instruments.”</p><p>Along with the performing experience, he got a closer look at how shows are financed, as well as the working trip to Estonia. “It was a whole different side of the world to me.” He was the youngest in a group of veteran performers, including Wen Zhao, who is in her 70s and still touring. “I definitely learned a lot from that. I was really grateful to be able to experience it.” Eventually another dancer from Russia was added to the show. “We performed in the nicest places.”</p><p>David has appeared in music videos, and worked with a variety of noted choreographers, like Hollywood Jade, Shavar Blackwood, Nicola Pantin, Leon Blackwood, Chris Clarke, George Jone, among others. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Raptors</h3><p>In between his bouts of college studies, David auditioned for the Raptors.</p><p>“There’s not a lot of consistency in jobs with dance,” he says. It was almost a challenge – to prove to the world that he could make a living as a dancer. “The training, because it is performing in front of 20,00 people, I always wanted that,” he says. </p><p>It began with the G-league Raptors in small stadiums in front of a hundred fans or so – not at the Scotiabank Arena. During the second year of the pandemic, he auditioned for the NBA versions. He got the gig, which at the time involved dancing in a mask, with a schedule that could be cancelled at a moment’s notice. </p><p>“I was still happy that I made it,” he said. “It’s really, really fun. It pushes me.” It led to regular visits to the gym just to keep up with the choreography. “Everyone was already an athlete. All the dancers were very athletic. It really inspired me.”</p><p>It’s also a busy schedule, with three-hour rehearsals twice a week along with the games. “It’s pretty heavy,” he says – although he still finds time to teach private swimming lessons. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrI9imxUtFONB02oZ-HDwgGX9THWRGutQV9NLRnTnSaxX3UeQdXBDMuOof7ZwOFhlTJ22d3PNoQH7vnambPPEg8l6z9SAiK1m03m4nx8YY-6THtb7y59KvVPah4_ZUsjvFPMONov7irYqw-3WAgeNh4MjHXlawltbBpF-VVYfo2pHwxmjJ15qp1WAVbVTt/s650/TAngo%20for%20Two.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrI9imxUtFONB02oZ-HDwgGX9THWRGutQV9NLRnTnSaxX3UeQdXBDMuOof7ZwOFhlTJ22d3PNoQH7vnambPPEg8l6z9SAiK1m03m4nx8YY-6THtb7y59KvVPah4_ZUsjvFPMONov7irYqw-3WAgeNh4MjHXlawltbBpF-VVYfo2pHwxmjJ15qp1WAVbVTt/s16000/TAngo%20for%20Two.jpg" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Tango For Two</h3><p>“Anything I can pretty much do to stay innovative,” he says of what drives him. </p><p>In October, he’ll be performing in a new neoclassical opera by Toronto composer Jonathan Kravtchenko titled <a href="https://tangofortwo.com/" target="_blank">Tango for Two</a>. The innovative project combines original neoclassical music, opera, and dance. </p><p>Naturally, the piece involves an entirely different style than what he performs for the Raptors games. “It definitely asks for a lot more, but also just, being flexible [...] to the style that’s given to me,” he says. “I just have to be observant of what the song asks of me.”</p><p>Learning the tango has been an interesting challenge, including research. “Just like any homework you do,” he explains. “It’s more about the flow than the really fast spins and all that. It’s a sensual style, but it’s classy. It’s nice to research and explore a dance that’s classy like that.”</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Tickets for Tango For Two are on sale [<a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tango-for-two-tickets-630283223087?aff=tangopop" target="_blank">HERE</a>].</b></li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Dance Film </h3><p>On And On is David's dance film, released in September 2022. From his description:</p><p><i>I can't write you a love song but I can dance you this song. It's my truth to share something as valuable, as impactful as this feeling inside me. My love for our love. The steps will pour out of me as these words shoot out of my thumbs. It's beautiful, it's important, it's feeling.</i></p><p><i>The most impactful thing we can share in this world is how we feel. People will relate and see the window into your truest self. Opening up and letting everyone know that you are more. You are you. </i></p><p><i>Forever in your arms so please keep on holding on and on. I might be lost at times, but if you have me forever I will show you my unconditional love. It will guide me in our relationship. </i></p><p>Choreographed and Performed by David Giller; Directed by Theo Zgraggen; Featuring Nicole Jaskot; Music by Thirdstory</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LbTHmL-70Ks?si=2oUY9kHlrCYTdLcq" title="YouTube video player" width="650"></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1087303744777936873.post-78913158130150919772023-09-17T19:37:00.002-04:002023-09-17T19:37:58.682-04:00Sharing Our Songs: The Songwriter's Open Circle & Lyric Party<h1 style="text-align: left;">Sharing Our Songs:<br />The Songwriter's Open Circle & Lyric Party</h1><p>Since February of 2023, I've been hosting an even I've called the Songwriter's Open Circle & Lyric Party at a local venue called <a href="https://casbahlounge.ca/" target="_blank">The Casbah</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs62Du6YpPnQKyjxQch8K7BQewJyd5qNIPTXOCKpcKifPSCC30Uy2uBJbm6WCX9surKIobdB0qRdEF0WZLuW2ZdTcjqOq6LSKBHZAkqkvQvWtPn1RSxuBpcSr4nBA5BGzm2DJANCjNkA7IqyAnd4bGmBxUsIMmbTxbg6wQFfAAh6DwaYUuS4BF_33Ox8D9/s650/musique-music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="After a painting possibly by Emmanuel Noterman, portrait, genre and animal painter and etcher, 1808-1863, or by Zacharias Noterman, genre and animal painter and etcher, 1813-1874; printed by Lemercier et Cie, Paris" border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs62Du6YpPnQKyjxQch8K7BQewJyd5qNIPTXOCKpcKifPSCC30Uy2uBJbm6WCX9surKIobdB0qRdEF0WZLuW2ZdTcjqOq6LSKBHZAkqkvQvWtPn1RSxuBpcSr4nBA5BGzm2DJANCjNkA7IqyAnd4bGmBxUsIMmbTxbg6wQFfAAh6DwaYUuS4BF_33Ox8D9/s16000/musique-music.jpg" title="After a painting possibly by Emmanuel Noterman, portrait, genre and animal painter and etcher, 1808-1863, or by Zacharias Noterman, genre and animal painter and etcher, 1813-1874; printed by Lemercier et Cie, Paris" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a painting possibly by Emmanuel Noterman, portrait, genre and animal painter and etcher, 1808-1863, or by Zacharias Noterman, genre and animal painter and etcher, 1813-1874; printed by Lemercier et Cie, Paris</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The idea is essentially an open mic for singer-songwriters, but one where you not only get to play your original music for an appreciative audience, but you can also talk about the songwriting process, and what went into each song. </p><p>You can crowdsource help for lyric ideas, if you want - and people have done that.</p><p>When I started out, I was honestly expecting a lot of showboating - you know. You've seen them. Those people who go to open mics to show off, and they inevitably have some interminable folk-ish songs with 12 verses... </p><p>You know.</p><p>But, that's not what happened at all.</p><p>Instead, people have come out and shared their thoughts and their lives along with their art, and it's been truly wonderful. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>They've had sing-alongs;</li><li>They've tried out works-in-progress for feedback;</li><li>They've come out to share their music for the very first time in front of people.</li></ul><p></p><p>It's attracted 20-somethings who've been creating and producing work online and via livestreams, and oldsters who've been on stage for four or five decades.</p><p>I'm really grateful for the response. If you're in Hamilton, we're at it the second Saturday of the month from 2 til 5.</p><p>This is my opening set from the third one in June, 2023:</p>
<iframe width="650" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RHX2Le_jYhM?si=O4mgVzp6Viz4krKd" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anya M Wassenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08410333596413783241noreply@blogger.com0