Arts, Performing Arts, Process Sugar Vendil Arts, Performing Arts, Process Sugar Vendil

Arts Letters & Numbers & Keyboards

I just got back from a productive and inspiring week with fellow pianists and composers, Melinda Faylor and Mary Prescott. We visited a residency upstate called Arts Letters & Numbers where we were graciously taken care of by Frida Foberg and Rikke Jørgenson. Rikke picked us up from the bus station and took us to the grocery store. In addition to Frida and Rikke, there was a lovely community of friends surrounding the residency: a ping-pong group that consistently meets once a week, and regular ALN folks Farmer Adam (moniker courtesy of mua) and John, who were great company, not to mention they generously gave us rides to the store and bus station.

Every day we hit the studio to work on a new multidisciplinary piece. Not going to say too much about that since it's very early in the process, but I will say that Mary and Melinda rock. Our work was intense, we were physically sore every day from all our moving around, and it was fun. We danced, sang rounds, played little pianos that were not of the grand variety. When we weren't working, we were either eating, practicing on the 9-foot Baldwin (however, after a couple of days I simply didn't feel like touching the piano), talking a walk, or relaxing. We all forgot to bring a nail clipper, so being the pianists we are, we were sad to leave but eager to get home to trim our nails. I'll remember to do so at our next intensive week, which I am already very much looking forward to. 

Melinda, me, and Mary at the House on the Hill

Melinda, me, and Mary at the House on the Hill

Love this vegetarian chili recipe I found on epicurious. Leftovers for days!

Love this vegetarian chili recipe I found on epicurious. Leftovers for days!

Inside the Mill

Inside the Mill

I wore this exact same outfit EVERY SINGLE DAY minus the additional sweatshirt around the waist

I wore this exact same outfit EVERY SINGLE DAY minus the additional sweatshirt around the waist

I liked working on the large surface area of the kitchen island

I liked working on the large surface area of the kitchen island

Can you remember who's who? The answers are above! :-P

Can you remember who's who? The answers are above! :-P

Thumb piano; a Casio tone from the 80s we nicknamed "Gene," as in Gene Belcher; melodica; Melinda's accordion; and some cow bells that were hanging out at the mill

Thumb piano; a Casio tone from the 80s we nicknamed "Gene," as in Gene Belcher; melodica; Melinda's accordion; and some cow bells that were hanging out at the mill

Ping-Pong set up

Ping-Pong set up

Our new buddy, Gary, who brought some delicious posole

Our new buddy, Gary, who brought some delicious posole

Outside the Mill. Can you tell we really loved the Mill?

Outside the Mill. Can you tell we really loved the Mill?

Steps from the Hill to the Mill

Steps from the Hill to the Mill

Mary called me "Kenny G"

Mary called me "Kenny G"

Working on movement

Working on movement

Working on the porch because the weather was beautiful

Working on the porch because the weather was beautiful

Leaf imprint in the snow

Leaf imprint in the snow

Mary was stoked for the moss on this leaf

Mary was stoked for the moss on this leaf

We're starting a Go-go's cover band called S & M's.

We're starting a Go-go's cover band called S & M's.

I wish I swung more on the swing

I wish I swung more on the swing

Working

Working

5 seconds later

5 seconds later

View from the house

View from the house

Sculpture in the house

Sculpture in the house

Heading back

Heading back

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Arts, Performances, Performing Arts, Process Sugar Vendil Arts, Performances, Performing Arts, Process Sugar Vendil

Breaking Habits & a Handheld Projector

More on the new piece.

 
 

On Saturday, April 2, I’ll perform an excerpt of Potential Energies, a ballet for musicians and dancers, with the original choreographer of the piece, Barbie Diewald, and premiere a new 6-minute piece called Test Site 1: (In)Habit, an experiment in process that I created with choreographer Coco Karol. All the music for the program is composed by Trevor Gureckis. In PE I’ll be playing the piano in the usual way (for the most part) and perform with Barbie, while in Test Site 1 I’ll be completely dancer-less but I will have a handheld projector and approach the piano in weird/wrong/unconventional ways. Over the past two years, I’ve been interested in exploring how musicians can use their entire bodies in performance, both the possibilities and the limitations , partly because I’m obsessed with dance, and also because I’m inspired by the amazing group I work with at NCP who are not only skilled instrumentalists but amazing performers in general.

I’m not gonna lie, this is a tricky thing to investigate because there’s always the danger of the cheese factor and things just not coming across effectively, of the work looking contrived or just straight up stupid. It’s not the most poetic or eloquent way to describe my self-consciousness, but it’s what goes through my mind, constantly. In creating Test Site 1, I wanted to immerse myself in a process (=3 hours in the studio every week since the beginning of February), get out of my comfort zone and let go of my judgmental mind, and create a solo work, which I plan to do more of in the coming years.

I won’t say too much about Test Site 1, because I can’t, because it’s an experiment, but it does revolve around the body, nature, urban life, & obligation (in this case, the piano), drawing connections & acknowledging tension between these elements. Tickets for the performance are here. In the meantime, below are behind-the-scenes photos!

This was a fun idea, but we ultimately scrapped it

This was a fun idea, but we ultimately scrapped it

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