Author: Holland

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Book Launch

Poet Hank Lazer and I perform at a book launch event Wednesday September 29 at 5:30pm at my favorite local bookstore, Ernest & Hadley Booksellers in Tuscaloosa. We’re celebrating the publication of field recordings of mind in morning published by BlazeVox [books].

The book is accompanied by an album of 15 audio tracks–improvisations on banjo while Lazer reads his work.

Wednesday September 29 5:30pm
field recordings of mind in morning
Ernest & Hadley Booksellers

Purchase the book at BlazeVox
Listen to the audio at Bandcamp

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Queens Return With Miolina and Ken Butler

I’m coming back to my former stomping grounds of Queens NY for a concert on Thursday with Miolina and Ken Butler’s Hybrid Visions.

Thursday September 23 7pm
Culture Lab LIC at the Plaxall Gallery
Long Island City NY
Outdoor concert with Miolina and Ken Butler’s Hybrid Visions

The concert is presented by Culture Lab LIC at the Plaxall Gallery. It will be outdoors, weather permitting, but will move inside if necessary (in which case audience members must show proof of vaccination). I’ll play a few solo tunes with banjo and electronics and will join Miolina for trio arrangements of some of my original works.

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Avaloch Farm

I had a great residency working with Lynn Bechtold and Mioi Takeda of the Miolina violin duo at Avaloch Farm Music Institute.

We nailed down the big picture outlines of a new work for violin duo and live electronics. In fact, we pulled it into shape enough to present it on an informal concert for other residency artists.

Post-concert celebration

We also arranged five of my original tunes for violin duo and banjo.

It was great to meet the other residents: Palaver Strings, Hint of Lime Brass, the Johnston brothers guitar duo and others. Also fun to walk the grounds (so many mushrooms!) and to try tomato wine from a local vineyard.

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Howling Cats

Fanfare Magazine published a review of the Amernet String Quartet’s recording Alabama String Quartets that includes my composition Follows from Hummingbird. The reviewer states:

For anyone looking for new string quartet repertoire, this album is a gold mine.

What’s surprising here is how few of the works sound clichéd; a good number of composers have their “own” voice.

and also mentions

…the huge swooping portamentos (hummingbirds?) in Hopson’s piece [Follows From Hummingbird] that go on and on for nine bloody minutes (I nicknamed it “Howling Cats”)…

Nine bloody minutes of howling cats, indeed. This quote has promptly found a place of pride in my press kit!