Sound artist, media artist and composer for both humans and computers. So much banjo, too
Here’s a lovely performance of my piece A Long Line of Clouds Just Above the Trees for violin duo and live electronic. The piece was played by Miolina: Lynn Bechtold and Mioi Takeda, violins, at their recent concert at The Skyscraper Museum in New York.
See more Miolina videos–including other works from the same concert–on their channel on YouTube.
The violin duo Miolina will perform my music at The Skyscraper Museum in New York City this week. They’ll perform the piece we developed together last year, A Long Line of Clouds Just Above the Trees for violin duo and live electronics. I’ll be there to help with the electronics and enjoy the view of lower Manhattan from the museum windows.
This concert is free, but you must book a timed ticket for 5pm to attend. More info at Just Above the Trees
Friday May 26, 2023 5pm
Just Above the Trees
The Skyscraper Museum
39 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280
The concert also includes music by Alvin Singleton, Paula af Malmborg Ward, Shruthi Rajasekar and Geni Skendo, along with poetry by my New College colleague John Miller
I’m thrilled to announce my latest solo recording, Sky Sparrow Snow. This release is a return to song forms for banjo, voice and electronics. Sky Sparrow Snow is a collection of seven original songs merging old-time Appalachian banjo with ambient electronics. The tunes touch on folk (“Laurel Cove“) and gospel (“Over Yonder’s Ocean“) with adventures into hybrid genres like raga blues (“Alap Catfish Impala“) or Steve Reich-meets-Dock Boggs (“No Mule“).
The record is available at Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify and other streaming services.
Though these recordings may sound like studio creations, they’re largely documents of live performances, with only minimal edits and overdubs. All of the electronic treatments happen in real-time; I play the banjo and sing while custom Max patches respond to the audio signals and data from my sensor-equipped instruments.
I’m so pleased to have Craig Hultgren visit Tuscaloosa during his southern tour. He’ll be working with Moises Molina‘s cello students, meeting with New College students, and performing a concert that includes my piece Snakeskin (verso) for e-cello and electronics.
February 1 7pm
Craig Hultgren – Cello: Acoustic + Electronic
Moody Recital Hall
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa AL
Cellist Craig Hultgren will perform my piece Snakeskin (verso) for cello and live electronics on Saturday, June 4 at 3pm during the Iowa Composers Forum 2022 Summer Festival of New Music. The festival will be held at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
I wrote Snakeskin (verso) for Craig after traveling to Iowa to work with him on the piece. Along with Craig’s invaluable input, the piece owes quite a bit to the region. I worked out most of the structure while sitting on a hop-covered patio at a brewery in downtown Decorah. And the title was inspired by visits to Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa and Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois.
It’s nice to see that some of my previous Badstar collaborators, Charles Nichols and Zach Duer, also have a piece on the program.