bochum

back from germany, country of easter goodness.

i had a very nice gig at the great and funky goldkante, home of the homewreckers and other ruhrgebeit funkiness. had about 50 people i think. tried out projections for the first time, which seemed to work quite well.

i’d like to thank tobias koth, the other tobias, sebastian, and johannes for helping me out with setting up the gig, and also andreas for writing a very excellent press release (in german!) for coolibri and taking some pictures. the pix below are by jutta brendemuehl. go to my myspace page for a musical sample of the night.

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drumming continues

it’s good to get back to drumming again. march 6 will see me in prince albert, saskatchewan, with dene singer/songwriter leela gilday….i hope we’re not playing outside. playing music with leela is great—not only is she a great singer and super person, the rest of her band is about the best bunch of people anywhere. and laying down grooves with my strange hand percussion/drum kit elements hybrid percussion setup is always fun. after all the blips, beeps, clicks and cuts of the new media work i have been doing its good to connect with the groove.

i also just talked to marc nadjiwan, who is working on a new CD. i played on his last one, also doing the hybrid kit thing, and this one is really a step forward in his sound.

you can’t step away from the groove…..

video week kommt

next week sees me being video guy. the SAVAC MONITOR 4 festival is feb 20, and the bird project is feb 23rd. i am looking forward to not having to carry 50 drums around. but then again there is the small matter of the projector. oh well.

(incidentally, its not just video week.  my piece is being played on feb 22 @ madrid abierto.  see the previous post).

stills from the bird project

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new audio installation

just got word that i received funding to create ice field, an 8 channel audio installation that will use digital noise and audio detritus and south asian rhythmic theory. look for it in a flourescent-lit bare white room near you.

thanks are in order to the toronto arts council.

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savac monitor 4

great news!  my video piece skin (2007) has been selected to be screened as part of MONITOR 4, SAVAC’s international short film and video festival in toronto.  the screening is at innis town hall, feb 20, 2008.  more deets available on SAVAC’s website.

see you there.

video

i’ve started creating some video works, thanks to all the great video art i’ve been checking out from germany and canada lately.  i’ll keep you posted on what is happening with that aspect of my life as things happen.

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hands

i am playing loads of dance classes these days, about 9 or more a week.  first of all, i love playing dance classes.  well, maybe love is a strong word but the demands placed on the accompanist for these classes are all things that the musician (or any artist for that matter) must have at their fingertips.  improvisation, creativity, strong time sense, connection with sound, with other dancers, with the essence of the movement…..these are all things that as a drummer i need to have honed and ready.

playing dance class, particularly for peggy baker (whose accompanist i have had the good fortune to be for over 6 years or so now) is a great way for me to keep fit—physically, musically, mentally and spritually.  listening to peggy speak about dance and the creative process is one of the biggest influences on me as a musician and on my approach to creating.  i am very fond of saying that i would not be half the musician i am today without my many years of accompanying dance class.

but man my hands hurt.  i’m not getting any younger.