I cannot rest from travel. I will drink life to the lees. All times I have enjoyed greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those that love me and alone.
Rest at Bang on a Can is a thing almost unknown. In three short weeks I will have rehearsed and performed some of the most challenging music I have ever encountered. The rehearsals can be taxing, especially for the voice (who knew I could sing that many high Cs in one day?) However, there is inherent joy in the process even when it is grueling. The concept of toiling over a performance that will never be perfect is an awful feeling to some, but inspiring to me.
Todd Reynolds performed a fun and exciting 4:30 recital in the Invisible Cities gallery at MASS MoCA on Monday. He has found his calling working with computers and music. While producing captivating tones from his violin he also uses all kinds of software to alter and augment the sounds. He featured a trio (joined by Ashley Bathgate, cello and Vicky Chow, piano) entitled “Fruity Pebbles” which was full of vigor and spunk.
I sang on my first 1:30 concert today. Brendon gathered a grouping of 12 or so musicians to play his piece “Sexual Indeterminacy in the Workplace.” Odd title? No worries; great piece. Matt Horsley played another evocative percussion piece and the recital was finished with an all-out electric guitar and drum set work also written by Brendon.
There are so many fellows that want to perform during the daytime recitals they even changed today’s 4:30 recital to accommodate a wealth of performances by current and past festival participants. Jennifer Ellis played a work of her own devising for harp which even included a screwdriver eliciting a multitude of sounds. The girls living in the Veazie house (with me!) performed two canons by the almost infamous composer Moondog. There were so many exquisite performances today I will have to mention more of them in later posts.
I have something exciting planned for the 1:30 recital tomorrow. Will try to post a video after the fact. But now, it may be time for a trip to The Mohawk…
No rest for the wicked, non?
