This episode features a conversation with experimental sound and visual artist Steve Wanna. Based in Washington DC, Steve's work spans a variety of disciplines including music composition, sound design for dance collaboration, installation works, 2 and 3-D visual art, and photography.
His sound-based installation work, Meditation of Form and Measure, will be featured at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (June 21-28, 2015).
This week's episode features a conversation with composer, performer/percussionist, and installation artist Graeme Leak.
Originally from Australia, now based in the UK, Graeme's creative work actually spans a variety of disciplines including music, theater, performance art/comedy, instrument making, sound sculpture, and large-scale installations.
Currently, Graeme has some work showing at the Brighton Festival from 1-24 May.
His installation work, LISTEN!, will be at the Watford Colosseum from 30 June to 4 July.
Here is a performance by the Spaghetti Western Orchestra at the BBC Proms, 2011.
Here is a video (you can actually watch all 5 parts) of the Spaghetti Western Orchestra from their 2011 BBC Proms performance.
Mark Applebaum, composer and professor of composition and theory at Stanford University, joined me for an in-depth conversation. We discussed some of his work, including instrument design and his massive graphic installation work, "The Metaphysics of Notation." Mark also has some great advice on living a creative life.
For more about The Metaphysics of Notation, check out this short film: There's No Sound in My Head.
Documentary by Robert Arnold about Mark Applebaum's Metaphysics of Notation. Available on DVD at: http://innova.mu/artist1.asp?skuID=436
Also, don't miss Mark's TEDx talk!
Mark Applebaum writes music that breaks the rules in fantastic ways, composing a concerto for a florist and crafting a musical instrument from junk and found objects. This quirky talk might just inspire you to shake up the "rules" of your own creative work. TEDxStanford.)
Based in Vancouver, Lindsey Hampton works in a variety of media including ceramics, graphic design, photography, and music. Our conversation focused on her background and work. Lindsey also has some great advice about living and curating one’s creative life in the age of the internet and social media.
Lindsey's work as a ceramicist was recently featured in this blog from the New York Times.
This episode is the conclusion to my conversation with Sharon Louden, artist and editor of Living and Sustaining a Creative Life.
This episode is the first part of my conversation with Sharon Louden, artist and editor of the book, Living and Sustaining a Creative Life. We talked about her book, book tour(s), and some of her own approaches and ideas about living and sustaining a creative life.
Also, please check out the lecture series she organizes at the New York Academy of Art. The series is documented on video here.
This week I caught up with composer and painter Michael Gatonska. We talked about his large scale orchestral works, music combining acoustic instruments with natural soundscapes, asemic poetry, his work as a painter, and more.
White Birch Leaf Music, 2012
Autoportret
Oil Pastel
2010
Notebook 01
Ink on Paper
24"x38"
2012
Atlanta-based artist Craig Dongoski's work intersects a variety of artistic practices including drawing, painting, sound design, and more. We talked about his work with amplifying the sound of drawing and his research in making art with a chimpanzee named Panzee--which began at the Language Research Center in Atlanta. We also touched on some deeply philosophical points about the nature of artistic practice.
We caught up with Atlanta artist Craig Dongoski to check out what he's been up to in the studio. He discusses the mark, organically capturing time, sound as an artifact of drawing, and how these interests are reflected in his work. Sound from this video was provided by the artist. Beginning with a recording of a drawing, it "is representative of raw material that he has used for over ten years to produce art and explore possibilities in sound," according to Dongoski. The sound that follows are bits from a track titled Telephonetic, which was featured on his album 'Orbital Lullaby' (2011), a collaboration with musician Robert Scott Thompson.
In this second part of my conversation with poet Bobby Byrd, we get a little deeper into his involvement with Zen Buddhism and its influence on his life and work. Bobby reads some poetry and we discuss an essay from his latest book, Otherwise My Life is Ordinary. Lastly, Bobby has wise words of advice for poets at any stage of their career.
You can find more about Bobby and his poetry by visiting his award winning independent publishing company, Cinco Puntos Press, which he founded in El Paso, Texas with his wife Lee in 1985.
This week is the first half of my conversation with poet Bobby Byrd. We discussed his adventures as a young man growing up in Memphis and his early study with Barney Childs. Bobby also reads some poetry from The Price of Doing Business in Mexico and On the Transmigration of Souls in El Paso.
Make sure to visit Bobby's award winning publishing company, Cinco Puntos Press.
This week's episode features an in-depth conversation with composer David Farrell. Topics included the craft and tools of composing, working with performers, teaching, career advice for young composers, and discussion of some of David's current work. Make sure to visit David's Soundcloud page to hear more of his music.
Evan Holm at SFMOMA
This episode is a conversation with Oakland-based sculptor/artist Evan Holm. We talked at length about his work, Submerged Turntables, and the new Motionpoems film that features it, Antique Sound (see below).
This is a film adaption of W.S. Merwin's poem 'Antique Sound', first published in The Moon before Morning (Copper Canyon Press, 2014) and features Evan's work, Submerged Turntables. Filmed, edited and directed by Evan, this project was funded/produced by the fantastic vision and hard work of www.motionpoems.com.
Evan will be opening his new installation, CloudClock, at the Vessel Gallery in Oakland in May 2015.
Here is a link to the summer workshop that Evan mentioned as a possible alternative-to-academia-learning-experience: http://dburkeblog.tumblr.com/post/106522762133/autobody-bridge-program-is-back-in-2015
This episode features a conversation with Tucson-based sound artist, Glenn Weyant. I first learned of Glenn's work when I discovered The Anta Project, a series of recordings he made by playing the border walls, fences, and assorted ephemera along the U.S./Mexico border. Glenn also talks about building instruments and his explorations at the intersection of journalism and sound art.
You can find extensive documentation of Glenn's work on his website (http://sonicanta.com) and http://sonicanta.bandcamp.com.
The Anta Project - Nogales-Sasabe Border - barbed wire, 2010
Nogales-Sasabe Border Wall Soundings -- The stage is set for a performance of Performance for Surveillance in Sasabe (2013)
Nogales-Sasabe Border Wall Soundings - Letter from Mexican President Vincente Fox, Circa 2006
This episode is the conclusion of my conversation with poet Nick Lantz. In this hour we talk more about his poetry, collaboration, sustaining a creative life, and the creative process.
This two-part episode features a conversation with poet Nick Lantz. We chatted about his poetry, creative process, defining "success," our (and other) collaborations combining poetry and music, and teaching.
Here is the NPR review of his newest book, How to Dance as the Roof Caves In.
This episode features a conversation with composer Jennifer Jolley. Urban environments, city sounds, and nostalgia influence Jennifer's music. We chatted about humor in music, the wilds of academia, and what she is doing to bring opera to a wider (and younger) audience.
Here are links to watch to her clever and fun mini-operas: The Bubble and Krispy Kremes and Butter Queens.
Please consider rating this show in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/standing-in-stream-john-lane/id957071413?mt=2&uo=4
This week features a conversation with Danish composer, sound artist, and musician Jesper Pedersen who is currently residing in Reykjavik, Iceland. We chatted about "visual music," the Theremin, and how a good ski day in Reykjavik can mean no one will come to your concert!
You can keep up with Jesper and find out more about his music and the composer's collective, S.L.A.T.U.R., HERE.
Here are the examples of Jesper's innovative animated notation: Hajodakese (2013) and Seascape (2013)
Performers: Hlynur Aðils Vilmarsson, Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, Davíð Þór Jónsson, Jesper Pedersen, Skúli Sverrisson. Composer: Jesper Pedersen Documentation from Tectonics Festival 2013. The piece was commissioned by Ilan Volkov and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and written with support from the Danish Arts Foundation. www.slatur.is/jesper
Composer: Jesper Pedersen Documentation of Seascape for percussion, organ pipes and bubble jars. Performed by: Torsten Folke Pedersen, Anders Christensen, Christian Ernst Empleo Thomsen, Marius Thorup Paschke, Rasmus Hagn-Meincke, Jesper Pedersen and members of the audience at the OpenDays Festival, Aalborg [DK]. Jesper Pedersen 2013 www.slatur.is/jesper
Excerpt from 27 Overtures (after Ludwig van Beethoven)
Watch the video.
Standing in the Stream is a podcast for and about creative people.
This week I catch up with San Francisco-based composer Danny Clay as he talks about the creative life, current work, and innovative creativity in elementary music education. Make sure to visit his website: dclaymusic.com
Also, a HUGE thanks to Danny for creating the theme music!
Standing in the Stream is a podcast for and about creative people. Our inaugural show features a conversation with composer and artist Paul Schuette.
Paul Schuette