Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 3:00 PM Concert

What artists are saying about listening together:

“Listening together means critically examining the music we are performing with the goal of seeking out those aspects which might help to heighten a sense of musical and emotional expression, serve as a vehicle for our own musical interests and goals, or perhaps inspire an audience.” (Infamy Too!, percussion)

“When performing live, an artist is likely to take risks that they might not consider when, say, a camera and microphone are rolling in front of them — there’s a temptation to be cautious when you know your performance will end up on the internet for all to see and judge. But this past year, as most of our performances move online, I’ve been inspired by how musicians around the world continue to take those musical risks, continue to be vulnerable, even while the cameras are rolling. As a result, how I listen has changed this year: I’m wanting that risk-taking, vulnerability, and humanity more than ever, knowing that these things will often come at the expense of a “perfect performance””. (Mark Takeshi McGregor, flute)

When we play, we listen together. As soon as we walk into the room we’re going to perform in, we listen to the space. Is it a cold space or a warm space? Is it a heavy space or a space where things move, a fluid space? We listen to the people in the room…their words but even more, their spirit and energy. We listen to the neighborhood and the weather. As we begin to play, all these things become alive, and we start to listen more deeply to each other. To the little space between musical phrases. To the breathing. To the squeak of the guitar strings. To the space between bodies. To the dark places inside bodies. Other things begin to fall away, and eventually we realize that what we are listening to most deeply, and what we are all a part of, is the silence. (Dalavá, voice and electric guitar)

< Prev Event    Next Event >