Wednesday, August 22, 2012

In & Around C

The whole day was a wash except for the fact that around dinner time, I finally forced kid #2 out the door and to this experimental music performance in the neighborhood.  The floor of the small gallery (next to Sugar Sweet Sunshine), which usually displays mediocre visual art, was painted with long parallel lines, making a giant musical staff that extended up the far wall.  This is where the musicians were clustered.  Bodies on the staff randomly dictated what the musicians would play.  Do you get this?  I'm not sure I did exactly--how does this really translate to the sitar that was present tonight?  It did make for some interesting snapshots.  

And it was a beautiful late afternoon--perfect for throwing open a gallery door and inviting people to position their bodies on a large musical staff.  The music, itself, was great, actually.

Later, I was sitting outside and found myself talking to the artist, Mad Mohre, who conceived of the project.  I asked her if it had been inspired by Terry Riley's "In C" (is that the title?) and she said "Yes!" And, Lara, I was secretly so proud of myself because I literally know of only three famous experimental musicians:  Cage, Glass and Riley.

This is part of the Nouveau Classical Project.  These performances are happening Wednesday through Sunday afternoons and evenings until August 20th.  
A camera captures the position of bodies on the staff and beams it to the musicians. 
The artist, Mad Mohre

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