Stompbox Sonic invited me to be in their Sonic Explorations video series. They brought all sorts of beautiful gadgetry and we made experimental noises all afternoon. This is the first clip of several to come.
Footage from a video I shot. Shapes made from sine waves.
Detail on mural by my house.
Custom harp hairpiece gift. By Tara Ozella of Church of Vanity. Love.
Pic from Valentine photo shoot that I did.
I played harp to accompany Carolyn Little’s yoga session. Totally different way to think about performing, and the listeners were so deeply focused. I think it was the first time that I have played undisrupted for 2 continuous hours! A very beautiful time.
Lloyd Lindroth, the “Liberace of the harp”. The HARP HOEDOWN starts at 2:10.
This is a real thing!
A collaboration with my childhood friends who I had not seen in many years. They came to Boston and we shot this piece in an afternoon. As kids, we always had creative and interesting fun. It was nice to reconnect, all as adult artists now, and honestly it felt exactly as it did before. Music by Driftwood Fire, Puppets by Double Image Theater Lab, and video by me and my sister Angela.
For anyone who does yoga (or wants to start), consider coming to JP Centre Yoga tomorrow (1/5) from 6-7:30pm, while I accompany Carolyn Little’s session with ambient harp/vocal sounds. The space is in the live room of a former recording studio (The Temple), and I can promise that it will be a beautiful and interesting experience. Photo courtesy of Erin Dynamic (crazy editing by me:)
Five Questions with... Audrey Harrer
I answered some questions for the wonderful Mikey Shake. It is the first time I have been asked to talk about my harp music:) You can check it, and his other work out here.
Welcome to the inaugural installment of “Five Questions with…”. I couldn’t be more excited about the first interviewee!
Sharp-eyed readers may remember that last month I had the good fortune to catch a set by local musician and artist Audrey Harrer. Her experimental harp-and-vocals music was traditionally beautiful, as well as a very cool and refreshing way to approach the instrument. Wondering just how one comes to compose and perform something like that, I reached out to Audrey, who was kind enough to share a little insight into her creative process…
Recording vocals at the altar of @1867recording
Harps of the past at Boston MFA.
Drawing project. Poodle Darlings. In progress.
A 21st Century Speakeasy
So, it was a fab time at the show the other night, and this is the first review ever of my harp music! Thank you Mikey Shake!
I’ve said it before, I’m a reporter — NOT a critic. When I see something good, I like to tell people the details. But if I WERE a critic, I’d flat-out be pretty damn excited about seeing Mama Toma’s Burlesque Show. Tipped off to Saturday evening’s hush-hush get-together while we were at Thursday night’s sweaty good time, Roxy and I were quite excited to be there. We’d heard about Mama Toma and her gang of good-timers a while back, and had been eagerly looking forward to seeing what the group had in store.
It started, like most adventures do, with finding the place. Knocking on an unmarked door to a commercial building on a dark side street in Jamaica Plain, we were let from the cold sidewalk into a packed room full of artists, dancers, musicians, drinkers, and good ol’ fashioned revelers. With a band set up in the back and a space for the performers in the middle of the floor, it was clearly going to be an intimate place to have a lively good time. It was a BYOB kind of event, but luckily, Roxy always keeps a flask and a couple of Rolling Rock longnecks strapped to her thigh, so we were ready to settle in. A combination of soft lighting and lots of cushioned seating gave the place a comfortable feel — almost homey in comparison to the overarching spectacle of some independent-circuit performances. That intimacy really lent itself to the “speakeasy” vibe permeating the crowd — and throughout the night, kept the audience’s attention on the performances rather than elaborate staging or costumes. Perhaps most of all, the beaming faces before the show even started spoke volumes about the effort made to create a fun atmosphere. If the producers care that much about making the crowd feel good before the show even starts, you know you’re going to be having a great time.
Loud Harps
Went to see Active Child the other night. Lovely music and always super informative. One of the only bands out there using an electroacoustic harp with other loud instruments. I’m still navigating my pedalboard setup and trying not to get tons of feedback/noise, and it has been a consistent challenge at every venue I have played (but getting better:) Anyway, got to meet Pat Grossi (terrible picture but excited that it happened), and scoped out his setup. Looks like Eterna Reverb, Eventide Space, Boss Digital Delay and Chromatic Tuner.
Video I made about critical listening for Berklee College of Music. One chapter of many about music production. The whole series uses visual metaphors to teach abstract concepts.
Today I spotted a random video that I made years ago, now playing on wall at MassArt:)
Lovely time at the Jim Henson Puppetry on Film Festival at BAM. Great films, audience and artists.