December 10, 2006 - The New ICA - Boston, MA (Museum Tour)
October 15, 2006 - The DeCordova - Lincoln, MA (Museum Tour)
September 17, 2006 - P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center - Long Island City, NY (Museum Tour)
September 16, 2006 - Chelsea Art Museum - New York, NY (Museum Tour)
August 26, 2006 - MASS MoCA - North Adams, MA (Museum Tour)
July 21, 2006 - Portland Museum of Art - Portland, ME (Museum Tour)
July 19, 2006 - The Aldrich Museum - Ridgefield, CT (Museum Tour)
May 07, 2006 - Harvard Square Mayfair - Cambridge, MA
January 07, 2006 - Museum of Science - Boston, MA
October 20, 2005 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
October 02, 2005 - Oktoberfest - Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA
October 01, 2005 - Jim Kempner Fine Art - New York City
September 17, 2005 - Art Interactive - Cambridge, MA
June 04, 2005 - Old Campus at Yale University, New Haven, CT
May 01, 2005 - Harvard Square Mayfair - Cambridge, MA
April 22, 2005 - CD release - Portland, ME
April 14, 2005 - CD release - Boston, MA
January 08, 2005 - Bernard Toale Gallery - Boston, MA
October 30, 2004 - Demonstration Event

The New ICA - Boston, MA (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Sunday, December 10th, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
WHERE: - 100 Northern Ave., Boston, MA
WHAT: This will be the official opening of the beautiful new ICA building on the Boston waterfront. The museum will be free and open to the public from 9AM until 9PM, though I will most likely only be collecting voices in the afternoon. This should be a huge and much anticipated event, so be sure to check it out. I will actually also have a piece in the 2006 ICA Artist Prize exhibit which is opening at the ICA that day as well. I wrote the music for a video piece by mullti-media artist Kelly Sherman, who is one of the four finalists for the ICA Artist Prize.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 102 (yes, this is no joke)
Reading sheets used: 24
Weather: bright sun on a shiny building
Level of success: extremely high (and exhausting)
Records broken: most participants ever recorded at a single event (triple digits!)
Photos: Check them out

Initially, I thought that it might not be as cool to have the booth stationed in the tent outside the new ICA as opposed to being inside the new building, but as the day progressed, it became clear to me that this was the place to be. Don't get me wrong, the museum itself is beautiful and a fantastic place to see art, but I was there to collect voices and to spread the word of BYOV and there is nothing better than a captive audience to facilitate this. You see, the ICA can only hold a certain number of people at a time, and since it seemed like everyone in Boston was at the opening, they couldn't let everyone in at the same time. They devised a system of rolling admissions based on ticket numbers which seemed to work pretty well. And while people waited their turn, they got to hang out in the cozy warm entrance tent, listen to live music, drink some complimentary hot beverages, and, you guessed it, record their voices for me.

I was setup and ready to record around 9AM, and it was non-stop action from that point on. Typically it takes a little bit for things to get going, but this one kicked right in and didn't stop. I had to turn people away at the end when I was too exhausted to keep on going. I took one half hour break to go check out the museum, but given the crowds and the brevity of the visit, I didn't get to experience it as I would have liked, but this will happen upon my return sometime soon, I hope. The Artist Prize exhibit looked great, and CHAIRS, my collaboration with Kelly Sherman was up and running and looking good.

Thank you to Kathleen and David at the ICA for their support and persistence with making this whole thing happen. I was honored to be a part of the opening of such an exciting new institution in Boston.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "The New ICA - Boston, MA (Museum Tour)"

The DeCordova - Lincoln, MA (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Sunday, October 15th, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
WHERE: The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park - 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA
WHAT: The DeCordova is practically in my back yard, and is a fantastic contemporary art museum, so I was quite hell-bent on having it be part of the tour. Thankfully, they were quite obliging. It will be nice to not have to travel too far for this one...

- If this booth was a work of art, what would you call it?
- Do you consider yourself an artist?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 41
Reading sheets used: 23
Weather: crisper than a fresh macoun
Level of success: high, despite another slow start
Records broken: shortest distance traveled AND most people in the booth who didn't know each other
Photos: Check them out

We had to make a big decision immediately upon arriving at the museum: shady and cold, hopefully moving towards sunny and warm; or sunny and crisp with the fear of afternoon shade. We went for the immediate gratification of the warm sun and given the fact that it clouded over later in the day anyway, we definitely made the right call.

One of the reasons that I really enjoy BYOV events is that I get to meet lots of different people. What I have also found - which I find incredibly cool - is that sometimes different people who are waiting to participate, or who have just participated begin to chat with each other and connect somehow over the shared experience of BYOV. And then I put their voices together in music so they can hang out more.
At DeCordova this notion was taken further than ever before when four kids, only two of whom knew each other, actually got in the booth together to record. It's pretty tight in there to be with people you don't know! I love how kids can be so uninhibited; I can't imagine this scenario would ever happen with adults...

Thank you to Corey and Lynn for being our gracious hosts and to the DeCordova Cafe who comped us a blackened tofu (I'm not kidding!) sandwich which otherwise would have been dramatically beyond our means...

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "The DeCordova - Lincoln, MA (Museum Tour)"

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center - Long Island City, NY (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Sunday, September 17th, 12:00 - 6:00 PM
WHERE: P.S.1 - 22-25 Jackson Ave (@46th), Long Island City, NY
WHAT: This will be the second of two dates in New York over a single weekend in September. P.S.1 operates a cutting-edge alternative museum/gallery space (affiliated with The Museum of Modern Art in NYC), and as part of its mission, works to bring art and its audience closer together. This approach couldn't suit the BYOV Museum Tour more perfectly. I want to put the audience right inside the art, very literally.

- When was the last time you bought a piece of art?
- How did you feel walking around the museum today?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 21
Reading sheets used: 23
Weather: a beautiful day to be in the courtyard
Level of success: very successful AND entertaining
Records broken: most security guards surrounding the booth
Photos: Check them out

We were given a great location in the courtyard of P.S.1. People had to walk right past the booth to enter the museum, and all the individuals who wanted to eat their lunch outside or otherwise just enjoy the beautiful day, were occupying tables surrounding the booth. The day got off to a somewhat slow start, but picked up significantly by mid-afternoon.

The highlight of the afternoon had to have been the 'incident' involving a painter recently returned from Burning Man who decided to make it his mission to get arrested for trying to bring a tiny fluffy white dog into the museum (named Muffin, no less). Though I found this incredibly entertaining, the manager of security, whose job it is to be not amused with anything at all, earned more than his daily wages.

This man reasoned that since they allowed Picasso's dog, Lump, into the museum for an exhibit, how was it fair to not allow Muffin in as well? He was most definitely in a mood for self-expression, so I took it upon myself to escort him from the circle of eight security guards into the booth for some good old fashioned bringing his voice (listen below!)

Other than that, New York provided a number of other interesting, though less disruptive, individuals, and the voice collections were great. Thank you to Yng at P.S.1 for letting us infiltrate for the day and to Rene, as always, who was only minorly pleased to learn that all I see when she speaks to me is wave files coming out of her mouth...

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center - Long Island City, NY (Museum Tour)"

Chelsea Art Museum - New York, NY (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Saturday, September 16th, 12:00 - 6:00 PM
WHERE: Chelsea Art Museum - 11th and W. 22nd, New York, NY
WHAT: Though the booth has traveled to New York before (Jim Kempner Fine Art), this will be the first of two New York BYOV events on the Museum Tour. Chelsea seems to be where much of the most cutting edge art is happening in New York, so this should be an ideal location.

- Should art museums help visitors understand the art that they display?
- Should art be felt or understood?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 9
Reading sheets used: 23
Weather: much nicer than the night before when we drove down
Level of success: the optimist in me says "fine"
Records broken: most cavernous and sparsely populated location ever
Photos: Check them out

We setup the booth in the main gallery on the first floor of CAM in the midst of the Jean Miotte retrospective show. It was a beautiful space, and I enjoyed being surrounded by Miotte's large abstract paintings. The weather was beautiful, and people were mainly outside, it seemed. Plenty of people ventured into the gift shop, but when they tried to enter the museum gallery, they were informed that there was an entrance fee. This unfortunately discouraged 99% of the potential entrants, most likely because in Chelsea there are free galleries every 25 feet.

That said, we were nonetheless able to record some brave individuals and a few unsuspecting children. Thank you to the CAM for letting us spend the day in your beautiful space and to Jean Miotte for providing the visuals.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Chelsea Art Museum - New York, NY (Museum Tour)"

MASS MoCA - North Adams, MA (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Saturday, August 26th, 12-5PM
WHERE: MASS MoCA - North Adams, MA

WHAT: The Bring Your Own Voice Museum Tour continues in western Massachusetts in North Adams, a mecca of culture in the Berkshires. I will be collecting opinions on art and the role of museums in today's society.

- Why did you visit MASS MoCA today?
- What role does art play in your life?

As always, my intent is not only to learn more about what people think about topics that interest me, but to act as raw material for a musical work.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 40
Reading sheets used: 22
Weather: threatening enough to be inside
Level of success: very high - lots of people, lots of voices
Records broken: most fog driven through AND earliest out of bed AND longest event ever
Photos: Check them out

The booth fit in at MASS MoCA better than anywhere else. I love the visual style of this museum which was resurrected from a number of old mill buildings. The roughness of it is quite a change from some of the other more slick and minimalist contemporary art museums I have seen lately. Aesthetics aside, this was another successful event; lots of voices, lots of interest, lots of times I said "I am a musician and I write music using spoken voices that I am here to collect today using this large plywood box".

I've always liked this area of the Berkshires as it is a great combination of culture and nature. Unfortunately, I didn't get to bike up (and down) Greylock this time like I like to do, but that might be just as well because I have never once done this without getting lost in the woods on the way down.

Thanks very much to everyone at MASS MoCA (Laura and Susan in particular) and to René and Gina who, most importantly, kept me awake while driving, but who also provided additional vital assistance throughout the day.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "MASS MoCA - North Adams, MA (Museum Tour)"

Portland Museum of Art - Portland, ME (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Friday, July 21st, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
WHERE: Museum Garden - Portland Museum of Art - Portland, ME
WHAT: The Bring Your Own Voice Museum Tour continues in a northern direction, crossing into Maine for the first time. I used to live in Portland and it holds a special place in my heart, so I am particularly pleased to be returning for this tour.

- Does art have to be beautiful?
- What is the purpose of an art museum?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 15
Reading sheets used: 22
Weather: more torrential than a PT Anderson movie
Level of success: much higher than I ever would have imagined given how it began
Records broken: most rain ever rained on the booth
Photos: Check them out

I had not gotten rained on quite this hard in a long long time. The streets of Portland were transformed into rapids for about an hour, filling the time between when we got the booth setup and when the event started. In that sense, the timing couldn't have been better, so I guess we were lucky, but I can't help but feel that it would have been even luckier to skip the rain entirely. I learned my lesson in Harvard Square last year, so the booth was prepared for rain as well as a plywood box can be prepared. As I was stringing up the blue tarp to the overhanging tree, I felt like I was bringing the booth on its first camping trip, hoping that the thunder wouldn't scare it.
OK, enough personification. Despite the unhelpful weather, the event was definitely a success and I am very pleased that the Portland Museum of Art wanted to participate in the tour. We had a constant stream of people recording, and even though the event was a brief 2 hours long, we managed to get fifteen voices which wasn't too bad. The crowd was quite engaged and interested in what was going on in the plywood box and only two people thought it was a peep show.

My favorite carrot again performed brilliantly, and quite remarkably retained a positive attitude throughout the evening. Thanks also to everyone at the museum who supported this project and to the curiously omnipresent security guards.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Portland Museum of Art - Portland, ME (Museum Tour)"

The Aldrich Museum - Ridgefield, CT (Museum Tour)

WHEN: Saturday, July 15th, 12-5PM
WHERE: the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum - Ridgefield, CT

WHAT: This event will kick off the Bring Your Own Voice Museum Tour. With dates at other museums in the northeast throughout the summer and fall, I will be collecting opinions on art and the role of museums in today's society. As always, the intent of these collections is not only to learn more about what people think about topics that interest me, but to act as raw material for a musical work.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 39
Reading sheets used: 22
Weather: way too hot to be outside doing much of anything
Level of success: very high - a great way to kick-off the tour
Records broken: first time Perrier was provided to us!
Photos: Check them out

I hope that the entire BYOV Museum Tour goes as well as this event. The venue was great, both logistically and in terms of the people who work there. The voice collecting went at a steady and more relaxed pace throughout which was a nice change from the usual fits and starts. René and I both remarked at how we weren't totally wiped afterwards like we were after the Museum of Science event. We had yummy Indian food to celebrate and then I got to watch a recap of the day's activities on Le Tour (this was quite a treat since I have no cable at home!)

HUGE thanks to René, the woman who can cheerily convince just about anyone to enter a small dark box to record their voice (even accompanied by a photographer!). Also to the incredibly kind people at the Aldrich. You are all inspirational.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "The Aldrich Museum - Ridgefield, CT (Museum Tour)"

Harvard Square Mayfair - Cambridge, MA

WHEN: Sunday, May 7th, 12-6PM
WHERE: on the street in Harvard Square (specific location undetermined, but you'll find me!)

WHAT: I participated in this event last year and though it rained for most of it, I did get some good voices and learned a few things like to use waterproof markers on the booth and to not delay epoxying it's edges any more. MayFair is a fun event to check out; they close down the streets of Harvard Square to cars and there are tons of vendors and performances on the street all over the place.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 33
Reading sheets used: 15, 19
Weather: perfectly sunny but cool for May; just what you want when you have to hang out outside all day
Level of success: started off VERY slow, but then picked up to the normal frenzy
Records broken: this isn't really a broken record, but this event was the first that I was forced to erase older recordings on my hard disk recorder because it filled up. This means that I have over 20 gigabytes of recordings. Clearly there is something wrong with me...
Photos: Check them out

I always forget that these events take some warming up. For the first hour or so, there wasn't much interest, but as soon as things got going, it was non-stop. I was set-up right downwind from Cafe of India which made me hungry all day and taught me a bit about how to bake naan.

Thanks, as always, to my loyal helpers and supporters. This is not an individual undertaking.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Harvard Square Mayfair - Cambridge, MA"

Museum of Science - Boston, MA

WHEN: Saturday, January 7th, 1-5 PM
WHERE: Museum of Science - Boston, MA - in the Current Science and Technology Center in the Blue Wing

WHAT: The Museum of Science in Boston has asked me to participate in their Current Science and Technology ongoing series of presentations. I will be set up in the central foyer area of the Main Exhibition Hall (Blue Wing) for the afternoon, collecting voices and explaining my process to those interested. I will be interviewed for one of their podcasts as well which will be released during the following week.

A producer for Weekend America - a public radio program that airs nationally every weekend - will also be there documenting the event for a piece to be broadcast later in January. The piece will include audio from this event and others as well as music that I write using the voices I collected at the events.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 53
Reading sheets used: 16
Weather: cold, but bright and sunny. was nice to be inside, but in a big, open space nonetheless.
Level of success: probably the highest yet.
Records broken: number of people recorded - apparently the MoS averages about 5-6000 visitors a day on the weekends. It felt like I talked to every single one of them.
Photos: Check them out

This event seemed to be on a new level. Perhaps I have crossed some threshold. I say this not necessarily because of the results, as I have not yet been able to dive into those fully yet, but because of the experience of the event itself. It was very crowded and the level of interest in what I was doing was higher than anything I had experienced before.

I wanted to have an event at the MoS because of the fact that people go there expecting to have new experiences and more importantly, expecting to interact and participate with other people and with exhibits. This puts everyone in the perfect mindset for participating in Bring Your Own Voice. I had a line of sorts for most of the day and felt bad that some people didn't have enough time to wait until their turn. It felt very nice to not have to sell the idea quite as much as usual; there was buying going on all over the place. I really didn't have to do much more than explain what I was doing to get people eager to enter the booth.

It was also really fun being interviewed for the Current Science and Technology podcast as well as having the opportunity to speak briefly to the crowd as part of the CS&T presentations that afternoon. The Weekend America producer documented the event with her own recording equipment, and I have lots of confidence that she will put together something compelling and will do whatever she can to make me seem interesting and cool!

The Museum of Science is one of the most revered institutions in Boston, I think, and is a hugely popular destination for locals as well as visitors from around the globe. I think that it is a great thing for such an institution to go out of its way to support and involve me, a local musician, in their activities. It shows a commitment to the local arts community and a willingness to experiment with new and relatively unknown projects - two rare qualities in such venerable institutions. I have had experiences with other large institutions (which will remain nameless) - ones that were actually much more obviously suited to a BYOV event - but they were, nonetheless, dramatically less helpful and interested. We are lucky to have the MoS.

HUGE thanks to René for a very long day of tireless (and food-less!) help - how did a nice girl like you get involved with something like this, anyway? Also, Carole and Adam and everyone else at the Museum of Science for agreeing to host such an unusual event and for being so helpful and accommodating throughout the process. Thanks!

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Museum of Science - Boston, MA"

World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA

WHEN: Thursday, October 20th, beginning at 6PM
WHERE: World Cafe Live - 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

WHAT: I am really excited to be setting up the booth at World Cafe Live. Not only is this simply a great venue for cutting edge live music, but it is the sister operation of the venerable World Cafe radio program produced out of WXPN in Philly. David Dye is the host of this show and spends lots of time seeking out new and interesting music that deserves to be spread to the eager ears of us listeners and the mission of the live venue is much the same. I wish that I could get involved with the radio program as well, but being there in the first place is a good start.

I will be setting up in the lobby with great visual presence starting at 6PM when the doors open for the show. I'll remain setup until the show is over, though I imagine once the music has started, there won't be too much participation. The performance for that evening is What is Jazz? presented by Ropeadope & Blue Note Records so it should be a very interesting evening all around. Hopefully I'll have a chance to meet some of the performers and people from Blue Note and Ropeadope. I'm coming to understand that promotion is all about simply putting yourself out there enough to generate random connections. You never know who will be where at what time. The only thing you can control is the extent to which you allow - even encourage - these random things to happen.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 15
Reading sheets used: 14, 13, 15
Weather: OK for the event (not that it really mattered), but terrible on the drive home
Level of success: high - not tons of voices, but great exposure and interesting people around
Records broken: most rain on the drive back
Photos: Check them out

Well, it is a long drive to Philly from Boston, especially when you have the New Jersey turnpike to contend with. I hate that road with a passion, but it's sort of hard to avoid on this trip. Thankfully the event itself, and my time in Philly with friends made this transitional experience well worth it.

I did know that World Cafe Live was the coolest live venue in Philadelphia, as this is what all my sources have said, but now I know why. The place is beautifully built with a great design aesthetic and, more importantly, excellent sound. They have quality acts coming through nightly and the whole place is very professionally run. Hell, even the nachos are really good (no skimping on the guacamole!)

So this is what greeted me upon arriving and stayed with me throughout. I set the booth up in the vaulted and muraled lobby between the downstairs venue and the WXPN radio studios and I think it fit in pretty well. I was able to meet, record and explain what I was doing to a number of people at WCL and WXPN (including David Dye himself) as well as a bunch of concert-goers. This is what Bring Your Own Voice is all about.

Special thanks to Julie, first and foremost, for hanging in there all evening giving me tons of moral and physical support, and to the crew at WCL - Karl and Laura in particular - for letting me do this in the first place and for being so helpful throughout. Thanks!

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA"

Oktoberfest - Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

WHEN: Sunday, October 2nd, Noon-6PM
WHERE: Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

WHAT: Oktoberfest is essentially the same thing as Mayfair, but, you guessed it, in a different month. Despite the rain at Mayfair, it was a great opportunity to expose the BYOV booth to lots of new people and to get some interesting recordings as well. I hope that the same will prove to be true for Oktoberfest, and I hope even more that we don't get rained on. Since that incident, I have made a few modifications to the booth involving marine epoxy and permanent markers, so even if we do get a bit of rain, I will be better prepared.
I do not yet know where the booth will be positioned, but most likely it will again be next to Out of Town News. There should be a bunch of interesting vendors, artists and music going on, so there will be plenty of entertainment to go around.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 26
Reading sheets used: 9, 14, 13
Weather: sunny and hotter than one would have expected
Level of success: high - lots of voices and general interest
Records broken: number of times I explained what a big plywood box was doing on the street in Harvard Square
Photos: Check them out

This time around in Harvard Square, things were much more under control. Not only have I gained important BYOV event experience, but the weather was dramatically better than last time. The biggest problem with the booth was that it got a bit hot when sitting in the direct sun, but thankfully I had a fan to cool things off so it wasn't too bad.

There were tons of people walking by, asking questions, reading the text on my scrolling message sign or just simply seeing the booth, so this was a great marketing event. Having been in New York the day before for a four hour event, I was a bit nervous that another six hours of explaining and recording might be a bit much, but it went much faster than I expected. I was glad to not be off to a different city that night though.

Thanks a lot to Kris B. for the MAJOR assistance setting up and breaking down as well as to Crystal B. (hmm...Kris B. and Crystal B....I'm not making this up!) for being a remarkably pleasant draftee.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Oktoberfest - Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA"

Jim Kempner Fine Art - New York City

WHEN: Saturday, October 1st, 2-6PM
WHERE: Jim Kempner Fine Art - 501 West 23rd Street (entrance on 10th), New York City

WHAT: I am venturing south to the BIG city for the first time with the Bring Your Own Voice booth. I think this venue will be great as it is a very impressive art gallery with cool architecture including a courtyard which is where, weather depending, I will set up the booth. JKFA is particularly appropriate for a BYOV event as this is the gallery where Tanja Alexia Hollander shows her work in New York. JKFA also represents a large number of other famous and talented artists.

So please join me and Tanja and everyone at the gallery for an afternoon of voice recording and viewing of cutting edge contemporary art. I need to hear the voices of New York.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 26
Reading sheets used: 12, 9, 14
Weather: beautiful, though slightly warm for New England fall
Level of success: high - excellent first trip to NYC
Records broken: number of voices recorded
Photos: Check them out

New York is a different beast than Boston. This statement is true in so many ways, but for me and BYOV events, it was mainly different because it required significantly more travel than anything in the past, and New York is so much bigger and more unfamiliar to me than Boston. That said, this event went very smoothly. I was remarkably lucky with the parking, the weather behaved perfectly and truth be told, there were really no technical glitches or other unforseen difficulties.

I set up in the courtyard of JKFA which was a beautiful location, and served my purposes as well since everyone who entered the gallery had to pass through that space. The booth generated lots of interest and I ended up being pretty busy all afternoon explaining what on earth it was that I was doing to curious gallery patrons. My parents and cousin (with wife!) joined the fun as did friends from college (one of whom carries the dubious distinction of having been the lead singer in the cover band I played in freshman year - yes, it's sad, but at least I made some money!) so I was never without friendly support.

Big thanks to Jim and Jen at JKFA for their assistance and to Tanja for helping set the whole thing up.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Jim Kempner Fine Art - New York City"

Art Interactive - Cambridge, MA

WHEN: Saturday, September 17th, 5-7PM
WHERE: Art Interactive - 130 Bishop Allen Drive, Central Square, Cambridge, MA

WHAT: I will be participating in the kick-off event for the first ever ArtsCentral event. The event will take place at Art Interactive, a very cool gallery space that focuses on, you guessed it, interactive art. Hopefully the weather will behave and I will set the booth up in a courtyard outside the gallery space where various performances and other interactive excitement will be happening.
The majority of the ArtsCentral event will be happening the following day throughout Central Square. Apparently a whole boat load of Central Square based artists, performers, purveyors etc will be coming out of the woodwork and onto the streets to show you what they've got. Should be interesting.

The summer has been a period of catching up and acclimating and now it's time to get back out and have events in the fall. I need more voices, so come check it out!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 12
Reading sheets used: 12, 9
Weather: threats of Ophelia
Level of success: for a short event, I got lots of voices and exposure
Records broken: most significant slope
Photos: Check them out

It had been a while since the booth had been setup, so I was slightly nervous that I would forget some vital part or that something would have broken etc etc, but everything mechanically worked fine. The event got off to somewhat of a late start because the organizers changed the venue slightly due to Hurricane Ophelia passing to our southeast. We didn't really get any rain, but it wasn't a bad idea to be safe about it. The booth doesn't like getting wet.
The new location turned out to be a parking garage. Yes, this sounds much worse than it actually was. It was adjacent to the little courtyard that was initially intended to host the event and was one of those garages where there is a building that starts at the third story, hoisted up on stilts. So it was open-air and easily accessible, which is more than can be said for most parking garages. And this is much more than I should say about this one.

Big thanks to Leah whose assistance with blanket washing, booth moving, participant encouraging, and most importantly moral support giving was invaluable.

As usual, click below to access some representative audio clips:

Continue reading "Art Interactive - Cambridge, MA"

Old Campus at Yale University, New Haven, CT

WHEN: Saturday, June 4th, 11:30AM - 2:30PM
WHERE: near Dwight Hall, Old Campus at Yale University, New Haven, CT

WHAT: It's not a terribly pleasant thought, but I have now been out of college for ten years. Wow. In celebration of this momentous occasion, I have decided to set up the Bring Your Own Voice booth at my upcoming 10 Year Reunion at Yale. I will be asking questions like:

What is the most significant thing that has happened to you in the last ten years?

Why on earth are you attending this reunion?

What do you think will be different about your life at our 25th reunion?

I haven't completed the reading sheet yet, but this is clearly the line of questioning that makes sense for this event and I think it could get pretty interesting.
The best thing about this event will be that if I get weirded out by all the people and places from my past, I can just go inside the booth and lock the door. Problem solved.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 12
Reading sheets used: 11
Weather: the best yet for a BYOV event - gorgeous sun, though a bit humid
Level of success: wish I had gotten more participation, but a lot more people know about BYOV now, so that makes it a success
Records broken: # of people who should have recognized me who didn't
Photos: Check them out

I was a bit apprehensive to deal with the booth at an event such as this, but with the beautiful weather and the cooperation of the forces that make reunions happen, it turned out well. I got to spend time with many people I hadn't seen in, well, ten years, and share with them directly what I am doing with myself. "Yes, I am thirty one and am spending my time toting around a large plywood box to various locations in hopes of collecting people's voices. So what is it that you do? Ah, yes, something responsible!" Each to his or her own. I am proud of what I am doing even in light of all the other impressive things that Yale graduates are doing ten years out. I don't think I would have predicted this, and I never once felt like retreating into the booth, protected by a dead-bolt.
This event also marked the premier of the BetaBrite LED moving message sign. I bolted it right onto the booth above the door and fed it lots of interesting text about BYOV. Unfortunately, there was one technical issue that required a slight modification to the displayed messages, but overall, the sign was very cool and was effective at grabbing people's attention and explaining some stuff to people who didn't want to talk to me.

Super thanks to Georgia for the manual labor, the roof over my head, the roof over the BYOV-mobile's head, and, of course, the canine entertainment.

As usual, click below to access some ear-picked audio clips:

Continue reading "Old Campus at Yale University, New Haven, CT"

Harvard Square Mayfair - Cambridge, MA

WHEN: Sunday, May 1st, Noon to 6PM
WHERE: somewhere near Out of Town News in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

WHAT: I will be setting up the Bring Your Own Voice booth as a part of the Harvard Square Mayfair. I've been wanting to set up the booth outside ever since I built it, and Harvard Square makes lots of sense. When I set it up briefly for the Globe photo shoot, I was mobbed by curious onlookers. Unfortunately, I couldn't do any recording then.
I have been told that I will be setting up on the street near Out of Town News, though there is a possibility that this will change, so if I'm not there, just walk around a bit and you'll find me. Hopefully I'll occupy a spot that is a good combination of being a well-trafficked area while not having huge amounts of ambient noise.

Come check it out!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 26
Reading sheets used: 1, 2, 9, 8, 10
Weather: before, during, and after the rain
Level of success: from very low to reasonably high, as the rain pushed through
Records broken: # of people in the booth at one time - 5
Photos: Check them out

This event started out pretty much as bad as you can get. The weather forecast was for the rain to clear out in the morning and sun to take over by mid-day, but surprisingly enough, this isn't exactly what happened. When I woke up it looked like things were clearing, so I loaded the booth on the car and prepared everything else. Then the rain came back, and by the time I was in Cambridge, it was pouring, the booth had gotten a good rinsing, and I had realized that the Crayola markers I was letting people use to sign the booth weren't even slightly permanent (yes, I realize this is obvious now!). This put me in a foul mood.
Thankfully the wonderful people at Diego Salon, with whom I was sharing a space, were immensely friendly and helpful and I did get everything set up and covered in plastic without huge amounts of additional damage.
As the afternoon progressed, the rain petered out, and I started to get some good interest. Diego Salon was cutting people's hair for Locks of Love, an organization that donates hair for use in wigs for child cancer patients. Some people would get their hair chopped 10 inches and others would just go ahead and get their friends to dare them to shave their head entirely for donations to the cause. I thought it would be interesting to capture people's thoughts immediately after a dramatic change in appearance, so I had some questions prepared for them.

You've probably heard enough, so finally, I want to thank Kristine, Rob, Brandon and Kate (multi-colored Sharpies!), for all the help and will leave you with some choice audio snippets (click below to access them):

Continue reading "Harvard Square Mayfair - Cambridge, MA"

CD release - Portland, ME

WHEN: Friday, April 22, 8-10 PM
WHERE: Casco Bay Books, 151 Middle Street, Portland, ME

WHAT: Come celebrate the release of words and voices, the debut album from aesthetic evidence, and have your voice recorded in the BYOV Booth for use in future aesthetic evidence releases.

Though there will not be a live performance of my music, there will be the opportunity to record your voice in the Bring Your Own Voice booth for use in future music. Also, you will be able to get great food and drink, and browse through one of the most interesting collections of books for sale in Portland.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 19
Reading sheets used: 7, 4, 8, 2, 1
Weather: ahead of the rain
Level of success: very high
Photos: Check them out

So the big excitement for this event was the news coverage. Turns out that the anchor for Channel 8, the local ABC affiliate, showed up along with a camera crew and did a little spot on the event, including an incredibly eloquent interview. It aired that night on the 11:00 news. Check out the edited version:

Bring Your Own Voice on TV in Portland

The event went great otherwise with lots of interest from a variety of people. Special thanks to Galen, Amanda, Casco Bay Books and, of course, Tanja for help before, during and after the event.

Thanks also to everyone who showed up and everyone who was recorded.

Click below to hear some samples for your listening pleasure:

Continue reading "CD release - Portland, ME"

CD release - Boston, MA

WHEN: Thursday, April 14, 7-9 PM
WHERE: Milky Way Lounge and Lanes, 403 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA

WHAT: Come celebrate the release of words and voices, the debut album from aesthetic evidence, and have your voice recorded in the BYOV Booth for use in future aesthetic evidence releases.

Milky Way is a great venue for this event as in addition to listening to aesthetic evidence music and getting recorded, you'll be able to play pool, grab a beer, and most importantly, partake in some candlepin bowling.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 17
Reading sheets used: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7
Weather: colder than it should have been
Level of success: high
Photos: Check them out

Despite competing with game three of the first Yankees/Red Sox series at Fenway this season, there was a nice turn-out. I even had a line, at times, of people wanting to get inside the booth to record. Milky Way was a very cool location; the food was good and the general ambience fit the release event nicely. We were able to get more video footage for the 'About BYOV' film, and sold some cds as well.

Thank you to everyone who showed up and everyone who was recorded.

Click below to hear some samples:

Continue reading "CD release - Boston, MA"

Bernard Toale Gallery - Boston, MA

Location:
Bernard Toale Gallery
450 Harrison Street (at Thayer St. in the South End)
Boston, MA

Time:
1 - 5PM

Event:
opening weekend for the January show

Bernie Toale has been kind enough to let me set up the voice booth in his gallery space in conjunction with the opening of his January show. I will be collecting voices from 1 or so until the gallery closes around 5.
Please join me and the kind people at this fine gallery for the official Bring Your Own Voice pilot event. See you there!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Summary:

Number of voices recorded: 18
Reading sheets used: 1, 2
Weather: totally nasty
Level of success: high
Photos: Go Here

This event turned out very nicely despite the unfortunate conditions outside. The space was beautiful and the Bring Your Own Voice booth fit in nicely. Tanja Alexia Hollander's photographs complemented the ideas behind the music as well as provided some beautiful images to spend time with. I had good success getting people to participate and nothing dramatic went wrong.
Overall, this was a great way to begin this project. Thank you to all who supported and participated.

Demonstration Event

Location:
Bedford, MA

Time:
6-11PM

Event:
Halloween Party

Thank you to all my friends for joining me for this experiment. It always makes sense to test something with a friendly audience. You were friendly and I got a good test done. On to the real world.