Kendra Emery
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BOAC Week 1

7/23/2013

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Hi everyone! I don't have time to go really into depth about anything but I wanted to give a brief update about my experiences here at the Bang on a can summer music festival at Mass MOCA. One of the biggest things I must mention is the incredibly supportive, friendly, and humble attitude of everyone here. That includes the fellows, faculty, guest artists, and Mass MOCA staff. 

We all do plenty of bonding activities here outside of the days work, almost everyone goes and hangs out with each other every night. We are all exhausted, but we are all taking advantage of being around all these wonderful people.

Everyone comes prepared. Musical works that would normally take 3 months to learn, dissect, and fit back together are locking together after a week. And that gives us time to have some random fun! And everyone wants to work together and pick up extra projects despite our crazy busy schedules.

I'm learning a lot about technology, and people are willing to share their gear! I currently have 2 loop pedals on my person lent to me for exploration by others.  Todd Reynolds will be giving a presentation on Ableton live tonight.

The African drumming was amazing. Lamine Toure of Senegal came in and taught us some calls and rhythms. It was really interesting to learn by ear and to move and dance around. He had a great spirit and made everyone feel his music, not just listen to it. During our performance he had almost everyone up and dancing.

Ok, one last little tidbit. A handful of us participated in Kids can too! on Saturday. Led by Todd Reynolds and Philippa Thompson, we focused on the relationship between color and sound. They had a few people demonstrate some of the cool different things they could do on their instrument. They had a painting projected on the screen, kids picked a shape/color and the performer who would play the shape. We did some group sing/play alongs. Philippa forced me to improvise, which was good since I'm a chicken about it! I was in a game where you have a colored poncho and kids get a matching swatch, when they wave it you play, when they stop you stop. And we ended with a big group play along/jam with Lamine soloing and us playing the beats he taught us, but now on our own instruments, and then jamming out off of that. Although there are a lot of amazing things occurring here, the kids show was definitely a highlight that will stick with me.
Picture
Bang on a can: Kids can too! I'm the one in the white "poncho" on the left.
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On the road again

7/14/2013

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I just wanted to send out a quick update that I am leaving in less than 12 hours for the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival! I will be spending 3 weeks making music with amazing people at the Museum of Modern Art in North Adams, MA. Please watch my site for updates to the concert schedule. If you live in the greater Hartford area it's only a 2 hour drive and definitely worth a short day trip to hear some great music and look at some art, and who knows what else is in store there?
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Bang on a can marathon

6/17/2013

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I am aware that I am long overdue to post a synopsis about the house concert. But that will have to come later. First, there are some things I have to say about yesterdays Bang on a Can marathon at Pace university. The new location felt a lot different but was great in many ways. The auditorium seating led me to fear that I wouldn't be seated when I had to get there 2 hours late, but we were in luck.  The acoustics were definitely better in this space than last years, and it allowed them to include some more intimate works (but I must confess I think I'm mostly going to write about the louder in your face stuff). 


It also forced you to sit side by side with interesting strangers. I met a couple very interesting gentlemen in particular. One being Chris McGovern, author of the blog The Glass, which does great reviews of some of the interesting things going on in the city. I recommend giving it a look if you're like me and still trying to sort through the mass of amazing music going on there.


Second, I met an Australian vocalist who is also managing director of a choir that seems to be doing some pretty interesting things in commissioning new choral works.  They are The Australian voices, follow the link to listen.


Alright, enough shout outs for my new friends, but seriously, check them out.  Where to start with the rest of it? I can't talk about everything or I will ramble for about 50+inches of screen space. I definitely enjoyed everything immensely. I think I'll just say the things that stuck out to me the most, and attempt to limit it. 


A composer who should be checked out, Kendall Williams, I can't seem to find a website for him so instead I'll include a youtube link to one of his works, Misconception, what we heard yesterday was the premiere of Conception, which included an old friend from Hartt, Brandon Nestor! The work was great, hopefully someone will put it up on youtube soon?


This was my first encounter with Talk Normal and I've been listening to them all morning. It's amazing how much sound 2 people can produce. That is an incredibly simple observation of what they do but it was powerful and inspirational.


Of course, Julia Wolfe's US premiere of With a Blue Dress on  played by Monica Germino was phenomenal. After seeing it live I think I would only want to see it that way, I'm sure it records well enough but you would miss some of the amazing stage presence of Ms. Germino.


I have been in love with Michael Gordon's Yo Shakespeare for a long time now and it was great to finally hear it live. I also love that he has now created a smaller and more manageable ensemble version, for the Bang on a Can All-Stars, but it should make it easier for the rest of us to play it now, if they share it. Although there is something very powerful about the large group that I would still like to be part of someday.  


Shara Worden. She gets her own category due to the variety of talents she shared yesterday. From her composition Before the Words to her moving and powerful performance with the Bang on a Can All-Stars of David Lang's work (and also newly released album) death speaks.  Her voice is haunting and exquisite. 


OK, I know I've rambled on enough already but the last group I have to talk about is the Asphalt Orchestra. So. much. fun! It had an odd sense of familiarity like reclaiming marching band and making it amazing and more fun. I can't imagine hearing/seeing them perform and not having one of the best times of your life. With all the crazy moves they were doing I was always so scared there would be a collision, especially with 2 trombone slides dancing around everywhere. But no, total pros, but remembering to have a ton of fun. I look forward to being surprised by them again someday. 
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More Mass to Follow

4/23/2013

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So it seems Massachusetts has more in store for me as I will be spending 3 weeks, starting mid July, making music and attending classes at Mass MOCA as part of the Bang on a Can Summer Festival! I am incredibly grateful for being selected and I'm ready to jam out and party down.

But before then we will have the next installment of Friendly Music here at the Fox Hole. 4 local composers will be featured and this time I'm sharing the wealth and not performing on every single piece! 

We will be featuring a good amount of bass with 3 works by Meredith Gilna, 2 for solo bass and the return of Fight/Flight. If you were around last year you heard Fight/Flight by a quartet of untrained voices, but now you get to hear the instrumental interpretation. 

I am continuing my quest of works for saxophone and strings with a return to the program of Matt Primm's music, Obsessions 2 which we have been toting around a bit this year and can be heard on his website. And we're work shopping a fabulous new quintet by Jesse Alexander Brown. 

And lastly, but certainly not least, a work for indeterminate ensemble and 3 narrators by my neighbor James Nicholson. 
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MArch in Mass

3/7/2013

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It seems this month is a month of Massachusetts. In the 3 ½ years I’ve lived in CT I had been there twice and now 4 performances in a month. This weekend I’ll be playing in Wilbraham at the Benefit for the Community Survival Center at 7:30 at Wilbraham & Monson Academy Chapel 423 Main Street Wilbraham, MA. I’ll be playing for the first time as an orchestral musician accompanying a choir. The following weekend will be the NASA conference at which I will play a couple of Matt Primm’s pieces with Rebekah Butler (violin), Juliet Dawson (viola), and Tristen Kasten-Krause (bass).

I will be making my return to performing in CT on Palm Sunday (3/24) with a concert entitled “The Bare Minimum” on the continuing Universalist music series (433 Fern St, West Hartford) at 5PM. The program will feature minimalist/post minimalist style music and an assortment of instruments and players. I hope to see many of you there!

Plans are gearing up for the next house concert, at the end of May. It will feature mostly music of Meredith Gilna and include works of some other fantastic local composers as well. Be on the lookout for more information soon!

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Stay Warm

2/9/2013

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As I walked around in Hartford today the snow reached the top of my legs, and I am a tall girl. I hope everyone is staying safe and relaxing in the forced vacation time. Due to my wish for the safety of all, and my inability to move my car (the street it's on is not yet plowed), my 2/10 recital in Wilbraham, MA is postponed to Saturday 2/23 at 4PM, same time same place. I hope many of you can still attend.  That's all for now!
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A belated happy 2013 and to all a good night!

1/16/2013

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The new year seems to hold promise for figuring out this post school existence.  We have premieres of new works by T.L. Hine, Jesse Alexander Brown, Jason Schwartz, and others to look forward to. And some wonderful continued performances of past pieces written by my wonderful friends. 


On the teaching front I joined Middlesex music academy about a month ago and look forward to getting to know Middletown, it seems like a great city. My East Hartford students will be giving a recital in a couple weeks and I'm very proud and excited for all of them. The adult student quartet is also hoping to play a concert somewhere outside of the store sometime this year! 


And of course, I have many plans up my sleeves for concerts this year. There will be another house concert, featuring many of Meredith Gilna's works. And I'm hoping to set up a saxophone and strings concert in a park or 2 when the weather gets more lovely out. 
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Salut mes Chers!

12/22/2012

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I've been meaning to get myself online for quite some time now. In fact, I've owned my domain name for about 4 years now. The best excuse of all, I would have to say, was grad school. So now that it's over I teach all afternoon/evening but don't have to go to work before 2:30 on schooldays, which leaves lots of morning time for random projects. So far I have read 13 books, taken up cooking again, cleaned my room (finally), started arranging pop tunes for students, and stopped biting my nails.


So here I am, please bear with me as I get to know the ropes of managing a site. Eventually there might even be recordings and current pictures, who knows what's next. But I think I'm done with the 6 month laze that followed my completion of my schooling, possibly for good. So stay tuned, because I'm bound to do something interesting every once in a while.

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