Porch Swing Orchestra Podcast

This week I am pleased to share a wide-ranging conversion with New York-based painter and musician, Adam Henry who, in a first here at PSO,  contributed both the image and the soundtrack for PSO no. 233, Apparation in Formation.Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project exploring the relationship between sound and images. Most images are taken on the site where the sound was created and/or recorded. Our orchestra comprises of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars that spontaneously create ephemeral symphonic chance-inspired compositions. The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.org.Adam Henry holds a BFA in Art and Art History from the University of New Mexico and an MFA from The Yale School of Art. His recent exhibitions include solo shows at Candice Madey in New York City,  River Valley Arts Collective, in Hudson, NY; The Ice House, in Garrison, NY; Meessen De Clercq, in Brussels, and group shows at SALTS, Birsfelden, Switzerland; Josée Bienvenu Gallery, New York; Rita Urso, Milan, Italy; Dia Horia, Mykonos, Greece; and Bill Brady, in Miami  Meessen De Clercq published a monograph on his work from 2011–16. For PSO no.233, Adam has paired an image of his 48 x 60-inch painting with a five-minute soundscape crafted on a 1981 Yamaha synthesizer which we will hear after our conversationWe cover a ton of ground in our conversation ranging from ideas of perception, skateboard magazines, authenticity in painting and punk rock, and publicly crying in contemporary art spaces. LinksPorch Swing Orchestra Websitehttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Adam Henry on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/adamdhenry/Janet Cardiff's Motethttps://www.moma.org/collection/works/87291Rhys Chathamhttps://rhyschatham.net/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week I am excited to share a conversation with the brilliant and multi-talented composer, conductor, and musician Joe Williams who contributed a beautiful improvised piece for PSO entitled, no.231 Going Nowhere Well from Sante Fe, Mexico paired with field recording made in Austin, Texas.Joe Williams holds a Doctorate in Performance from the University of Texas and holds a Masters from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico. He is currently Artistic Director and Director of the Austin Classical Guitar Youth Orchestra at Austin Classical Guitar in Austin, Texas. In this conversation we talk about metal in the desert, high school grunge, the value of changing frameworks of success, and the beauty of improvisation among many many other things. After our conversation, we will hear his classical guitar improvisation recorded for PSO no. 231 Going Nowhere Well and a selection of pieces Joe has composed and/or played in, including a wild wall of sound written for 70 guitarists, a portion of a score for Alfred Hitchcock's silent film The Lodger, performed by the Texas Guitar Quartet which features Bion Tsang on cello. Finally, we will hear a piece called “A New Home” excerpted from a larger work entitled  I/We 2020, a multimedia concert, inspired by interviews with Syrian & Iraqi refugees during their first 90 days in Austin. That piece begins with a sound collage of interviews conducted and assembled by Travis Marcum. The piece also has an amazing accompanying film work by ARCOS a team comprised of choreographer Erica Gionfridda and artist Eliot Grey Fisher.LinksPorch Swing Orchestra Website https://porchswingorchestra.org/Austin Classical Guitar https://austinclassicalguitar.org/Journey with Matt Hinsley, Justin Jay Hines, and Joe Williams, https://austinclassicalguitar.org/event/acg-originals-journey-with-matt-hinsley-friends/?event=35656Michael Chapdelaine https://www.michaelchapdelaine.com/Patricia Ann Repar https://music.unm.edu/faculty/patricia-ann-repar/A New Home from I/We 2020 featuring ARCOShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNuoR_cbbM Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week I am excited to share a conversation with the artist and musician Zuriel Waters, who contributed several wonderful clarinet tracks recorded under the Broadway Junction subway overpass to PSO no. 228, Double Talk.Zuriel Waters was born in 1984 in Philadelphia, PA, and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Received an MFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2010 and a BA in Painting and Electronic Music (Interdisciplinary) from San Diego State University in 2007. Has shown work in group exhibitions throughout New York City at galleries such as Underdonk, Bob's, Regina Rex, CANADA, Tappeto Volante and has recently had solo shows at Left Field Gallery in Los Osos, CA and My Pet Ram in NYC.He has a show currently up until June 15th at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts in NYC.After my conversation with Zuriel, we hear our collaborative PSO piece no.228 and a selection of Zuri's musical experiments including a big bounce of about 15 recordings and a recording from what we are calling Zuri's Carousel Music Maker a web music project where two HTML audio players cycle randomly through preloaded recorded percussion, lines of horn and electronic soundscapes.LINKSZuriel Waters' Website:https://zurielwaters.com/Waters' show at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts:https://www.markelfinearts.com/exhibitions/175/overview/Porch Swing Orchestra Website:https://porchswingorchestra.org/PSO Exhibit at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery through June 22, 2024:FInehttps://klausgallery.com/exhibition/barry-stone-porch-swing-orchestra-2024-05-17/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

On today's pod, we are celebrating PSO's first solo art show at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in New York City with a listen to Side B of the lathe cut LP produced in a limited edition of 20 for the show. Side A includes eight of the nine past PSO pieces whose images are framed, and Side B is a suite of 4 movements recorded among trains and the dust of the famous West Texas town of Marfa.The second movement was featured on porchswingorchestra.org as PSO no.226, Ziggy Ice Plant, Marfa, Texas, March 13, 2024.The exhibit at Klaus features selections from nine past PSOs whose pictures are framed along with ambient sound played through two amazing speakers provided by PSO uber mensch, Mark Menjivar. Sounds and sites from Spiral Jetty, are situated next to pebble cascades from Maine, and the sounds of fireworks on election eve of 2020 are pictured from the porch along with many more PSO pieces.Behind the framed images lies an array of images directly adhered to the wall which range in size from 8 by 10 to 40 by 60 inches. These images are pixel remixes of the framed photographs. The sound is collaged from the 9 audio pieces. As with all things PSO, everything comes from the original experience of the site itself.You can purchase the physical record through the links below:Porch Swing Orchestra Website: https://porchswingorchestra.org/PSO Exhibit at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery through June 22, 2024https://klausgallery.com/exhibition/barry-stone-porch-swing-orchestra-2024-05-17/Barry Stone: Porch Swing Orchestra physical record is available athttps://klausgallery.com/product/barry-stone-porch-swing-orchestra-2024/Porch Swing Orchestra digital files are available on Bandcamp https://sunsetcommission.bandcamp.com/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

On the pod, I am thrilled to have Ana Trevino join us. This episode continues our series of conversations with artists participating in VAST IS THE SEA is a series curated by Porch Swing Orchestra consisting of  8 presentations from artists whose diverse works are united by their explorations of images, sound, and community presented by co-lab projects in Austin, Texas. For VAST IS THE SEA, Ana presented a video entitled Migration Stories on January 27, 2024Ana Treviño is a visual artist and educator living and working in Austin, TX. Her practice bends the rules of filmmaking and is informed by cultural histories. She uses a feminist lens to think about the concept of borders, whether visible, invisible, or blurred. Her connection to the U.S./Mexico border deeply influences her work and the stories she engages with. Through video installation and performance, she explores how she can reinvent subjugated narratives. Her most recent work involves deconstructing and analyzing the mother figure in media, literature, and art. She has been invited to lecture for the Capstone Lecture Series in Eastern Washington University, led graduate workshops at the University of Texas at Austin, and worked with underrepresented youth in the greater Austin area. Her writing has been published in Gender/Sexuality/Italy, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on gendered identities. Films she has collaborated in have screened at Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest. She received her MFA in Art and Technology from the University of Florida and a BS in Television and Film Production from Florida International University. Trevino most recently presented work as part of a two-person show with Christine Garvey, entitled Motherload at the Flex Gallery at Texas State University. Ana and I talk about the making of her video, the challenges of creating work while parenting, Peg Bundy among many other topics. After our conversation, we will hear a few of the stories excerpted from Migration Stories. VAST IS THE SEA is supported in part by grants from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, H-E-B, and Co-Lab Projects Members.The following folks are heard in the audio excerpt from Migration Stories:Heather Wright, Mario Villanueva, Pam Reyes, and Raymond Arturo PerezLINKS and REFERENCESPORCH SWING ORCHESTRAhttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEA https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCO-LAB PROJECTShttps://www.co-labprojects.org/ANA TREVINOhttps://anatrevino.net/PAM REYEShttps://www.pamreyesmusic.com/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

On the pod, I am joined by SANDY CARSON AND KAREN SKLOSS of the band SKLOSS and artist and tattooist THOMAS HOOOPER. This episode continues our series of conversations with artists participating in VAST IS THE SEA a series curated by @porchswingorchestra consisting of  8 presentations from artists whose diverse works are united by their explorations of images, sound, and community presented by Co-Lab projects in Austin, Texas. Our final presentations will occur at 7 and 8 pm on Saturday, February 24th.SKLOSS play live accompanied by custom-crafted visuals by THOMAS HOOOPEROn Saturday, February 24th at 8 pmYou can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCo-Lab Projects is a legendary art space whose current configuration is a 40 x 10 x 10-foot concrete culvert sitting on an open plot of land just east of the city. The culvert will be awash in projections and stereo sounds on either end of the ceiling. The floor is covered in a sea of blue and green moving blankets.Viewers/listeners are invited to lay next to the performers who occupy the center space to float on a raft of oceanic sounds while gazing at shape-shifting videos projected upon the ceiling.SKLOSS blends elements of heavy psychedelia, post-metal drones, meditative drums, and distorted riffs performed with honesty and deliberation. The resulting, powerful atmospheric wall of sound is unique only to SKLOSS.A self-released debut EP 'Voices Travel Through This' was released in 2022.In the winter of 2023, SKLOSS holed up at Point West Studios and recorded their S/T debut LP for release in 2024.Karen Skloss is a filmmaker who has been on Barack Obama's pick list and edited seminal films about artists Syd Barrett and Townes Van Zandt, and was a founding member of the dream pop band, Moving Panoramas.Sandy Carson is a photographer & cinematographer. His photography and film practice is a balance of commercial, editorial reportage, short and long-form personal projectsHooper is a tattoo artist and makes art in all manner of media, he is a devoted husband, father, former BMX pro rider, artist, music lover, and performer whose talent, passions, and energy seem to know no bounds.Our conversation is sometimes interrupted by drops in our internet connection. We talk about their collaboration, friendship, hardcore, BMX, DIY culture, and community. After our conversation, we will have a very cool sneak peek world premiere of SKLOSS' new yet-to-be-released album. I am excited to pry a wee minute from this six-minute sprawler entitled Snorkels Ask from the stronghold that is the SKLOSS security team.LINKS and REFERENCESPORCH SWING ORCHESTRAhttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEA https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCO-LAB PROJECTShttps://www.co-labprojects.org/SKLOSS@sklossduoKAREN SKLOSShttps://www.karenskloss.com/SANDY CARSONhttp://sandycarson.com/THOMAS HOOPER@thomas__hooperhttps://thomashooperart.com/VAST IS THE SEA is supported in part by grants from the @cityofaustinarts, @txcommarts, the @neaarts, @heb and Co-Lab Projects Members. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

On the pod, I am thrilled to be joined by JESSICA MALLIOS. This episode continues our series of conversations with artists participating in VAST IS THE SEA is a series curated by @porchswingorchestra consisting of  8 presentations from artists whose diverse works are united by their explorations of images, sound, and community presented by Co-Lab projects in Austin, Texas. Our final presentations will occur at 7 and 8 pm on Saturday, February 24th.Jessica will present her sound and video work, SUBVISUALOn Saturday, February 24th at 7 pmYou can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCo-Lab Projects is a legendary art space whose current configuration is a 40 x 10 x 10-foot concrete culvert sitting on an open plot of land just east of the city. The culvert will be awash in projections and stereo sounds on either end of the ceiling. The floor is covered in a sea of moving blankets.Viewers/listeners are invited to lay next to the performers occupying the center to become a raft in an ocean of sounds gazing at a visionary sky.Jessica Mallios is an artist and educator based in San Marcos, TX. She earned an MFA from Bard College and is an Associate Professor in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University. Mallios is a founding member of the Lakes Were Rivers artist collective in Austin, TX. Her work consists of photography, video, and installation exploring the physicality of light and space. Central to her practice are visibility, invisibility, temporal shifts, scale distortions, and destabilized materiality. Informed by the history of optical media and the evolving viewing apparatus, her research-based approach responds to sites and structures of cultural and architectural significance.I have known Jessica for many years, as a friend, colleague at Texas State, collaborator, and artist. When I first moved back to Texas Jessica was part of the extremely talented photographers I met living around Austin. We formed a crit club that eventually became the Collective Lakes Were Rivers..For our conversation, we keep it current focusing on Mallios' work for the PSO's Vast is the Sea Series. We talk about solar winds,  Lighthouse keepers, Iceland, Observation towers, in Dubai and London, all places Mallios has made and is currently making work in and about. We get into weeds about opticality, time, and the apparatus of the camera, but also about more down-to-earth subjects like motherhood, and the shared struggles of making work as a parent, educator, and an artist all in one. After our conversation, we will hear some audio excerpts, which encompass the inaudible, at least without the aid of the apparatus, Solar winds, and sounds from the mountains of Iceland.LINKS and REFERENCESPORCH SWING ORCHESTRAhttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEA https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCO-LAB PROJECTShttps://www.co-labprojects.org/JESSICA MALLIOS' WEBSITEhttp://jessicamallios.com/VAST IS THE SEA is supported in part by grants from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, H-E-B, and Co-Lab Projects Members. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

On the pod, I am thrilled to be joined by Ariana Gomez. This episode continues our series of conversations with artists participating in VAST IS THE SEA is a series curated by @porchswingorchestra consisting of  8 presentations from artists whose diverse works are united by their explorations of images, sound, and community presented by co-lab projects in Austin, Texas. The next presentations will take place at 7 and 8 pm on Saturday, February 17 and our final presentations and performances will take place the following Saturday at 7 and 8 pm, the 24th. Ariana will present a sound and video workOn Saturday, February 17th at 7 pmYou can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaAriana Gomez (she/her) is a visual artist based in Austin, TX. She spent the last twelve years in New York City working commercially and recently returned home to Austin, to pursue a graduate degree from the University of Texas. This transition has become a catalyst for her most recent ruminations on the concepts of home, family, and identity. Working primarily with photography, text, and sound, Gomez's practice examines our notions of the ‘home' as a myth through reflections on her parent's relationship to the land. Her interest lies in the meeting of this trinity of images, text, and sound and how the three can work together as a spiritual triad to create an experiential memory-scape of place.Gomez has exhibited both in the U.S. and internationally most recently showing at Women and Their Work as a Red Dot Artist in Austin, TX, sTudio 7 for the Rockaway Artists' Alliance in Fort Tilden, NY, and for The Print Space Gallery in London, UK. Recent awards include a 2024 University Residency Fellowship from Studios at MASS MoCA, and she was honored to be mentioned as a photographer to watch in Glass Tire's Best of 2022. Her work has appeared online and in publications such as The New York Times Opinion, Lux Magazine, PhMuseum, Booooooom, and Ain't Bad.Co-Lab Projects is a legendary art space whose current configuration is a 40 x 10 x 10-foot concrete culvert sitting on an open plot of land just east of the city. The culvert will be awash in projections and stereo sounds on either end of the ceiling. The floor is covered in a sea of moving blankets.Viewers/listeners are invited to lay next to the performers occupying the center to become a raft in an ocean of sounds gazing at a visionary sky.ARIANA GOMEZ'S CURRENT AND UPCOMING SHOWSSomos Recuerdos at Visual Arts Center, UT Austin until March 2nd. https://utvac.org/Mix N Mash at the Mexic-Arte Museumhttps://mexic-artemuseum.org/ICOSA Window Dressing Feb 19-26 with the reception on Feb. 23rd from 6-8pm.https://www.icosacollective.com/MFA Thesis Show at the Visual Arts Center will open on April 19th.https://utvac.org/LINKS and REFERENCESPORCH SWING ORCHESTRAhttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEA https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCO-LAB PROJECTShttps://www.co-labprojects.org/ARIANA GOMEZ'S WEBSITEhttps://www.arianagomez.com/ARIANA GOMEZ ON IG_arianagomezVAST IS THE SEA is supported in part by grants from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and H-E-B. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week I spoke with Gavin Watts of the Answers, The Reformers, and countless other bands. This episode continues our series of conversations with artists participating in VAST IS THE SEA a series of eight presentations from artists whose diverse works are united by their explorations of images, sound, and community presented by Co-Lab Projects in Austin, Texas curated by PSO.Gavin  will present his work, Motel Myths at 8pm , Saturday, February 17thEach event is ticketed separately. You can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaGavin is no stranger to the podcast or PSO. You can hear him talk about his collaboration with PSO as part of the soundtrack duo The Reformers with Alex Kanan on PSO podcast no.213Co-Lab is a legendary art space whose current configuration is a 40 x 10 x 10-foot concrete culvert sitting on an open plot of land just east of the city. The culvert will be awash in projections and stereo sounds on either end of the ceiling. The floor covered in a sea of moving blankets.Viewers/listeners are invited to lay next to the performers occupying the center to become a raft in an ocean of sounds gazing at a visionary sky.LINKS and REFERENCESPORCH SWING ORCHESTRAhttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEA https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCO-LAB PROJECTShttps://www.co-labprojects.org/GAVIN'S RECORD LABELhttps://wattshappeningrecords.bandcamp.com/VAST IS THE SEA is supported in part by grants from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and H-E-B. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week I spoke with Mark Menjivar. This episode continues our series of conversations with artists participating in VAST IS THE SEA, a series curated by @porchswingorchestra, consisting of  8 presentations from artists whose diverse works are united by their explorations of images, sound, and community presented by Co-Lab projects in Austin, Texas. Mark will present his work at 7pm on Saturday, January 27Each event is ticketed separately. You can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at https://www.co-labprojects.org/Mark Menjívar is a San Antonio-based artist and Associate Professor in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University. His art practice primarily consists of creating participatory projects while being rooted in photography, oral history, archives, and social action. He attended McLennan Community College, holds a BA in Social Work from Baylor University and an MFA in Social Practice from Portland State University.Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with images made on-site. Performed and recorded at home and away, solo and with others. Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars that spontaneously create ephemeral symphonic chance-inspired compositions. The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.orgMORE ABOUT VAST IS THE SEAThe series takes place over 4 Saturdays and features 2 presentations per evening on Jan 20, 27, and Feb 17 and 24. All presentations are maximally 45 minutes longThere will be a 15-20-minute intermission between presentationsEach presentation is ticketed separately. You can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at co-labprojects.org. This is a great way to support PSO.Co-Lab is a legendary art space whose current configuration is a 40 x 10 x 10-foot concrete culvert sitting on an open plot of land just east of the city. The culvert will be awash in projections and stereo sounds on either end of the ceiling. The floor covered in a sea of moving blankets.Viewers/listeners are invited to lay next to the performers occupying the center to become a raft in an ocean of sounds gazing at a visionary sky.LINKS and REFERENCESPorch Swing Orchestrahttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEAhttps://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaCo-Lab Projectshttps://www.co-labprojects.org/Mark Menjivarhttps://www.markmenjivar.com Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with images made on-site. Performed and recorded at home and away, solo and with others. Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars that spontaneously create ephemeral symphonic chance-inspired compositions. The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.orgThis episode is the first of a mini-series of pods highlighting artists who are presenting in VAST IS THE SEA, a series of live events exploring the interconnections between images and sound curated by PSO and hosted by Co-lab Projects in Austin Texas.The series will take place over 4 Saturdays and feature 2 presentations per evening on Jan 20, 27, and Feb 17 and 24. All presentations are maximally 45 minutes longThere will be a 15-20-minute intermission between presentationsEach presentation is ticketed separately except for the opening night which is one combined ticket. You can purchase tickets on a sliding scale starting at $5 at co-labprojects.org. This is a great way to support PSO.The opening event features San Antonio Artists, Anthony Francis and Xavier Gilmore beginning at 8 and that will followed by yours truly who will be joined by Paul Stautinger to reprise the suite of music we performed in the Turrell Sky space but accompanied by a new video.Co-lab is a legendary art space whose current configuration is a 40 x 10 x 10-foot concrete culvert sitting on an open plot of land just east of the city. The culvert will be awash in projections and stereo sounds on either end of the ceiling. The floor covered in a sea of moving blankets.Viewers/listeners are invited to lay next to the performers occupying the center to become a raft in an ocean of sounds gazing at a visionary sky.(video documentation of Gilmore's architectural sculpture, Between the Lines)In this pod, we will first hear my conversation with Anthony Francis where we cover everything from the poetry of Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Fred Moten, bell hooks, Frank Wilderson, family, community, stillness, and so much more. Our conversation will be followed by an excerpted audio from his piece, All Is which he will present on Saturday. Following that we hear a piece by Gilmore which was originally Shown as part of a sculpture show called Wild Ruins, Wild Orientations in a pop-up in Adkins, Texas. The Piece is a sound element that accompanies an architectural sculpture called Between the Lines which for Gilmore speaks to gathering, community, and privileged space. LINKS and REFERENCESPorch Swing Orchestrahttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Tickets to VAST IS THE SEAhttps://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaAnthony Francis:https://www.afrancisart.com/Xavier Gilmore:https://www.xaviergilmore.net/Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Fred Moten, Stefano Harney, bell hooks, Frank Wilderson, Édouard Glissant, Roland Barthes, Walter Benjamin, Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with images made on-site. Performed and recorded at home and away, solo and with others. Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars that spontaneously create ephemeral symphonic chance-inspired compositions. The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.orgThis week's pod features an interview with Henry Smith who was the co-creator of the latest PSO piece, no.222. Henry came over on a rare rainy day in September and brought his soft touch to nylon six-string to make much goodness. We have a wide-ranging conversation about his musical upbringing, high school battle of the bands, the semiotics of album covers, wood type, and much more. VAST IS THE SEA A series of PSO-curated events at Co-Lab Projects in Austin TexasTickets: https://withfriends.co/event/17182339/vast_is_the_seaJanuary 20 - Performances and Opening Reception8pm Anthony Francis and Xavier Gilmore9pm Barry Stone / Porch Swing Orchestra10-11pm ReceptionJanuary 27 - Performances7pm Mark Menjivar8pm Ania SofkoFebruary 17 - Performances7pm Ariana Gomez8pm Gavin Watts / The ReformersFebruary 24 - Performances7pm Jessica Mallios8pm Thomas Hooper / SklossThis project is supported in part by grants from the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and H-E-B.Henry Smith's show at the VAC featuring the Rob Roy Kelly Wood Type CollectionJanuary 26th - February 10, 2024UT Visual Art Center, Fieldworks GalleryOpening Reception: Friday, January 26th, 5-8 pmJay Ryan's Poster Work: https://thebirdmachine.comEinstein's Brain, Henry's Dad's band: Henry's website: https://henrysmith.work/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week's pod features PSO's sophomore full-length release, Second Season which collects 18 pieces from PSO's second year spanning March 2019 to March 2020. The release was inspired by the invitation to participate in the ICOSA (an art collective in Austin) Soundscapes program. Outside their art space, these crossfaded tracks will play from dusk to dawn until January 9, 2024.There will be a listening party on Thursday, December 21 at ICOSA in the Canopy Art complex at 916 Springdale Road in Austin, Texas. The music will start at 5:34 which is the official time of the beginning of the sunset. We will have hot chocolate, adult beverages, and on-site screen printing of PSO merch. We will also have a brand new CD complete with a double-sided 11x17 Riso/inkjet printed folded cover on hand. You can get one in Austin or from the Bandcamp page. There will be links in the show notes.So…Bring a camp chair and a mug. The event is free.We begin with PSO no.52, Complete Orbit recorded among a singing chorus of birds then seg into sounds from a lemonade stand, cacophonous calls of purple martins from the purple martin sanctuary, seaplanes from Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, and a pretty broken guitar in Birch Bay, Washington.TRACKLIST01 Complete Orbit No. 52, 4.18.2019 (2:34)02 Lemonade for Days No. 71, 10.17.2019 (1:48)03 Purple Martin Suite (Part 1) No. 88, 3.22.2020, Purple Martin Sanctuary, Austin, Texas (2:40)04 Slip Slide Cumulonimbus No. 54, 5.9.2019 (1:26)05 Axes on Axis No. 53, 4.26.2019 (1:53)06 Friday Harmonics No. 65, 8.16.2019, Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands (2:21)07 Point Texas No. 74, 11.9.2019 (1:25)08 Flights No. 60, 6.26.2019 (1:12)09 Lotus Loop No. 82, 2.3.2020 (1:44)10 See Planes of Friday Harbor No. 64, 8.9.2019, Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands (2:34)11 Lemonade Stand No. 70, 10.10.2019 (1:38)12 Clear Winter＊s Day No. 83, 2.16.2020 (2:31)13 Spare No. 55, 5.16.2019 (1:59)14 Science Fairport Convention No. 80, 1.15.2020 (1:41)15 Sprinkler Shadow No. 68, 9.19.2019 (2:27)16 Sundials and Sirens No. 58, 6.13.2019 (1:25)17 Birch Bay Swan Song No. 61, 8.3.2019, Birch Bay, Washington (1:12)18 Purple Martin Suite (Part 2) No.89, 3.27.2020, Purple Martin Sanctuary, Austin, Texas (1:40)LINKSICOSA Soundscapes: https://www.icosacollective.com/soundscapePorch Swing Orchestra Website:  https://porchswingorchestra.org/Porch Swing Orchestra YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PorchSwingOrchestraPorch Swing Orchestra on Spotify:Porch Swing Orchestra on Bandcamp: https://sunsetcommission.bandcamp.com/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week I am excited to share a collaboration with photographer, avid runner, and pedal steel ringer, Bill McCullough! Bill is an amazing photographer based in Austin whose street work I have admired for years. We met courtesy through the Artist Run Club when the group visited the studio he and his wife Meredith Miller, an accomplished printmaker and book artist share. Bill has also played pedal steel with the lauded Austin band, Knife in the Water for going on 20 years.We met on Bill's porch and played for a long time. What a joy! This piece is a kind of supercut of a small portion of what was a pursuit of pure pleasure. Bill shot the images and I put them in a code blender. I love how the cat fits perfectly into the shape made by the cactus.TRACK LISTno.220 |Cat in the Cactus and the Pedal Steel, November 20, 2023, Austin, Texasno.103 | Cicada Serenade, June 22, 2020, Austin, Texasno.122 | Furniture of Crickets, December 9, 2020, Austin, Texasno.131 | Shimmers Before the Storm, March 5, 2020, University Camp, Wimberley, TXno.145 | Lightburn and Wood, June 30, 2021, Wild Bill Lake, Montanano.178 | Sweet Sweet Springs, June 29, 2022, Barton Springs Pool, Austin, TXLINKSPorch Swing Orchestra Website: https://porchswingorchestra.org/Porch Swing Orchestra YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PorchSwingOrchestraPorch Swing Orchestra on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5veNpAdzFR1sJmmBcX1AuJ?si=tw8IxeF7TNCG8seYndXg5wPorch Swing Orchestra on Bandcamp: https://sunsetcommission.bandcamp.com/Bill McCullough: https://billmccullough.comCharles Wood Photographs: https://www.instagram.com/mountainsinstars/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week's PSO features a live recording new piece we opened with in our performance at the Turrell Skyspace. Paul Stautinger joined me and added a ton of color and melody, playing both finger-picked intricacies and sweeping tonalites made with an E-bow. Mark Menjivar provided an array of bird songs and sounds processed through a modular synthesizer. On the POD, I talked to Mark about the archive of field recordings he (re)activated for this performance and his other myriad projects and practices. Among other topics, we discuss the distinctions between sound and song, the deep political implications of noticing, and the transformational potential of aesthetic experience. Prelude to Lost Pines was performed and recorded in front of a live audience inside The Color Inside, a Skyspace by James Turrell, which is part of the Landmarks Public Art Collection at The University of Texas. Our performance was commissioned as part of their Songs in the Skyspace program. Songs in the Skyspace is underwritten by KFMA, Austin's independent classical music radio station. Two PSO pieces from the past follow the Prelude to Lost Pines. PSO 166, entitled The Triple Double is Yours from January 20, 2022, and following that is PSO 31 from October 16, 2018, Toddler Breakdown in Festival Town.PSO 31 was featured on a compilation of PSO pieces collected from the first year of PSO, Once Around the Sun. You can hear and/or purchase those recordings on the Porch Swing Orchestra Bandcamp page.TRACKSInterview with artist and PSO member Mark Menjivar PSO no. 219 | Prelude to Lost Pines, “The Color Inside” by James Turrell on UT Campus, October 15, 2023 PSO no.166 | The Triple Double is Yours, Austin Texas, January 20, 2022 PSO no.31 | Toddler Breakdown in Festival Town. Austin, Texas, October 16, 2018LINKSPorch Swing Orchestra Website https://porchswingorchestra.org/Mark Menjivarhttps://www.markmenjivar.com/Paul Stautinger's Bandhttps://www.marchandbeauty.com/Barry Stonehttps://barrystone.com/PSO Newsletter on Substack Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

PSO no.218 is a 6-minute preview taken from me and Paul's preparation for our hour-long performance at the James Turrell Skyspace on the UT campus on Sunday, October 15th beginning around 6. The event is fully booked, but there is a standby policy that you can read about on the Landmarks James Turrell web page. Artist and PSO collaborator Mark Menjivar will join Paul and me and play processed field recordings sourced from the Texas Bird Sound Library, a treasure trove of recordings he discovered during his time as a visiting artist at Sam Houston State University. Included on the pod are randomly picked tunes from the PSO archive. Highlights include field recordings from the coast of Maine, in Bastrop State Park, and sounds from the porch from as far back as 2018. The pod ends with two pieces that feature collaborations with Gavin Watts of The Answers and the Reformers and John Hunt, a staple of the Austin music scene since his days in Silver Scooter, Fivehead, The Decade Show, and now plays in the band, the Bantom Woods. LinksPSO websitehttps://porchswingorchestra.org/Bandcamp https://porchswingorchestra.org/ BandcampNewsletter on Substack (FREE!) https://porchswingorchestra.substack.com/Track ListingAll recordings were made in Austin, Texas unless otherwise noted.(03:26) no.218 | Practice Makes Practice(09:11) no.83 | no.154 | Lost Pines, Bastrop State Park, September 30, 2021, Bastrop, Texas(012:30) no.114 | Pool Patch, October 7, 2020, Austin, Texas(15:32) no.24 | Bailey Island Revisited, August 26, 2018. Bailey Island, Maine(17:38) no.198 | Gavin Watts and the Celestial Railroad, February 1, 2023, Austin, Texas(21:42) no.136 |High Strung Mellow Hang feat. John Hunt, April 6, 2021, Austin, Texas Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with images made on-site, performed, and recorded at home and away, solo, and along with others.Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars who spontaneously create ephemeral, symphonic, chance-inspired compositions.The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.org.PSO pieces included in this Podcast are below.All recordings were made in Austin, Texas unless otherwise noted.All recordings were made in Austin, Texas unless otherwise noted. no.217 Swell Cicada Swells, September 20, 2023 no.83 | Clear Winter's Day February 16, 2020 Austin, Texas no.57 | Summer Blooms June 6, 2019, Austin, Texas no.107 | Dueling Pools featuring Sandy Carson, August 19, 2020, Austin, Texas no.146 | Tidal Cascade, Bailey Island, Maine July 20, 2021, Bailey Island, Maine no.196 | Blue Eyes Crying and Soaked in Reverb featuring Paul Stautinger, July 20, 2021, Austin Community College Recording Studios no.41 | Rain and Creaky Screen Doors, January 11, 2019, Austin, Texas no.26 | Potatoes on Bailey Island, September 8, 2019, Bailey Island, MaineYou can see the accompanying pictures on our YouTube Stream. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with images made on-site, performed and recorded at home, and in a way, solo and up with others.Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars who spontaneously create ephemeral, symphonic, chance-inspired compositions.The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.org.PSO pieces included in this Podcast are below.All locations are in Austin, Texas unless otherwise noted.no.216 In Front of the Monkey Tree, September 6, 2023no.156 In-Store Appearance, October 17, 2021no. 56 Barking Springs, May 23, 2019no.144 Paved Paradise, June 24, 2021, New Orleans, LAno.173 Merlin's Magic, April, 24, 2022no.151 Collaboration with Michael Zapruder, August 26, 2021no.199 Winter Whipsaw, February 9, 2023no.76 Understories, December 5, 2019You can see the accompanying pictures on our YouTube Stream. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the  Porch Swing Orchestra porch cast. I am your conductor Barry Stone and every other week or so I bring you the latest PSO piece along with a selection of works from the past.Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with images made on-site. Performed and recorded at home and away, solo and with others. Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars who spontaneously create ephemeral symphonic chance-inspired compositions. On the podcast, As always we begin with a new offering. PSO no.215 Demolition Condition. Simultaneously you can hear the sounds of the house to our South being loaded into a dumpster and the Stucco monument to banality being constructed in what seems like our backyard.PSO website https://porchswingorchestra.org/ Bandcamp https://porchswingorchestra.bandcamp.com/ Newsletter on Substack (FREE!) https://porchswingorchestra.substack.com/ Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/porch-swing-orchestra-podcast/id1690660579 Track Listing no.215 | Demolition Condition August 24, 2023 Austin, Texas, no.32 | Circles October 23, 2018, Austin, Texas no.4 | Untitled March 17, 2018, Austin, TX no.150 | Roofer's Delight August 19, 2021, Austin, TX no.161 | Dueling Leaf Blowers December 15, 2021, Austin, TX no.71 | Lemonade for Days October 17, 2019, Austin, TX no.112 | Blue Mayu Collaboration with Rebecca Marino September 23, 2020, Austin, TX Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This week's pod and music-only YouTube stream feature selections from PSO's recent live event celebrating the release of our collaborative EP with the Reformers (now streaming and on Bandcamp). We had great music from the Answers and PSO, DIY live screen-printed PSO shirts, popsicles, homemade cold brew, and singing cicadas.The Answers premiere, The Other Woman, a Gavin Watts original, is slated for a winter release entitled, Texas Made Me Do It.Paul Stautinger joins Barry Stone to play PSO improvisations and new and old favorites from Stone's more song-oriented project, Mountains in Stars.The Answers on BandcampPSO on Bandcamp and YouTube on Substack Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Alex Kannan and Gavin Watts of the Reformers join PSO conductor, Barry Stone, for an interview about their music and influences on the occasion of the release of the Porch Swing Orchestra + The Reformers split EP.Gavin Watts is an Austin-based polymath whose proclivities include painting, and high-level research in the field of public special education,–Gavin is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University–San Antonio. Gavin plays with Cougar Island and in the Answers with Lauren Grant, who was featured on PSO no. 153, here in the ATX and if that isn't enough, Gavin also has been cooking up some of his own country songs. The Reformers make soundtracks for films that don't exist, at least that has been their tagline, but now Alex and Gavin are producing films in IRL informed by their music.Alex made an award-winning documentary, La Cita with Grecia Arlene Maldonado Valenzuela which is a tribute to the LGBT activist, Jeanine. The film empathetically documents Valenzuela's daily struggles as a trans woman living in Tijuana.When Alex is not busy sculpting landscapes with his keyboards or directing films, he runs his own legal firm specializing in immigration issues in California.Reformers Tracks featured on the podcastTrunk of a ChevyMondayBlood Warrant (Main Theme)SkeletonsPSO + Reformers Split EPSteel Stream Guitar Careful with That Xu Jian Interstellar RailroadPorch Swing Orchestra + The Reformers Split EP on BandcampThe Reformers on Bandcamp and SpotifyAlex Kanan's films La Cita (Trailer and Film)  and El Mago (Trailer and Film)Gavin's Film, a music film by The Reformers, Llewellen Gavin's Musical Ecosystem at Watts Happening Records Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

This episode begins with the newest PSO, no.212, which was recorded in the traditional manner on my porch but with a twist. After spending some time in Mark Menjivar's studio talking about field recordings, bird calls, archives, innumerable sound gadgets, and exciting new projects, Mark lent me a curious piece of sound hardware crafted by Brooklyn-based electronic savants Critter & Guitari, the Organelle M. Thanks, Mark! You can use the Organelle to make beats, as a synthesizer, or to process sound, which is what I did. For this week's piece, I routed the audio recorded on the porch through the Organelle and cycled through the approximately 200 delay patterns (I only used around 5) to create some cool textures to augment my improvised melody. The cars and the air conditioner sounded amazing too. Listen for Mark's PSO collaboration from June of last year, no.142 Cicada Song, which is included in this week's streams (podcast and on YouTube), The piece combined a field recording Mark made on July 17, 2018, outside the Walls Unit in Huntsville, TX, with music recorded from my porch in Austin. Mark's recording captured a clarion call by Gloria Rubac protesting the imminent execution of Chris Young. In both our recordings, you can hear the song of summer cicadas in the background, which creates a shared space for reflection and meditation on the deep implications of our criminal justice system.In addition to Mark's piece, another highlight from the stream is a collaboration with my longtime friend Shannon Spurgeon. PSO no. 113 Princess Moonstep was released in September of 2020. Shannon sent me a tune featuring a sample from the Dukes of Hazard in tribute to his dad, who had recently passed away. The title, Princess Moonstep, is taken from a racehorse his dad owned, which won a bunch of races at Evangeline Downs in Lafayette, Louisiana. Shannon provided the piano, the samples, and the percussion. I brought in some slide guitar.Also featured is PSO no. 81 Science Fairport Convention, made in the aftermath of many an egg splatter sacrificed in the name of science and in service of my daughter's Covid science fair project of January 2020Here is a list of all the recordings included in this week's episode.no. 212 Quilted Daze and Delays, July 5, 2023 no. 142 Cicada Song with Mark Menjivar, June 3, 2021 no. 81 Science Fairport Convention, January 20, 2020no. 68 Sprinkler Shadow, September 19, 2021 no. 113 Princess Moonstep with Shannon Spurgeon, September 30, 2020 no. 175 Eye of the Song Storm, May 17, 2022Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with photographs made on-site. Performed and recorded at home and away, solo and with others – birds, guitars, and trucks conspire to form a chance-operated orchestra of delight.The Podcast and YouTube streams include the most current PSO piece along with randomly selected pieces from the past. Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that pairs music recorded outside with photographs made on-site. Performed and recorded at home and away, solo and with others – birds, guitars, and trucks conspire to form a chance-operated orchestra of delight. The Podcast and YouTube streams include the most current PSO piece along with randomly selected pieces from the past. This edition includes a beautiful poem written and read by Emily Scarlet Kramer, originally posted in the heady months of April 2020. Its message of hope and care feels just as urgent today. no.211's title was inspired by poetry, so it's fitting that the Pod and YouTube streams also feature the medium.Also in the streams is PSO no.50 from March of 2019, a piece inspired by Wallace Steven's book of poems Spring and All. In my introduction, I reproduced the following fragment from this book-length poem that might as well be the PSO credo.Our orchestra is the cat's nuts – Banjo jazz with a nickleplated amplifier to soothe the savage beast –0:00: no.211 I + Bird + Music Create a Universe the Size of a Bathtub, June 20, 2023 3:06: no. 58 | Sundials and Sirens, June 13, 2019:4:36: no.186 Gleaming the White Cube, Lora Reynolds Gallery Oct 19, 2022 6:20: no. 93 Tune Poem, poem written and read by Emily Kramer, April 26, 2020 8:11: no. 207 From Where I Sit, May 4, 2023 10:21: no. 50 Spring and All March 19, 2019LINKSOG PSO site at https://porchswingorchestra.org/See the images and listen without the introduction at https://youtu.be/LZbjJIkQ5oQPSO Newsletter https://porchswingorchestra.substack.com/ Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe

On this podcast and subsequent episodes, Every two weeks or so,  I will share the most recent PSO piece and follow that with about 20 minutes of pieces randomly selected from the archives.This week begins with a cassette from the soundtrack of Carl Sagan's PBS series, The Cosmos.The synths from The Cosmos are broken up and rearranged and combined with an improvised acoustic guitar captured on the porch. It's the cosmic and the particular or the Infinite and the finite. I loved that series, Sagan's shaggy do and comfy corduroy, the mock turtle necks- everything in a kind of space-age beige all in the service of evoking the possibility of meeting alien life. And he made the Golden Record! which was attached to the Voyager spacecraft and spun out to leave our solar system in search of being found by an extraterrestrial with a turntable. "Only Connect" is the mantra for art-making coined by EM Forrester, and I love the impossibility and the hope embodied in the golden record gesture. The formation of PSO owes much to Sagan's endeavors.Following no. 210, This installment spans a range of tunes and feels. Tense days before the November 2020 election and the sounds of a neighborhood celebrating the election decision with fireworks in a debut with my youngest daughter who was just learning how to play the guitar. There are hums from Friday Harbor marine research boats, light saber sounds gleaned from my bedside clock with an electromagnetic mic and the twang of my dad's nearly unplayable old Gibson guitar plucked on the shore of Birch Bay in the Pacific North West in 2019.A YouTube stream of these pieces where you can see the images with titles and dates. https://www.youtube.com/@PorchSwingOrchestra Visit the PSO project site: PorchSwingOrchestra.org To join the Newsletter and/or support the project you can find PSO on substack at porchswingorchestra.substack.com. There is no paywall but Substack allows the option to contribute which will help PSO do more Get full access to Porch Swing Orchestra at porchswingorchestra.substack.com/subscribe