Standing in the Stream - John Lane

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Libby Larsen is one of America’s most performed living composers. Her catalogue of some 500 compositions spans every genre from vocal to chamber music to massive orchestra and operatic works. Including a Grammy winning album in 1993, she has over 50 recordings to her credit. She continues to be in demand for commissions and premieres by artists worldwide. She is the co-founder of the Minnesota Composers Form, now the American Composers Forum, and has held residencies with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, and the Colorado Symphony.

Percussionist and composer Scott Deal’s work is characterized by a deep interest in technology. His curiosity of new and emerging technologies spurred his founding of two collective projects. Scott founded the Telematic Collective, an Internet performance group of artists and computer specialists, and he is a founding member and percussionist with the computer-acoustic trio Big Robot.As a performer, Scott has concertized worldwide and has recordings on labels including Albany, Centaur, Cold Blue and SCI. He has received funding for his research from organizations including Meet the Composer, Indiana Arts Council, and the Arts and Humanities Institute at IUPUI, where he is also a Professor of Music and Director of the Donald Louis Travel Arts and Technology Research Center.

Poet Dean Rader and I share an interest in engaging with socio-political themes in our creative work. In our previous conversation (Ep. 47), we ended with the idea that we’d come back and revisit this idea in a part 2. We are also both curious about interdisciplinary work and how one practice brushes up against another, so it seemed like a good follow up conversation. Instead, Dean ended up having a lot of questions about my work as a percussionist/composer and I ended up having some long answers. So, there you have it. I want to say a special thanks, again, to Dean for his interest in my work and the terrific conversation. Stay tuned for a potential part 3 with Dean down the road.

This week’s guest, Dean Rader, has published widely in the fields of poetry, American Indian Studies, and visual culture. His poetry has garnered a number of awards and recognitions including the T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize. His newest collection of poetry, Self-Portrait as Wikipedia Entry, was recently published by Copper Canyon Press. A native of Western Oklahoma, he is now based in San Francisco where he is professor of English at the University of San Francisco.

Andrea Polli is an environmental artist who works at the intersection of art, science and technology. Often her works express, in some way, the scientific data obtained from collaborations with scientists. She has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Science Foundation and Fulbright. Her latest book is Far Field: Digital Culture, Climate Change and the Poles. She is currently Professor of Art and Ecology at the University of New Mexico.

I got to meet composer Charles Corey when I visited the Harry Partch Institute at the University of Washington in October of 2016. In this episode, Charles gives us a tour of the Partch Institute at UW. Chatting with Charles was also a great opportunity to get his very unique perspective on Partch and how Partch's work has influenced his own.

Jessie Marino's work as composer, musician and media artist pays attention to the virtuosity of common activities, explores ritualistic absurdity, and delights in the archeology of recent media. She is co-founder and director of the experimental performance collective, On Structure; and co-artistic director and cellist with Ensemble Pamplemousse. We chatted a lot about how vital community and friendship is to her work, how it informs the kind of work she makes. Jessie also has a great perspective on the intersection of music and socio-political ideals.

Drawing on his deep curiosity about science, technology, philosophy and many topics in between, David Huntsberger has cultivated a unique voice in comedy. In this second part, we chatted about making a career in comedy and the history of some creative projects. David has a great perspective on living/sustaining a creative life, too, and offers up some wisdom and good advice for all creatives. Make sure to catch the 16-second story from the latest Junk Show, his weekly variety show in LA, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzDFGNMFxCA

David Huntsberger is a unique voice in stand-up comedy. Drawing on his deep curiosity about science, technology, philosophy, and many topics in between, his comedy is intellectual, pointed, and self aware. In part one of our conversation, we touched on his background, making a career in comedy, and his creative process.

Artist Dawn Scarfe’s work investigates resonance, perception, and environmental atmospheres by utilizing a variety of forms and contexts, including site-specific installation, performance, and field recording. This episode features an in-depth discussion of her background and work.

This episode features an in-depth conversation with installation artist Craig Colorusso.

Deborah Pearson is a writer, performer, and producer. She makes and tours solo theater pieces and works collaboratively as a dramaturg for companies including Made in China and Action Hero. She is an associate artist with Volcano productions in Canada. In 2007 she founded the multi-award winning organization, Forest Fringe, which she also co-directs. Deborah also hosts the podcast, The Whole Darned Thing.

This episode features a conversation with Hal Rammel: musical instrument inventor, composer/improvisor and visual artist. Equally at home in the fields of music and visual arts, Hal's work (spanning 45 years) includes instrument design/invention, composition, performing/improvising, photography, drawing, sculpture, collage, and cartooning.

This episode features part two of my conversation with percussionist Jan Williams, who has had a brilliant and multifaceted career. In addition to being one of the world's finest percussionists, Jan has been an arts administrator, educator, conductor, and composer. Deeply invested in contemporary music, he has worked closely with luminary composers including Morton Feldman, John Cage, Lukas Foss, Frederic Rzewski, and many more. As a performer, he has appeared worldwide and has been an important proponent for the development of literature for percussion instruments. Jan spent much of his career at the University of Buffalo, where he was one of the first class of Creative Associates in the 1960's. He went on to serve as a faculty member and chair of the music department. While in Buffalo, he also co-directed the North American New Music Festival and served as artistic director for the Center for Creative and Performing Arts.

This episode features part one of my conversation with percussionist Jan Williams, who has had a brilliant and multifaceted career. In addition to being one of the world's finest percussionists, Jan has been an arts administrator, educator, conductor, and composer. Deeply invested in contemporary music, he has worked closely with luminary composers including Morton Feldman, John Cage, Lukas Foss, Frederic Rzewski, and many more. As a performer, he has appeared worldwide and has been an important proponent for the development of literature for percussion instruments.

Based in Hudson, NY, composer, sound artist, and musician Nathan McLaughlin makes hauntingly ethereal music using string instruments, field recordings, and reel to reel tape machines. In Nathan’s hands, the tape machine becomes its own instrument. He performs as both a solo artist and as a collaborator in a variety of settings including work with Cody Yantis and Joe Hoopert, in the group Tilth), and with musician/multimedia artist Seth Chrisman.

This episode features a conversation with composer Marc Satterwhite. Marc's music has been performed worldwide by ensembles including the Boston Symphony, the Utah Symphony, and new music luminaries eighth blackbird and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. He is currently Professor of Composition and Music Theory at the University of Louisville School of Music, where he also directs the Grawnemeyer Award for Music Composition. We chatted about his transition from a professional bassist living and working in Latin America to professional composer and academic, his compositions inspired by the photography of Flor Garuño, his take on the creative life, and much more.

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Zen monk, writer, and punk rock musician Brad Warner. We focused on his new book, "Don't be a Jerk," which is an entertaining, yet insightful paraphrase and commentary on the 800-year old Zen Buddhist text, The Shobogenzo, by the Japanese Zen monk Dogen. We also talked about meditation practice and how it relates to creativity.

This episode features an in-depth conversation with composer Jeff Herriott. Much of his work is delicate and unhurried, music that often explores repetition and subtle variations. Recently, Jeff composed music for the film Bone Tomahawk, which was written and directed by S. Craig Zahler and stars Kurt Russell. He also teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he coordinates the Media Arts and Game Development program.

Composer Steven Snowden’s work includes acoustic and electro-acoustic music, sound-collage, live electronic improvisation, interactive multi-media installations and many things in between. Drawing on memory, nostalgia, and the cylclic nature of history, Steven’s work is grounded in human perspective. With deep roots in American folk, bluegrass, and rock music, Steven’s work to me springs forth as a freshly invented American sound. A native of the Ozarks, he is currently based in Austin, TX, where he works as a freelance composer. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Fast Forward Austin Music Festival.

Monica Pearce, currently based in Toronto, is a composer and the co-founder of the Toy Piano Composers, an emerging composers collective. She also serves as Executive Director of The Music Gallery, Toronto’s Center for Creative Music. We discussed some of her latest chamber music and her work with opera, writing for the toy piano, gender issues in music, and her work as an arts administrator.

While primarily a composer and vocalist, Amanda Schoofs takes a decidedly interdisciplinary approach. Her work encompasses a set of diverse practices including improvisation, painting, drawing, printmaking, poetry, installation and movement. We chatted about her process and work, improvisation, teaching (Amanda’s on the composition faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), and her ideas about sustaining a creative practice.

This week's episode features a long form interview submitted by one of my previous guests, Atlanta-based artist Craig Dongoski. Craig speaks with art students/collaborators who participated in a project combining art, music, and film: Passing Through.

In a break from my normal format, this episode was entirely produced by sound artist/designer Tim Prebble. Based in New Zealand, Tim runs Substation, a sound design studio, and has created a large sound design library called Hiss and a Roar. He has a number of feature film credits (check them out on IMDB), but has recently been making his own works using sound, photography, music, and more. This episode takes us on a journey through sound to reveal insights into Tim's work and his deep creativity.

This episode features a conversation with Miguel Isaza, a composer from Medellin, Colombia who is dedicated to sound, both in research and in practice. His electronic music explores expansive sonic terrains through the use of field recordings, sine waves, and various acoustic instruments.

John Roach is a California-born, Brooklyn based artist who, in his own words, is most happy when he's, "jamming things together that don't seem to fit." He works in a variety of media including sculpture, video, installation, internet collaboration and sound art. In this episode we discuss many of his works and various collaborations, which is a key element of his practice. Drawing on his long-time teaching career at Parsons: The New School for Design in NYC, John has excellent insight and perspective on teaching. John also has some great advice about finding and maintaining a path as a creative artist.

This episode features an in-depth and personal conversation with poet Patrick Phillips. We discussed two of his collections of poetry, Elegy for a Broken Machine and Boy. We shared deeply personal reflections about the experience of being a father (a new father, in my case), made some connections about the mortality of our own fathers, and how these (and other) life experiences find their way into creative work. Patrick also has wise and timely advice for living and sustaining a creative life.

Artist Sonja Hinrichsen examines urban and natural environments through exploration and research. Her work manifests in immersive video installations and, what she calls, interventions in nature. We talked about her large and ongoing participatory project, Snow Drawings. We also discussed the intersection of place and human perception, especially as it relates to the American West. She also has some great advice for living and sustaining a creative life.

Artist Mark Lee Koven embraces an interdisciplinary and multi-media approach to art making. We talked about some of his recent work, which explores anthropological behaviors, data collection/visualization and renewable energy. He is an artist engaged in finding out how art can become a component of real world applications and problem solving.

Based in LA, P. J. Evans is an actor, writer, and director. We talked about his journey as a creative person--from a stint as a punk rock musician to various projects as an actor on stage and in television and film. He also has some great advice for living and sustaining a creative life.

This episode features a conversation with calligrapher, painter, Zen scholar and writer Kazuaki Tanahashi. We talked about his one-stroke and Zen circle paintings and the intersection of Zen and art.

This episode features my conversation with award winning composer (and long-time colleague) B. P. Herrington. He joined me in the home studio to talk about his recent music and performances, growing up in the Texas Big Thicket and the musical influences of Pentecostal church music. He also has some really great advice on living/sustaining a creative life.

This episode features a conversation with percussionist Allen Otte, a founding member of the Blackearth Percussion Group and the Percussion Group Cincinnati. Allen is a former teacher and mentor of mine, as well as one of my closest friends. We chatted about his associations with composers John Cage and Herbert Brün, the history of percussion music in the US, the role of the artist, living and sustaining a creative life, and socially conscious music.

This episode features a conversation with prolific Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist Eric Leonardson. We chatted about his work as an instrument inventor/improvisor, his history with experimental theater in Chicago, and acoustic ecology.

Texas filmmaker Stephen Beyleu discusses his background, influences, and working as an independent filmmaker in Austin, Texas. Topics include the making of his first feature, Dig; his new film in pre-production, The Father; digital vs. practical effects; and his interest in shooting on film.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, instrument designer/builder Tom Nunn has had a long career of creative music making. We talked about his instruments (the Skatchbox, the Crustacean, and the Sonoglyph), considerations for instrument design, and free improvisation.

This episode features a conversation with composer/experimental sound and visual artist Steve Wanna. We delved into several of his works, process, and talked about the intersection of a variety of creative practices.

Originally from Australia, now based in the UK, Graeme Leak creates in a variety of areas including music composition, theater, performance art/comedy, instrument making, sound sculpture, and large-scale installations.

Mark Applebaum, composer and professor of composition and theory at Stanford University, joined me for an in-depth conversation. We discussed some of his work, including his instrument design/building and his massive graphic installation work, "The Metaphysics of Notation." Mark also has some great advice on living a creative life.

Based in Vancouver, Lindsey Hampton works in a variety of media including ceramics, graphic design, photography, and music. Our conversation focused on her background and work. Lindsey also has some great advice about living and curating one’s creative life in the age of the internet and social media.

In this brief conclusion to my conversation with Sharon Louden, artist and editor of "Living and Sustaining a Creative Life," we talked about Sharon's artistic practices and her advice for living and sustaining creative practice.

This week I caught up with artist and editor of the book, "Living and Sustaining a Creative Life," Sharon Louden. During the first half of our conversation, we talk in depth about her book and get some background on her own work.

This week I caught up with composer and painter Michael Gatonska. We talked about his large scale orchestral works, his work combining acoustic instruments with natural soundscapes, asemic poetry, his work as a painter, and much more!

Atlanta-based artist Craig Dongoski's work intersects a variety of artistic practices including drawing, painting, sound design, and more. We talked about his work with amplifying the sound of drawing and his research in making art with a chimpanzee named Panzee--which began at the Language Research Center in Atlanta. We also touched on some deeply philosophical points about the nature of art and practice.

Bobby Byrd is an award winning poet based in El Paso, Texas. Bobby's publishing house, Cinco Puntos Press, recently won some major awards. Check them out: www.cincopuntos.com

This week is part one of my conversation with poet Bobby Byrd. In this part, we discuss his adventures as a young man growing up in Memphis and he reads some poetry influenced by his border town home of El Paso, Texas.

This episode features an in-depth conversation with composer David Farrell. We talked about some of David's current work, the craft of composing, teaching, and much more.

This episode features a discussion with sculptor/artist Evan Holm. We talked about his work, Submerged Turntables, his film, Antique Sound, another new work in progress, and much more...

This week features a conversation with Tucson-based sound artist Glenn Weyant. A portion of our conversation is about his on-going work, The Anta Project. The Anta Project is a series of improvised recordings made by playing the border walls, fences and assorted ephemera found along the U.S./Mexico border. Glenn also talks about his explorations at the intersection of journalism and sound art, which produces fascinating and socially conscious works.

This episode is the conclusion of my conversation with poet Nick Lantz. In this hour we talk more about his poetry, collaboration, artistic careers, and the creative process.