Ears N’ Eyes

Visit the in Ears n’ Eyes website

This Promotional Video produced by Amanda Kowalski is a great introduction to the in Ears n’ Eyes concept.

In Ears and Eyes from SoundLight Media on Vimeo.

in Ears and Eyes a live multimedia collaboration
March 9, 2013: in Ears and Eyes

 

 

In Ears ‘n’ Eyes is a visual and auditory sensation that will treat ones ears ‘n’ eyes to new conversations in jazz idioms. This season’s In Ears ‘n’ Eyes fuzes combinations of painting, song, poetry, modal, tonal, bebop and classically inspired compositions. You will be hearing at least 6 original compositions plus one original arrangement based on the poem by Czelaw Milosz, ‘Love.’

 

Past performances have included jazz tap and video, but each performance is guaranteed to bring you something new. This upcoming performance enjoys the addition of vocalist Taylor O’Donnell. She will be presenting her arrangement of Milosz’ poem ‘Love’ for ‘voices,’ set to the music of Sam Sadigursky. Jonny Peiffer is arranging his composition ‘Starlings, a piece based on the intuitive, mesmerizing movement that starlings display when they migrate in flocks. New compositions will be debuted by Rob Gerry, Eric Klaxton, Zach Lange, Chris Klaxton and Matt Langley. Each piece is designed to develop conversations with each performer; instrumental, visual and vocal. Because the production intends to engage the audience as Participant, each composer will say a few words about their compositions and some instances the audience may be invited to participate.

 

The concept for In Ears ‘n’ Eyes germinated about 4 years ago after Roger Goldenberg preformed his first improvisational painting with a pianist Mike Melvoin at Darmouth College’s Hopkins Center during the Class of 59 reunion (view on youtube). Goldenberg was already thinking of his artwork as visual jazz, however, it was the inventive mind of Goldenberg’s friend Matt Langley that conceived of In Ears ‘n’ Eyes. In fact, it was Matt who came up with its moniker. Matt proposed a more robust performance that would include other jazz performers. Goldenberg hesitated to make this leap because he had yet to work out the logistical details of mixing colors on stage during a performance. The idea percolated in Goldenberg for about a year. Roger commented on his hesitancy, “The painting process is so much slower than music-making. I worry that watching somebody mix paint for a couple of hours would be only slightly more interesting than watching the paint dry.” Goldenberg’s logistical dilemma was solved and his performer chops were honed during his onstage performance in the West End Theatre’s production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris a while back. Now that a number of performances of In Ears ‘n’ Eyes are under their belts, these adventurous performers are working to deepen the level of conversation between their genres; thinking of new ways to present their material and how to include yet untapped genres for future performances.

 

The performance at the Dance Hall on March 9th 2013 marked another landmark for In Eyes ‘n’ Ears. This performance was recorded. The documentation was done by videographer Amanda Kowalski and sound engineer Chris Chase of 1130ft Creative Media. (The reason for the recording is to document the performance as an educational resource and promote work-shopping it in schools. )

 

In fact, Roger Goldenberg received the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts prestigious Artist Entrepreneurial Grant Award to partially fund the creation of this video. At the end of March, Goldenberg will file the video with the State when he registers In Eyes ‘n’ Ears on NHSCA Artist/Teacher’s Roster. The Artist/Teachers Roster is a tool used by New Hampshire schools as a resource for finding quality, visiting artists for their schools and for artists to promote the sale of their workshops to schools. One of the musicians commented “We are all experienced and devoted educators, so it’s a no-brainer that we present educational workshops in our schools.”

 

To date, a condensed version of an In Eyes ‘n’ Ears educational workshop was presented at the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center to an all-ages contingent of students numbering eleven. The ages ranged from 12 to 70 something. It was a blast!