March 17, 8pm, Seven Ate Nine #2: Diana Siwiak, D&spair Club, Argentine Tango Milonga

Jordan Drum, wine and electronics

Jordan Drum is a percussion performer, arranger, educator and adjudicator living in Tempe, Arizona. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Texas Tech University and is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Arizona State University Herberger Institute of the Arts.

As a percussionist, Jordan has performed with several classical, contemporary and world groups, including the Phoenix Symphony, the Scottsdale Arts Orchestra, the Lubbock Symphony, the Midland Odessa Symphony, the MOtU Percussion Quartet, Arizona Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Crossing 32nd Street Percussion Group, and the Millea/Drum Duo, which was awarded 1st Place at the Southern California International Marimba Competition in the Collegiate Duo Category. Most recently, Jordan presented a masterclass and the world premiere of Francesco Pavan's “Isle. 1” at the Conservatorio di Musica “Antonio Buzzolla” in Adria, Italy, and was selected to perform with the historic 50 Marimba Ensemble for the 50th anniversary of the Percussive Arts Society in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Jordan has performed at the Minnesota Percussion Society's Spring Day of Percussion (2012), the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (2006, 2008, 2011), the International Society of Music Educators Conference in Bologna, Italy (2007), and the Texas Music Educators Association Conference (2005). In 2010, he made his Carnegie Hall debut as solo percussionist with the Texas Tech University Choir, and in 2007 marched with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He performs regularly as a freelance percussionist in the Phoenix metropolitan area with various groups including the Bad Cactus Brass Band and JT’s Island Steel Orchestra.

Jordan’s principal teachers include Lisa Rogers, Alan Shinn, J.B. Smith, Mark Sunkett, Elizabeth DeLamater, Dom Moio and Simone Mancuso.

http://www.jordandrum.com/live/

The D&spair Club (& guests), dance & sonic performance improvisation research

The D&SPAIR Club (dance & sonic performance art improvisation research) was formed by 3 artists in 2012 who work together in various capacities. Often they work in cafés, and wind up brainstorming ideas for art. After working together for a concert, they decided they'd work together again, and again... thus was born The D&SPAIR Club. The D&SPAIR Club is an experimental movement and sound improvisation collage. The members bring individual interests into a space, push them around, and see what collides, what sticks, and what remains. TDC offers workshops and tours the west coast and southwest.

Julie Cruse directs movement, with untrained and trained 'dancers'. We use this club as a platform to troubleshoot the body in dimensions of sound, space, gravity, emotion, and body-y-body. We perform once a month with Seven Ate Nine. Kind of like Survival Research Labs, we don't exactly know what we're doing, but we'll risk a little safety to show our research, if you'll watch.

Courtney Brown directs sound. She is interested in exploring the intersection between movement and music/sound, the consequences of being an embodied performer with limitations, and the danger of performance.

Brent Brimhall dances, bringing a movement vocabulary based in martial arts and yoga.

February 18, 8pm, Seven Ate Nine #1: Rules of Play, Spencer Goad, Improvisation #1, Argentine Tango

Rules of Play, voice and percussion

Rules of Play is Robert Esler and Lisa Tolentino - an experimental music duo featuring voice, percussion, and esteemed friends. Esler and Tolentino studied contemporary percussion performance at University of California, San Diego, with renowned percussionist Steve Schick. They have performed nationally, internationally, and most recently in critically acclaimed performances at Make Music New York. They will be performing Nico's "Frozen Warnings".

Links:

http://leafbit.com/rulesofplay/
http://urbanstew.org/people/

Blake McConnell, performance artist

In I Am Not Service, Blake McConnell reflects upon his former life as a server and bartender. A tightrope walk along the porous border between the performance of authentic self and the structural rules governing the behavior of the service sector worker, this work questions the meanings of service in our post industrial society. From behind his portable bar, Blake will have you asking yourself: "how can I be of service?" Read more here.

Blake McConnell is an artist and musician in the second year of his Masters in Fine Arts, Digital Technology at ASU. He uses his grab bag of skills to perform, record, and design installations. Most find he's at his best when he's up to no good. Find out more at blakemcconnell.net

Spencer Goad, mbira

Spencer Goad is a freelance percussionist and music educator in the greater Phoenix area. He was born in Los Angeles, California where he studied percussion with orchestral and TV/film studio musicians as well as mbira, Zimbabwean thumb piano, with Dr. Ric Alviso. Spencer has been playing mbira, the sacred thumb piano of the Shona people, on and off for the past three years and has also studied Ghanian djembe and dun-dun drumming with John Magnussen, A. O. “Bongo” Sidibe, and master drummer Mamady Keïta.

Spencer received his Bachelors of Music in Percussion Performance at California State University Northridge and his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance at Arizona State University. Spencer was raised with the Los Angeles studio musician mentality of being a "jack of trades," so you can find him in musical theater pits, Brazilian samba bands, Salsa bands, church praise bands, and jazz combos all over the Phoenix area. Music education has always been a big part of Spencer's life and he currently teaches percussion ensembles at St. John Bosco Interparish K-8, Shepherd Junior High as well music classes at South Mountain Community College; he also runs his own private teaching studio in Tempe.

Photo by Steve Lee.

Improvisation #1, Sound and Movement Ensemble

Sound and Movement Ensemble organized by Courtney Brown and Julie Cruse. Guided improvisation in response to written prompts.

Links:
http://www.courtney-brown.net
http://juliecruse.com/

Poster for February 18th!!

Call for submissions for new performance series in Phoenix

Experiential / avant-garde / contemporary performance series with the first performance tentatively scheduled Feb. 18 at the Modified Arts Gallery in Phoenix, AZ. This will be a monthly event, happening the 3rd Sat. of each month.

I'm booking 2-4 acts each performance, with each act lasting around 20-40min, possibly with some kind of theme for each complete show. I'm interested in any type of performance (music, performance art, puppets, dance, spoken word poetry, etc.), with the caveat that it be experimental / avant-garde and/or contemporary classical (in the case of music). I am also interested in featuring a type of guided improvisatory performance for each performance that would require only maybe one rehearsal or so before each show. (eg. instant composition/choreography via written prompts, game pieces like Zorn's Cobra, etc.). The venue does not include a piano, etc. or any amplification, so acts will have to bring their own.

The show will include a $5-7 cover which should help defray the costs of space rental and production/promotion. Remaining proceeds will be divided among the performers / artists.

I am very open to additional ideas and input! If you are interested in being a part of this in any way -- if you would like to help organize, plan, book or perform (whether a complete act or being part of an improvisatory ensemble) please contact me at redsonola [at] gmail [dot] com in the next week or so and let me know your availability.

Please circulate to any other individuals or groups that you feel would be interested in participating!