The two recent eclipses made a nice frame for the big events and transitions that happened in the middle of the year. Reactions and observations in no particular order:
CONvergence was a lot of fun, but I need to do things a bit differently next year. I had music panels three of the four days, and I ended up spending too much time hauling my keyboard rig to and from the hotel since I wasn’t comfortable leaving all of my gear sitting in the parking lot. Must have a hotel room next year.
The new music panels at Harmonic CONvergence were a blast. I hope those come back next year (and get some more promotion). The song I wrote for the 24 Hour Songwriting Challenge was based on the awesome suggestion “My Pet Rust Monster” and is probably as close to filk as I’m likely to get.
I’d like to figure out how to take the music I’m writing for Audio Wanderer and perform it live in a way that doesn’t involve pressing the play button on prerecorded tracks.
Voluntary Nightmare is on hiatus with everyone’s schedules filled up, and there are no definite plans for any more performances.
I’m in the process of bringing all of my music-making to the Mac world, and I’m loving it. It’ll be interesting comparing the sound of the new podcasts with the ones that are already out there.
I need to put some more thought into connecting my music to video of some sort.
In the meantime, more podcasts. And music for a play, about which more later.
The part of the week that doesn’t involve getting the next podcast finished will be spent getting ready for CONvergence. As usual, there’s a long list of amazingly fun things happening, and I’ve picked out a likely path through the schedule. The schedule planning I do beforehand (Panels! Music! Movies!) usually bears little-to-no resemblence to what I end up doing for most of the con (hang around in hallways chatting with cool people!), but I do it anyway so I know what I’m missing.
I’m involved with a few of the programming items, so those will form the anchor points for my wandering:
If my schedule has anything to say about it, I’ll be spending a lof of the in-between time at Harmonic CONvergence for music or Atrium 6 for radio theater panels.
Many moons ago - let’s call it 2008 - Invocatio, my music group at the time, had the opportunity to play live for Ariellah. It was lovely and we quite enjoyed it.
A few months later, some fortuitous scheduling allowed us to shoot some footage for a music video. This too was lovely and again we quite enjoyed it.
Things got complicated at that point, and much time passed. Eventually, with the help of some exceptionally talented people doing what they do well, everything came together and we have a video. Very special thanks go to Tansy Undercrypt for pulling the pieces into place (and being generally wonderful).
Full many a wonder is told us in stories of old; now ye may hear valuable relationship advice.
KNIGHTS: No matter how lovely the lady, don’t pretend you can do things that you can’t do. Such deceit will bring much suffering in the days to come.
LADIES: No matter how awesome you are, don’t set unrealistic standards for your suitors. It will lead them to deceit, and loud weeping over all will be heard in after time.
KNIGHTS: Don’t make vague promises (such as “I will avenge any wrong done you”) without knowing the details of the situation, as these words will lead to many a lady’s wailing in despair.
LADIES: Don’t humiliate your would-be lover on your first night together, particularly if it involves leaving him tied up against a wall. It will surely cause boundless grief.
KNIGHTS: If the lady of your interest is still recovering from a previous relationship, give her as much time as she needs or you will rue it sore and nevermore be glad.
LADIES: If you have been wronged, consider the personal and spiritual advantages of forgiveness over dooming many a worthy man to a savage death. It would be wisely done.
BONUS TIP: If no one’s actively trying to kill anyone, ladies may embrace full oft with many a rose-red mouth kissed, which like full well the doughty warriors for to see.
While I’ve been busy performing with the band (Voluntary Nightmare) and writing music for two podcasts (Precarious Audio Theater and Audio Wanderer), I haven’t done much with my site for the better part of a year. Time for a reboot.
Over the next few days I’ll be clearing out the messages and the links, tidying up a bit, tweaking the look, and starting fresh with updates on various music projects, random thoughts, MP3s, and whatever else seems like a good idea at the time.
Our dark steampunk cabaret has a delicious line-up of music, dance, and spoken word pieces, highlighted by the extraordinary Tempest and the amazing Tim Rayborn as they cross the country on The Durga Tour.
It’s also the debut performance of my new band, Voluntary Nightmare. I’m thrilled by the whole thing.
Preshow ticket sales have been very good, but they’re going offline momentarily – if you want to see the show, getting there a bit early isn’t a bad idea.
UPDATE: Sadly, this show has been canceled (although I’m hoping it just turns out to be postponed).
The Chicago Grand Guignol Theater Company makes its debut on Friday, May 1, presenting two classic plays from the original Parisian theater of the macabre: Tics, or Doing the Deed! and The Final Kiss.
As far as I know, this is the only Grand Guignol happening in the midwest, and as such it’s worth more than a little effort to check out.
For more general information on the horrific delights of this theatrical style, pay a visit to Grand Guignol Online.
Gothic bellydancer extraordinaire Tempest and internationally-acclaimed musician Tim Rayborn bring The Durga Tour to Minneapolis for an evening of opulent and mysterious delights. Blood & Steam is a glimpse into a dark and breathtaking future through the eyes of the past.
Thursday, June 4th, 7:30 p.m.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Ave S
Minneapolis, MN
With countless examples of real-life horror filling history books and news channels, why spend any time at all telling fictional stories of blood and zombies? If I’m trying to relate an engaging story (I usually am) and not presenting shock for shock’s sake (I’m usually not), what’s the point of the dark themes and the violence?
For me, part of the answer involves facing our fears voluntarily. A horror story (and particularly a live performance) can bring emotions home in a very personal way, giving us the opportunity to reflect on our own responses to situations that – hopefully – we’ll never encounter in our daily lives.
Another part of the answer, one that I’m still trying to understand more fully, is the connection between fear and awe, Burke’s terror as the path to the sublime.
There’s another aspect to horror that I also believe is important, an excellent description of which I found in the gaming book Heroes of Horror:
Horror lavishes attention on the dark side of fantasy—painting horrible monsters in bold strokes but also including plenty of subtle shades of gray, particularly in the complex motivations of the heroes. The intent is not to glorify evil but to cast good in sharper relief, even if good is represented as a tiny candle flickering weakly in a darkness that threatens to overwhelm it.
Fictional horror allows us to consider all of these things in a clearer light because it disallows one of the strongest and most appropriate reactions to real-life horror: “How do we stop this from happening?” In a horror story, we know we can’t stop the inevitable; we can only gaze into the dark mirror and learn what we can from the reflection that stares back.
I’ve reached the point where I’ve got several things planned for 2009, but nothing is firm yet, and there are events which haven’t been announced so I can’t talk about them. As a result, my year currently looks a little bit like this:
There’s editing happening.
I’ll be writing more music. About stuff.
The Undercrypt podcast will make its first appearance before, say, the end of February.
I might be performing at CONvergence with Invocatio. Or I might not.
I’ll be performing at a thing on a day in June, with people.
Something will get recorded.
Maybe I’ll be providing music for a Halloween show. Could happen.
There’s this amazingly cool thing planned for November in which I may very well appear.
The only thing I’m absolutely sure about right now is that it’s going to be a busy and exciting year, and I’m quite looking forward to it all.
