Network Music Festival

Sound without Borders // 15-18th July 2020

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Wendy Reid // Ambient Bird-Online: Birds without Borders

Wendy Reid has recently been exploring online networking specifically with teaching and performing as a result of the need for a ‘new paradigm for human interaction’ as a result of Covid-19. This is a re-invention of her most recent site-specific work Ambient Bird 433 into a global online performance in which the location is the world.

This re-invented sequel/online version, which is composed for African Grey Parrot and two open ensembles, has the same description: an interspecies sonic landscape/ambient environment which reflects a philosophy of connecting with all living creatures and the environment.

The ensembles include experimental musicians of various and combined approaches: traditional, improvisational, acoustic/electronic /ambient, human/non-human.

The musicians represent a diversity of race, gender and nationality, as well as animals (birds, etc) reflecting our global inter-connection.


Over the past 30 years, Wendy Reid has composed an ongoing set of musical processes based on nature, Tree Pieces, ranging from electro-acoustic chamber compositions to larger works for chamber orchestra and open ensembles in site-specific environments.

The processes attempt to reflect the inter-connection of all things (including ourselves) in nature. In performance, an attempt is made at a spontaneous unforced and unblocked growing of sound and silence in which emphasis is placed on formation rather than pre-established form, as in the building and shaping of cell-like units in living processes.

The Tree Pieces have been performed and broadcast throughout the United States, Europe and Asia by the Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the Kronos Quartet, Other Minds 19 Festival (Charles Amirkhanian), Mills Performing Group, Mills Contemporary Performance Ensemble (Steed Cowart), the New Music Works Ensemble (Phil Collins), the San Francisco String Quartet (Nathan Rubin), Ensemble Klee, Ruffled Feathers, Brassiosaurus, Tree Ensemble, and others.

Reid produced the new music series NEW MUSIC WITH BIRDS, FROGS AND OTHER CREATURES sponsored by the Natural Sciences Department of the Oakland Museum and the San Francisco Art Institute. She teaches music composition at Mills College and violin at Holy Names University PMD. Scores, CDs, and LP are available at frogpeak.org, cdbaby.com, itunes, and treepieces.net.

ENSEMBLES:

Bird Ensemble #1: Lulu (African Grey Parrot), Wendy Reid (violin), Krystyna Bobrowski (glisglas), Brenda Hutchinson (long tube instrument), Aurora Josephson (voice), Ron Heglin (tuba, voice).

Bird Ensemble #2: an international group of musicians: Rodrigo Barriga, (Mexico), Thea Farhadian (Berlin), Barbara Golden (Nova Scotia), Barbara Held (Barcelona), Silvia Matheus (Brazil), Biggi Vinkeloe (Sweden).

treepieces.net