Plymouth Performance & End of Semester

This past Sunday, I went to Plymouth to hear soprano Elisabeth Halliday & saxophonist Zach Herchen perform some of my work, including one little piece that I'd completely forgot I sent their way. I was blown out of the water by their energy, and am still feeling quite ecstatic about the whole experience.

They are raising money to commision voice/sax pieces, and record them. I worked with Zach over this past summer when he came to NEC for a new music institute and played my duos with a soprano. On the day of this performance, I was able to meet some friends of theirs in Brookline who were driving down to hear them. I find myself constantly harping on my love of car travel, as it is a rarity for me these days. It took us less than an hour to get there from the city. Had I taken a train, it would have been more of a schlep.

The venue was in a house owned by a doctor who regularly hosts performances there. The house (2 blocks from the waterfront) is quite old, and the second floor living space holds about 80-100 listeners. Plymouth is a relatively small town, but after a full semester of the city, it's particular atmosphere suggests something much more spacious, and simultaneously cozy.

After the performance, we went to Zach's parents house for a reception. They live right on the waterfront, and you could see Cape Cod hugging the ocean. Their audience was really wonderful - some people came a long way to hear them, and you could tell that everyone loves what they are doing. I felt like I was at some kind of family gathering. If I didn't know someone, I was still able to talk to them like I'd known them for years.

We got back to Boston around 6 or 7pm. I loved how such a getaway could be so close, and not require too much traveling. I'm always on the lookout for such things, and this was one of those days I loved every second of.

Anthony Braxton @ Weslyan University

About 2 weeks ago, I traveled to Middletown, CT to hear Anthony Braxton's Large Ensemble perform at Wesleyan University. This trip was special for a few reasons - I think the most important is that it was unexpected. I've been thinking about trying to visit Braxton at Weslyan for a while (at the suggestion of Joe Morris), and on somewhat of a whim, I threw out the idea on facebook. Joe saw this and informed me of Anthony's fall semester performances, and the next thing I knew, I heard from a friend who said he was up for making the trip to CT.

I drove down there with Dave Dominique, who I'd met at an NEC new music workshop this past summer. He's working on a Ph.D in composition at Brandeis, and also plays trombone. He's a longtime Braxton nut, and we decided to make the drive down about a week in advance.

On the day of the concert, I left NEC at 4 to go to North Station and catch the train to Brandeis, where I met up with Dave. Our route from Waltham to I-84 was a little complicated, because the GPS we were using was set to exclude toll roads. We were in Framingham when we figured this out, and immediately got on I-90. After that, getting to Middletown was a breeze. It took us less than 2 hours to get there from Brandeis.

The idea of going out to Wesleyan was daunting in the past, because there is no direct bus or train connection to Boston. What I didn't realize before is that Middletown is about 20 minutes from Hartford by car. Now, if I ever want to make the trip alone by bus, I'll be maybe a little less hesitant.

We were able to park on the campus and find the concert hall in time to sit and relax for minute before they started playing. Their concert was less than 90 minutes, with a very short intermission. I was completely overjoyed to hear and see this group play, and everyone we met after the concert was wonderful. Braxton warmly greeted us, and seemed really happy that a couple of students would drive there from Boston to hear his group. He invited us to have dinner with everyone at a local bar, with most of us at a big round table (they need these at UNO's!). Dave and I didn't know anyone there, but these people were really easy to talk to, and all of them had worked with him somehow. Dave asked him if we could join the group once a week next semester, and he said we could. We didn't leave Middletown until midnight!

Joe says we're the first active students who are going to try and go down there every week. I don't know if we'll be able to keep it up when the weather gets harsher, but either way, I'm excited to learn more about Braxton and his music, and I think these trips will be highly worthwhile.

Music for the TRIIIBE Installation

In Search of Eden for multiple performers &/or ensembles

JASON BELCHER

Notes on performance:

The stipulations here were made for the purpose of creating a sonic element for TRIIIBE’s installation In Search of Eden at the 808 Gallery at Boston University. However, they may be carried out in any space where there is artwork, interesting structures, or architecture. Stipulations that are specific to the 808 Gallery can be altered or omitted if the performance is elsewhere.

Each stipulation has a number (I-VIII). The numbers can be carried out in any order and should repeat at the will of the performers/ensembles involved. Stipulation V is for an ensemble of three or more - the others can be executed by soloists, or larger groups.

About the gallery and installation:

The 808 Gallery is located along Commonwealth Avenue and is part of Boston University. It is a large rectangular space with two rows of pillars that run in the direction of Commonwealth Avenue. In the Triiibe installation, there are seven large triptychs lining the windows along Commonwealth Avenue, with enough space between each triptych and the windows so that observers inside the gallery can stand between them, and be seen from the street.

About half of the gallery is being used for structures that the artists are building, and the other half is left largely open (except for a few small pieces, and the triptychs in the windows facing the street). There are also bushels of apples spread about the gallery, and a table with mugs and tea.

In Search of Eden -

I. Go to a corner of the gallery, and imitate something you hear from the opposite end of the room.

II. Go to a print, structure, or non-musician, and improvise something based on it, him, or her.

III. Alone or with an ensemble, improvise or play a piece in your repertoire as if you are performing for an audience in a concert hall. If another soloist or ensemble is doing this, make sure you are far away from them so both parties can be heard separately if a listener desires. No more than two ensembles or soloists should be playing at the same time.

IV. Go over to a musician and imitate what they are doing.

V. (Laser Tag) A group of more than 3 people should be spread around the open half of the gallery. Members of the group tag each other by shooting out single sounds of relatively short (but possibly varied) lengths. When a musician tags someone, they must make sure the person they tag notices that they have been tagged. When a musician has been tagged ten times, they must stop playing, and leave the open area. The game ends when all but one person has stopped, and there is no one left to tag. Games can be of various lengths. Limit fast motions (running etc.) to open spaces far away from prints, structures, and observers!

VI. Standing in front of a triptych, play something facing the window, possibly to passers by on Commonwealth Avenue. You may try to interact with them or get their attention if you wish.

VII. Stand outside the long rows of pillars, and play single sounds aimed down Commonwealth Avenue. Use ample silences between tones.

VIII. Take a break. Have a cup of tea. Be an observer.

12/4/2010

BU Installation

www.bu.edu/cfa/visual-arts/galleries/808/

Above is a link to an installation I visited at BU the other day. It runs until December 23rd - The artists have invited us (and any others) to contribute with sounds.

MM MM

It's November, and while I haven't done to much in terms of traveling, I feel like things are moving in a great direction.

I'm pursuing my Master's degree at NEC, and I wasn't sure that too much would change in terms of how and where I would work. I was completely wrong. I have continued the Thai Brass Band, Premiered someone's Doctoral thesis in JP, Played an orchestral percussion gig at Harvard, and received a grant to build an Inter-Collegiate forum and concert series in the Boston Area. Part of the grant is a performance at the YMCA theater in Cambridge - This year has been incredible, and shows no signs of becoming anything less.

I've been meeting some great people who are interested in contributing to the series, and it should be a good way for alot of folks to make professional connections, and build a whole new community for the research and development of our ideas.

I'm on even more of a Thai Brass kick than usual due to my finding of a blogger who has posted a bunch of Thai records (3 or 4 of which feature brass bands). He spent a good amount of time in Bangkok, but is from the Boston area and has recently returned. Because of the records he posted, I've been able to expand the rep of the TBB here in Boston, and write some original Thai Brass tunes as well.

Inter-NEC has our next performance on Saturday in JP - there's a poster attached. This is my first effort at making a real poster, and it can only get better!

Moving out of 16 Armstrong

Another re-discovered post from a while back. I'm guessing mid-August 2010.

It's been over a month since I moved, and my new apartment feels like home, but it is never easy to turn your back to anything you've been close to for a while. At the end of July, I left 16 Armstrong St. for the last time.

I'd lived in that apartment for three years. It was nicely broken in, and I felt settled. When we secured this new place, I really didn't think at all about how strange leaving Armstrong was going to be. Our two leases overlapped for the last two weeks of July, and I didn't hesitate to begin the move right away. I stayed in the new place on the first night, and all I had was a duffle bag full of clothes to use as a pillow. My brother and I moved most of my belongings in one day, and after that, I was basically done living on Armstrong.

I went back there every day to clean the place, pack a few more boxes, and even rehearse with Richard Saunders (a great vocalist I have a duo with). At one point, there were only two chairs left, and nothing except bookshelf and dust in the living room.

I started spending all my free time there during the day, even when I was not busy cleaning. My roomates were there at different times (much earlier usually), so I was often alone. About three days before the lease ended, I moved the last of my belongings (again with my brothers' help) over to my current dwelling. It was then that this reflective feeling started to sink in. My brother asked how I was feeling about this, and I told him that it was starting to feel strange.

The next two days were fairly busy - my roommates were making sure everything was tidy (so as to not lose our deposit), and we spent more time there than usual. On the last night of the lease, I was there from about 8PM to Midnight. Casey (my longtime friend and roommate of a year) showed up at about 11PM (from work) to help take down the last of the trash (there was alot of trash). We had one or two more trips to make when I asked her if we could stay there for a while after we finished because I wasn't ready to leave. With that, I started to cry.

Moving into that apartment was the first good thing to happen to me after my mother died, and I think that's what had struck me the most upon leaving it. Knowing a place really well isn't everything (although I will admit I got a slight sinking feeling in my gut when I moved out of my dorm after freshman year), but I don't think I'll ever forget what that place looked like, the experiences I had there, or any of the five other people I lived there with over that time.

North Adams Trip/Bang on a Can Concert

About a week ago, Jared Burrell and I set out to North Adams, Massachusetts (3 1/2 hours from Boston) to hear an afternoon concert given by the participants at the Bang on a Can summer institute at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. I had gone to their marathon concert in NY a couple years ago (another long haul from Boston), but this was in a much more remote location, and the experience I had getting there was also remarkably different (this one was favorable).

We drove all the way across the state on Route 2, and considering the scenery, it's at times hard to realize that this is the same route 2 that runs into Downtown Boston. These days, the hills, valleys, and peaks we rode through are much more interesting to me than any city skyline could be. My phone had run out of batteries by the time we met up in Braintree, but I would have taken pictures. The whole ride was really fun. It felt great to be in a car (instead of a bus or a train) and Jared and I always have really good conversations.

North Adams is a town full of abandoned industrial buildings that were converted into artist spaces. I got a really nice feeling from being out there, and if I ever decided to just be a composer (and not perform with anyone) I'd want to call a town like that home.

Upon arriving in North Adams, we had lunch in a coffee shop that served great hamburgers. In Boston, coffee shops don't go anywhere near hamburgers. I like the non-specialization that happens in smaller communities that (although small) have to cater to a wide variety of people.

The concert was in a black box theater with seats that gradually rose like bleachers. On the way home, we discussed what we heard, and came to the conclusion that most of the music was really good, but aesthetically limited. This group was founded by three composers who have similarities in their musical language, and while other concerts that week featured some varied styles and composers, it was clear that most of the composers picked for the institute were chosen for the amount they had in common with each other, and the founding members of the organization. This gave Jared some peace of mind, as he had wanted to be part of the program.

This has to be the only time I'd gone to a Dunkin' Donuts twice in one day, but despite this, things got a little quiet towards the end of our return trip. I think it was because of the lack of sun after 8:30 or so. Jared admittedly tends to miss turns and stuff while driving, and this is made worse in the dark.

I wish he had dropped me off in Cambridge (right off of rt.2) instead of in Braintree, because the red line was running shuttle busses between Quincy Center, and JFK/Umass. This was really strange, but I suppose I took note of some oddly interesting (or just strange) people/streets, and it only added about a half-hour to my entire day.

Overall, I had a great time. I was reminded that my roots are outside of the city, got to spend a day traveling with a friend I've known for ten years, and am happy that I'm working with so many different people and influences.

Now...

that I have internet in my new home, I can write some new posts.

Chorus Series for Public Spaces

These pieces are meant to be performed by a medium to large group of people spread around a concentrated public space. They can be performed alone, or as a set, and may be superimposed upon each other in various ways, or juxtaposed with the performance of other un-related pieces. The members of the chorus need not have any musical experience.

- Jason Belcher (6/22/2010)

Chorus I - Warren

(for Warren Senders)

1 begins by singing or playing a note (always a held tone).

others come in one by one, each with a new note.

When the entire ensemble is actively singing, move around (in a circle, randomly, and if in a hall, moving about the audience).

The phonetic content to be sung is reflected by the title of this movement, and should be divided up as follows:

1.) Wa… (W attack only once then always on an open "ah" sound)

2.) rr… (closed, but held, and retaining pitch)

3.) e… (as within the word Warren)

4.) n… (closed, but held, and retaining pitch)

The morphing to the next syllable should not happen precisely together, but the performers should listen, and generally follow one another. Soft but frenetic improvised figures can pop out of the texture towards the middle of the piece, but should not happen too often.

This movement should last from 6-10 minutes.

II. She

She had this incredible urge to tell the whole story all the time.

- Anselm Hollo

The Hollo poem is broken up into cells (see below). The cells should be repeated - not too long, but long enough for the addition or subtraction of a word to be interesting. Also, the ensemble should move through the cells together.

The overall density of the ensemble should expand and contract with the addition or subtraction of words. When the ensemble reaches the word time, they should fade to nothing, and the movement is over

The words should be spoken and sung. There should be little sense of meter, and all performers should be conscious of the overall ensemble sound.

This movement should be anywhere from 4-6 minutes in length

II. She

1 - She

2 - She had

3 - She had this

4 - She had this incredible

5 - She had this incredible urge

6 - She had this incredible urge to

7 - She had this incredible urge to tell

8 - She had this incredible urge to tell the

9 - She had this incredible urge to tell the whole

10 - She had this incredible urge to tell the whole story

11 - She had this incredible urge to tell the whole story all

12 - She had this incredible urge to tell the whole story all 

13 - She had this incredible urge to tell the whole story all the

14 - She had this incredible urge to tell the whole story all the time

15 - Had this incredible urge to tell the whole story all the time

16 - This incredible urge to tell the whole story all the time

17 - Incredible urge to tell the whole story all the time

18 - Urge to tell the whole story all the time

19 - To tell the whole story all the time

20 - Tell the whole story all the time

21 - The whole story all the time

22 - Whole story all the time

23 - Story all the time

24 - All the time

25 - the time

26  - Time

III. C’mon

Take the title, and speak/sing it using different inflections/durations of sounds.

Performers should also isolate different sounds from within the title (C = hard “K” sound, m = closed M sound of any length etc.).

There may be different sounds happening at the same time, but there can also be coordination between performers and the sounds they are making (for example, the performers could all be making a short, hard K sound for a moment or two). Like the previous chorus, strict rhythm should be avoided).

This piece should not exceed the length of 4 minutes, and could be as short as 15 seconds.

IV. Tubacases

(for Beth)

This movement is similar to movement II in its construction and execution. The ensemble should treat each line like a cell that can be freely repeated until the ensemble is cued to move on (by the conductor or group leader).

Velocity and density should build from a soft dynamic and peak at cell 9, which should be a little longer than other cells.

This movement should be 3-5 minutes in length.

IV. Tubacases

1 - The

2 - To The

3 - The Tuba

4 - The Tubacase

5 - The Tubacase Can

6 - The Tubacase Cannot

7 - The Tubacase Cannot Cross

8 - The Tubacase Cannot Cross The Road

9 - The Road

10 - The Road On

11 - The Road On Its

12 - The Road On Its Own

13 - The Tubacase

14 - The Tubacase Cannot Cross The Road On Its Own

15 - Cross The Road On Its Own

16 – The Road On Its Own

17 – Road On Its Own

18 – On its own

19 – Its Own

20 - Own

P I A N O M U S I C

Piano Music
For Ben Stepner

DIRECTIONS:

This piece should consist of long, freely sustained notes. The duration of the notes should always vary in length, and most notes should be very soft (though there can be variations on exact dynamics, sustain, and timbre). The piece can be anywhere between 4 and 9 minutes in length.

The majority of attacks should consist of only two pitches struck simultaneously (there can be occasional exceptions). Attacks with more than two pitches should be limited, and should follow two-pitch attacks rather quickly.

Most of the two-pitch attacks should have intervals larger than a major seventh. There can be contrary motion, parallelism, and repeated notes (for example: Bb1 and C5 could be struck together, twice in a row). The whole keyboard should be utilized, as should especially wide intervals.

Attacks can occasionally be loud, or contain intervals smaller than a major seventh.

There should be no tonal center, though short tonal sequences are encouraged.



JASON BELCHER – 7/9/2010

Roma Band log 2

This past weekend was a big one for parade bands all across the country, and members of the Roma Band found themselves traversing the South Shore of Massachusetts for much of that time.

I'd arranged for car transport with Ben Miller, and on every trip we had to make, we were always in the company of at least one other person. On Saturday afternoon we met up in Porter Square (Cambridge) near where Ben lives. On the train to Porter, I bumped into my cousins Brian and Sandra, and my Aunt Sharon (Sandra recently moved to Porter). This was a completely random meeting, but it was really nice, and is definitely a building block in what makes this Independence day weekend so memorable.

Josh Mizruchi, a trumpet player who's been involved with a lot of my projects at NEC, played his first gig with us that day. It was fun to have him there, both for the parade, and the necessary driving. I must re-emphasize my joy in seeing the world from a car. North of the Bunker Hill Bridge, I-93 is still elevated, and it was wonderful to see that view again after at least a few years.

Our first parade was in Randolph, MA. Not too far (none of them were) from Boston. The band was the largest it had been since the Cambridge event, and you could feel it. Thankfully, this parade was not too long, and we did a lot of playing. I left my horn in the trunk Ben's car overnight, and was glad not to have to lug it back to Porter Square in the morning.

The next day, I ventured out to Porter again. This is an area that I once lived near, but I seldom stop to think about that time (it wasn't too fun). I recently had a bad dream about it.

With Ben and I on the 4th was his friend Natalie, a therapist/drummer who trains "service monkeys" in Allston. I don't know about you, but Allston is not the first place I think of as having a monkey population - it does make sense, though, when you think of all the parties that happen, and the "hipsters"/"art freaks" that reside there. This was Natalie's first marching gig since high school, and I think she's planning on joining us again.

We also had a bass drummer, and this helped add to the music. Her name was Maggie, and she has to be about 14 or 15 years old. The youngest member of that first group was a ten-year-old trumpet player named Ben, who was playing with his father. I didn't get to hear him in the front line, but I think the age range of this band is incredible.

Our first parade that day took place in Hingham, a well-off seaside town with a huge audience for this particular event. I used to attend a summer music festival there, and it was one of the more important things for my education as a kid. It is called the South Shore Conservatory, and was very much akin to conservatory life - full of music, energy, and great fun.

After that parade, most of the band drove to the manager's house for a cookout. It was more of an eat-in due to the heat. After we ate, we all took naps in their livingroom, guest bedroom, and hallway. They insisted on it, but it definitely helped us get through the rest of the day in good spirits. We had a good amount of time before we had to take off again.

Our third and final parade of the weekend took place in Norwood, up Washington Street, the same Washington street that goes up through Boston. It was the longest parade of the weekend, but it moved fairly quick, and had the biggest crowds.

Afterwards, we drove onto I-95, going around Boston and into Cambridge. I went to the Charles River to see the fireworks, though this was probably a bad idea (I still had my horn). before they were over, I made my way out of the crowd, and got to the train before not too long. This has been the second year in a row that I hadn't camped out on the esplanade all day, heard the concert, and saw the fireworks. I miss it, so I decided I had to see something of it - no matter what.

After a public transportation fiasco (catching an inbound 39 bus to Back Bay station, and getting on the orange line), and seeing an impromptu fireworks display in the basketball court near my house, I got home at about 12:30AM. This is not the latest I've ever gotten home, but I've seldom been more exhausted.

the Unofficial Franklin Park Research Outpost (visit 1)/Multimedia Project

I was visiting my grandparents in Middleboro last weekend when I chanced upon an interesting article in the Boston Globe about an artist's installation of found objects in Franklin Park. I've been thinking about acoustic sound installations, or music for public spaces recently, so I took interest in this project.

The outpost is a hut created with logs, branches, rope, and a tarp. It is very well made, and contains objects which have been found in the park, or left by visitors. It is meant to tell us how the park is used, who uses it, and how nature and the study of our surroundings can benefit humanity. Since the artist (whose name is Brandon Nastanski) did not seek a permit to create this work, it will most likely be discontinued by park rangers and city of Boston (they have left notices by the outpost implying its future destruction).

Because of my interest in public spaces and functions such as travel, one of my Summer projects is to create video of Boston-Related activities to be used in a large vocal work. It will be somewhat like an Opera, but with no plot, or specific characters. I hadn't figured out an interesting way to incorporate nature into the mix of trains, skyscrapers, and street activity, but I knew that this was it as soon as I saw it.

The article I read states that the outpost is located on the J.P side of the park, "near the Glen Road entrance." It is also at the base of a stone outcropping. With this information, plus a video of the outpost on Youtube, I was able to locate it on google earth (you can actually see it!), though on my first visit to the park, I had been unsuccessful in finding it.

My good friend Daniel Hawkins is helping me with the video project, so today we went to the park, and with the images from google in mind, again tried to find the outpost. A little over an hour into our search, we had basically given up, and just after turning back, we ran into the artist himself, who asked us if we were "looking for an outpost."

We said yes, and he led us there. It was less than a minute from where we had turned around, but was down a hill, and was not easily visible from where we were standing before. He being interviewed by an art critic from the Boston Phoenix, so in addition to finding the outpost and meeting its creator, we were also able to hear the background of the project directly from him. It was great to sit in on this, and I'm grateful that he let us (alot of people are like to keep those kinds of things private). We told him a little about our project, and he said he would be glad to collaborate in the future. Sometime soon, Daniel and I will go back to take video of Franklin Park and the outpost, but we needed to find it first.

On our way back, we met a kid in green Street station who saw Daniel's Audio equiptment and told us he was a rapper. Daniel gave him the microphone, and he asked if we could give him a beat. I tried my best, and we recorded him before the train came. He said he often performed at the Hyde Square Task Force, so we may see him again. This experience gave us a base for another aspect of the project - audio recordings of people from the city. We agreed that we won't go out looking for those, but if we happen upon them (like today), we can use them for something. This is the first day Daniel and I have gone out to work towards the video project, and I think it's really going to work.

the Roma Band of Boston

I've been a college graduate for a bit more than a month now, and although I'm going straight back to work on a master's degree in two months, things so far have been pretty good (and I was worried about not finding a day job).

About two weeks before graduation, I learned that I couldn't work at the conservatory over the summer, and this put me in a slight state of panic. Everywhere else I went told me they were not hiring, and here I am, forced to find ways to make a living with my musical skills. This is one of the best things that has happened to me. Recently, I've been doing some arranging for two local choral groups, and playing Sousaphone and Euphonium in the Roma Band of Boston.

This band is by far one of my favorite groups to play with. There are these five Italian guys that have been playing in the band forever, and a lot of younger people like myself. Not everyone in the band is an aspiring professional musician, so this means that they play with complete honesty, and a great sense of pure enjoyment.

There are no rehearsals, no written music, and the leader of the band (a trumpet player whose name is Salvi) now plays facing towards the band while sitting in the back of the truck because he can no longer march. You could never guess his disability if you had only heard the band. He has in incredible way of playing the horn that you do not hear every day.

There is a chaotic, on-the-spot element to this band that I really love. Before we begin a tune, Salvi will play the first few notes of melody, and when you hear him whistle, you know you only have a few beats before he takes off. Sometimes the wind makes it hard to hear his warning, which means you have to guess what key to start in.

Everybody plays whatever they feel is needed to accompany the melodic instruments, and there is often a slide in key center from the low brass while we try to figure out what key they are in. We play some pieces multiple times, and they always sound different.

The other day we played a parade in Braintree, MA. I commuted from my Father's house in Bridgewater, and then drove back to Boston with Ben Miller (a trombonist in the band). I love traveling in any form, and going around to gigs like this is no exception. On the way back, we drove up route 93, and I was in awe at the amount of people trying to get in and out of the city, and how big it really is. In my usual routines, I never get the full view of what's really happening out there.

That's one more reason for me to continue with this kind of work - always having a different view of wherever it is that I'm going, what I'm doing, and why. I really love that.


An Artist (6/26/10)

I’m interested in how an artist goes about their day-to-day life (how they literally get from point A to point B on a given day). Do they drive, walk, take a bus or a train? Maybe they fly.
What is their experience, and are they happy with these aspects of it?

Do they rent an apartment, or did they feel compelled to buy a house? Do they commute, work from home, or travel irregularly?

Some live alone, and others have a partner or a family. I think about what artists do when they are not working, or when they are on their way there. Sometimes, there is little separation between work and play, and I like that. I think about all of these things and why an artist is able to live in a way that interests me. The work of an artist can be less than half of what is important. Most of it is the fact that artists themselves are living installations.

Traveling

I first wrote the phrase "traveling underground is a good way to keep dry" in 2007. It was the title of an improvisation that my friend Timothy and I did at Berklee College of Music (before I transferred to NEC).

I've always had a fascination with traveling, and modes of transportation. As a child, I remember riding the T into Boston to see Disney on Ice, and being completely blown away by the trains, and moving underground.
When my aunt, uncle, and cousins moved to New Hampshire, we would visit them. This was long before Boston's "Big Dig," and we would always end up sitting on the Lower Deck of Interstate 93, elevated high above the city, watching it move around us. I remember going by the old Boston Garden, and being able to see the inside of the arena during its demolition - seating intact, with just the wall facing the highway removed.

After my High School graduation, my father and I drove an antique Ford Model T up to Maine from our house. It took 8 hours of back roads to get there. Something especially neat was driving up through Boston - Up Dorchester Ave., through the North End, and over into Charlestown. We turned so many heads, and in passing a duck boat full of tourists, could hear the clattering of their camera shutters.

During my first year of studies in Boston, I knew I wanted to leave my first school. I took an audition at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and that trip was really interesting. It took about 7 hours to get there. My mother and I drove down Interstate 95, passing by NYC on the way. In Philly, I didn't know where anything was. I still don't. I've passed through it a few times since I was there in 2006. I really wanted to go there, although if I had left Boston, I probably wouldn't have done anything that I've been able to do here. I sometimes catch myself imagining what might be different had I gone there.

Since September, I've gone to Central PA three times to visit my best friend, who moved there last summer to pursue a Master's degree. On this most recent trip (June 2-8), I was lucky to be given a flight voucher from Providence to Philadelphia (I have the best stepmother!) as a graduation present. I hadn't flown for over seven years, so it was basically a brand new thing for me. The take off was fast and exciting, and the flight was really short - cutting about six hours off my travel time. On my return trip, I took Amtrak from Harrisburg to Philly, and a commuter train down to the airport. Adding trains into the mix was a good idea, and something that I'll always do in the future. Going from Harrisburg to State College on a bus is fantastic, because you are being taken on a tour of the Appalachians, but as you go farther east, the landscape on the highway is nothing special. The train was also much quicker.

Over my last spring break, I went out there and used only Buses - I did it overnight. Getting into NY around 1AM, I ate in Times Square, got on another bus to Philadelphia, and hung around Center City for a few hours before catching a third and final bus, arriving in state College at 1PM.

Being in Philadelphia brought back memories of the Uarts trip. Walking around Market and 12th streets, I knew that my mother and I had been there before, and that was a strangely beautiful thing. That's something that is a good marker for many places I go. I am so often cheerfully thinking "We were here."