The impulse to create this series came from a longstanding desire for a more direct conversation with other artists about our work as music makers. New York City is an incredibly diverse musical ecosystem that provides many opportunities to take in musical information, and while casual opportunities for conversation present themselves throughout the concert season, rare is an intimate and in-depth exploration of a particular artist or work in a public context. This is the context I aim to create with Musical Ecologies.
Conceived as equal parts symposium and traditional concert series, each event begins with a conversation between me and the artist and is followed by a presentation which might take the form of a performance, a lecture, an installation or some combination thereof. The setting is small and intimate and it is my hope that each event will generate both new discoveries and new questions, as well as new relationships and connections.
But what does “musical ecologies” mean? To me, it refers to things like: musical communities and lineages; musical geographies; families of instruments, tools, and media; and musical economies. Ever an evolving concept, Musical Ecologies is a form of musicology of our time and place, and an exploration of the many connections and relationships among artists, tools and traditions that make up our musical community.
I am grateful to the Old Stone House for hosting and supporting Musical Ecologies and we are very excited to launch our sixth season…..join us!
Dan Joseph, September 2018
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