New Music at the Green Mill: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Welcome our CSO! (Chicago Scratch Orchestra)

Hey Scratchers,

I am very pleased with how everything went this weekend. It was a special event, beginning what I hope will be a long and powerful collaboration. I want to especially thank Gino for helping us get started.

Here are the live recordings from the mill and also WLUW https://www.dropbox.com/home/NMGM%20101024#:::21725179

My hope is to increase the enrollment to 30 or 40 musicians by next summer. We are going to begin monthly rehearsals. Brown Rice and Enemy are potential gathering points, we need free space that we can all fit in!

What does everyone think about SATURDAY afternoons, once a month, to start?

Also, everyone should begin their personal Scratchbook if they have not already, and please read the Draft Constitution by Cornelius Cardew. I would like to structure our CSO in much the same way.

Feel free to send any ideas along, or visions of how to proceed with the SCRATCH!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Gino Robair and Andrew Royal on Airplay, WNUR 89.3

http://airplay.wnur.org/images/promo/1529.jpg

Gino and Andrew will improvise on Airplay this Friday at 2pm. Here is a link:

http://airplay.wnur.org/?p=1529

ROSTER as of TODAY and Call Times for this Weekend

Three Scratch Events, attend one or ALL

Saturday 10/23--ESS Scratch Orch arrive at 3:30 PM, recording 4-6 PM

Sunday 10/24--Green Mill 2-5PM

Sunday 10/24--WLUW Something Else, arrive at radio station 9:30 PM

Clifton Ingram
Jeff Kowalkowski
Julia Miller
Andrew Royal
Alex Feldman
Noe Cuellar
Sid Samberg
Sam Bradshaw
Joseph Kramer
Bobby McMahon
Sid Yiddish
Rita Eye Rita
Paul Hartshaw
Dan Mohr

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Phone Conversations this Week

Scratch Orchestra players--I am calling everyone this week with instructions. If you have not heard from me by Monday, please e-mail kowalkowskijeff@mac.com The Roster is now up to 14 players, not including Gino. So far, Alex Feldman and Andrew Royal have proposed their scores for part of the program, the floor is open......

Welcome from George Flynn...

I started the Sunday afternoon Green Mill concerts around 1988 as an invitation to composers, improvisors and performers to mount their efforts in a congenial and non-judgemental atmosphere. I stressed that the focus of the concerts would be “new music", although I never tried to define that phrase, and always felt that it should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense.

My own concerts have always occured in January (around the time of my birthday), but I and the Green Mill people were happy to consider opportunities to have new music concerts more frequently, and at other times during the year. Frank Abbinanti was the first to join the series, and sponsored his concerts on the last Sunday in October. Later, Julia Miller joined with her spring series - the first Sunday in May. Jeff Kowalkowski eventually replaced Frank Abbinanti, and continues to sponsor the fall concerts. This series - New Music at the Green Mill - thus continues with the three concerts each year - fall (Kowalkowski), winter (Flynn) and spring (Miller). I note with pleasure that it has inspired several new music organizations in the Chicago area to use the Green Mill as a viable venue for their new music concerts! I’m delighted that the great variety of compositional and improvisational styles, orientations and predilections continues to be a significant feature of the Green Mill series, and appropriately reflects the gamut of musical activity in the Chicago area. I consider the series to be a significant aspect of the vibrant Chicago musical scene.

New Music at the Green Mill