SeaSounds and Other Forms: A Sonic Response to Dale Chihuly
Friday, May 21st; 6-8pm
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Nashville, TN

On Friday, May 21st from 6-8pm Sound Artist/Composer Aaron Hoke Doenges will perform at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, TN. Doenges will be presenting some new work as part of a weekend celebrating the art of glass blower Dale Chihuly. As part of a citywide collaboration, The Frist will be showing Chihuly’s works starting on May 9th. The Nashville Symphony will be performing a staged production of Bartok’s “Bluebeards Castle” with Chihuly’s work the same weekend as Doenges’ performance and, starting May 25th, the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens will feature installations of Chihuly’s work in the natural setting of their rolling Tennessee landscape.

I’ve started a new project tentatively titled “Construct:destrucT” - with thoughts both ideological and practical. Thinking about the ways in which I approach the world and the people around me - i construct ideologies and thoughts about how i relate to people, test them out perhaps, and then destruct them if I need to. And also thinking about the way our society builds the new and then un-builds when things get old. Thinking about the new tower in Dubai and how the architect “experimented to see how high he could go”. Uhh…I’m all about experimentation (it would be hypocritical for me to say otherwise). But thousands of people don’t live in my experiments. Here’s hoping it’s not another tower of babble.

Good morning, all -

And a happy late Thanksgiving! I hope you were able to gather with some folks you are thankful for and share a bit of communioning with them. I spent the time on the Southern Plateau with some good friends in a cabin overlooking the valley, a fire in the fireplace, some jazz on the stereo, some pies in the oven and a book in hand. It was just the retreat that was needed.

It’s been a good month-and-a-half-or-so since I last wrote. After the business of SoundCrawl:Nashville at the beginning of October, I decided to take a low-key autumn and focus more on some personal and artistic development ideas, spending some hours in my studio, looking for some possible places to share my work, thinking about what the future might look like, spending some quality time with some quality people around me and listening. I’m currently working on two new projects in my studio - an advent piece for the church I attend (yes…they not only let me do my weird work in the church…the invite me to participate in the advent services with it! Awesome), and a piece (somewhat of an exercise) thinking about ideas of construct/destruct. It’s good to be working. The DPC artists had a great installation show “Installation Causation“, and it was exciting to be a part of it. I am really enjoying my place as a part of that group. A couple of weeks ago, I also performed and presented to Upgrade! Tennessee and had a awesome time talking with students and faculty about sound art, what I do, what others are doing, and sharing. Thanks for the invite, friends!

In the meantime, I’ve decided to apply to three doctoral programs for next fall. I’ve submitted two of my applications and the third will head out shortly. I am anxious to see what will happen. And uncertain about what I think about the possibility. Only time will tell!

All in all…a pretty good autumn, if you ask me. I am looking forward to the season that we just entered. Some good friends from the northern lands are coming to visit and we will take a day trip to explore Memphis for a bit. The chance to see the fam in a month or so keeps me looking forward, along with many other possibilities and options. There is much to be thankful for. I hope the same for you!

Ohh…and there will be an artist-studio open house at DPC in the month ahead (I believe it will be Friday evening, the 18th). Stay posted for details and plan to come check out what we’ve got going on down town!

Off to the studio -
Aaron

Welcome to fall! It’s a good week here in the Nash. The sun is a bit lower each day while the temps are cooling off - bringing longings for camp fires and wool sweaters - and our leaves are only thinking of changing colors. The anticipation is half the excitement, it seems.

It’s been a big week and a half or so here. This past weekend friends and family decended into town for our first inaugural SoundCrawl:Nashville. It was an exciting couple of days as we popped up time and again in the local media outlets and regional blogs (HA…I almost wrote “blobs”), got everything set up and prepared to step into the Nashville community. Just about everything came off without a hitch and it was a very good evening! Most all of the feedback that we received was hugely positive and supportive - even the security guard thanked me several times for being there! There were many people in the community that came out to hear us and we got to chat with quite a few people, which was great. It seems the church spaces were the two most popular - a place to sit and meditate and experience some interesting sound as it filled the otherwise quiet rooms. Thanks to DPC and all our hosts for everything that they did for us!! And thanks to CREMA for hosting our after party. A time to catch up with friends old and new, thank some folks and relax after some fun!

If you are interested in the music that was presented, we have a few albums for download. The “Teaser” is our top three list. The “Main Stage” is our top 10 or 12. And the “Festival in a Box” is just about everything that we presented. This last one is listed for $20 BUT…if you would like it, send an email and $15 via paypal to crawl@soundcrawlnashville.com and we wil email you the download code. $5 off!! (if you want to send a check via snail mail…you can respond to this email and we can work something out). There is some great work on there from all over the world!

In personal news…now that SC:N is over for the next year or so…I am looking forward to starting back on my own sonic explorations and expressions. One of my biggest desires in that is to have a space that I can go to write and be and work. I am happy to tell you that this past week I was able to move into my artist studio at the Downtown Presbyterian Chuch here in the Nash!! DPC has several (mostly visual) artist studios in their historic building and they have kindly opened their doors to a sound-artist, as well. I am so excited to be a part of this community of creatives and about this space (and thankful to a couple dear friends for their help) and have already started working on my next big project. Attached is a pic of me sitting at my desk, one of the other side of the room and one of my stained-glass window. The post-its on the wall behind me is (what I hope will be) the birth of my latest work. In celebration, I have posted some of my own work for download. An EP of the last year of my work (and a steal at just over $5!). Be looking for a group installation show at DPC during the November Art Crawl!!

Ok, I think that’s all the news for now. Be looking for me at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts sometime at the beginning of next year. They do live music in the Grand Lobby on Thursday and Friday evenings. More on that when details come.

I hope you are all well these days. Listen to something beautiful for me.
Always

-AHD

Sorry for the silence for a while, all. Life’s been busy w/ the SoundCrawl. Hopefully more will start to flow after the event this weekend!!!

In the mean time…some of my tunes are up for purchase at instant encore!

I just finished up a new piece today. “The Suicide of Freddie Mac” was inspired by recent events both on the global economic level and by some other less noted tidbits that came through the news wires. Check it out on my ReverbNation site….and let me know what you think! I love feedback from those who are listening and wondering…

It’s a steamy southern August here in the Ville of Nash and things only seem to be betting hotter! I’ve been fortunate to get to spend some quality time with some quality people here lately…still listening to Sigur Ros and Moby: prayer with few words, much depth and loads of beauty.

A couple bits of news. Last month was full of a lot of things. As far as residencies are concerned, I was confirmed for a space at the Downtown Presbyterian Church as one of their Artists in Residence, which is very exciting! DPC hosts several visual studios in the upper realms of their historic (pre-civil war) building and are huge supporters of the arts both at the church and in the community. I am their first sound artist and am excited to see what my place is there. I hope to be moving in soon…. check out DPC here and what the artists have going on here.

I was also invited to be the Artist in Residence at North Cascades National Park for a month this fall but, unfortunately, nothing quite worked out for that to happen. I was dissapointed to have to let it go, but am greateful for the invite. Thanks NPS! I hope to see you in the near future.

Meanwhile, SoundCrawl:Nashville is leaping and bounding forward. We’ve received well of 100 submissions from 4 continents!! We’re waiting for Asia to respond but we’ve only recently shown up there (on a website in Korea). The community here in Nashville is getting very excited about the event on October 3rd…and we can’t wait to see what we hear And we hope to see you there, too.

What are you listening to these days??

Hey all…

It was brought to my attention that anybody listening to the last download that wasn’t on my computer couldn’t hear the audio very well. Sorry about that! I’ve balanced the recording out and reworked a few things (you should be able to hear me now) so, if you tried before and it wasn’t the best, it should be good to go now. If you didn’t get it tried before…welp…it will be great the first time ’round.

http://www.aaronhokedoenges.com/download
login: Noise
PW: Pollution

Hope you are all well this humid summer night. For being a sound guy…I’m pondering silence a bit these days. Enjoy some quietude.

peace
-ahd

I like Sigur Ros for the same reasons I like Moby. few words. lots of prayer.