We have been invited to be artists in residence at A-Z West. Manifest the creation of new work in the deserts of Joshua Tree! Read more
We have been invited to be artists in residence at A-Z West. Manifest the creation of new work in the deserts of Joshua Tree!
About this project
In March 2012, my bandmate Heather Treadway and I stayed with the artist Andrea Zittel at A-Z West for the night en route to our next show with our percussion ensemble, Secret Drum Band. We excitedly chatted with Andrea about the desert, drums, collaboration, and design, and Andrea insisted that we return soon.
High Desert Test Sites and Andrea Zittel have invited us to be artists in residence at A-Z West for October 2012 to develop and perform new work.
We will be living in wagonstations --- modular living pods of Andrea's design - in a new living quarters for visiting artists at A-Z West. Andrea's multi-disciplinary work and High Desert Test Sites' exciting approach to site-specific art have been an inspiration to us, and this is an invaluable opportunity.
We have invited musician Allan Wilson (Chk!Chk!Chk!), musician & artist Tara Jane Oneil, and film maker/video artist Julie Perini to join us on this residency. We all have a history of working together on a vast array of projects, performances and collaborations. We have never before had such an extended period of time to focus on one project together. This is extremely exciting to all of us, and we will create some really fantastic new work.
Our work at the residency will center around a new composition focused on percussion that will take cues from the natural soundscapes of Joshua Tree. My collaborators' contributions in fashion, sound, and video will interact directly with the composition.
Allan will build and then compose music for a site-based sound installation, using a multitude of speakers. Heather will design performance costumes, and Julie Perini will create a video that is tightly synchronized to the rhythms of our music. Our performance will focus on how sound projection interacts with the immediate environment. We look forward to presenting this work together in Joshua Tree on November 3, 2012, and also in new contexts in the future.
Joshua Tree's bizarre desert ecosystem and varied landscape will be an ideal setting for creating work that focuses on the intersection of music and the environment. I have worked as a field biologist and entomologist, and am very excited to pursue this intersection of music composition, acoustic ecology and natural history. My collaborators are equally enchanted by the idea of the desert as our laboratory.
We need your help make this a reality. We'll use the funds you contribute to drive our bodies and gear to Joshua Tree, to purchase materials, rent things, live on the cheap for a month, hire an audio engineer and videographer, and perform our work at a High Desert Test Sites event on Nov 3 in Joshua Tree. We'll also use the funds to bring a few artists from LA to perform their own work at the event. And we'll get you back with a fantastic assortment of thank you gifts. Drum lessons, sax lessons, DJ mixes from Allan, Heather Treadway designs, a DVD documentary of our residency and performance by film maker Jodi Darby, drum beats, records, and even a slow clap in the middle of the desert, just for you.
We're offering some prizes that we think are really fantastic --- and have added a few new bits of magic in the past few days.
1 >>> Rare & out-of-print merch from Heather & Lisa's old band, Explode into Colors. T-shirts & 7 inches. You'll have to search far and wide to find em otherwise. Or just get em here.
2 >>> The DIY Guide to Drums. Best birthday/holiday/anytime gift for anyone who has always daydreamed of learning how to play the drum kit. This is the 4th edition of this book! Lisa first wrote it back in 2001 when she was living in Olympia. By hand. A truly DIY experience - you can literally learn with this book (or, donate $100 and get a private lesson with Lisa, even better!!).
3 >>> FIELDGUIDED --- Lisa's series of books on insects & soundscapes. She wrote Fieldguided #1 two years ago, and it includes drawings & writing inspired by the insects she observed & collected, and field recordings from habitats she visited. Fieldguided #2 will be written in Joshua Tree! Fieldguided #1 & #2 are both available as prizes. Now is the time to get these rare gems of natural history & sound.
4 >>> Private performances! For $800 we'll bring the music, fashion and video we create in Joshua Tree to your very own living room/porch/backyard --- wherever you want! (limited to Portland)
5 >>> additional Heather Treadway fashion options!!! Flowy tanks, amazing winter capes, and opportunities for custom consultation, design, and fittings with Heather!! Here are a few examples of Heather's fantastic & fun designs:
THANK YOU
FOR SUPPORTING OUR PROJECT!
We look forward to sharing the work we create in Joshua Tree with you.
Lisa Schonberg is a drummer/percussionist, writer and artist whose work reflects her interest in the intersection between acoustic ecology and music. She currently works as a private drum instructor in Portland, Oregon. Lisa has written and performed music for the bands Explode into Colors, STLS and Kickball, and currently manages and composes for her percussion & noise ensemble, Secret Drum Band. She is a published entomologist, a regular contributor and administrator of Tom Tom Magazine, and the author of The DIY Guide to Drums and Fieldguided, a book of field observations, recordings and drawings. She has played drums and toured with the artists Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, Mirah, Tara Jane Oneil, Tuneyards, Tender Forever, Cloud Eye Control, and Janet Pants. In recent years, she has performed at MOMA PS1 (NYC), the Centre Pompidou (Metz and Paris, FR), High Desert Test Sites (CA), The Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, the TBA Festival (Portland, OR), the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and Michigan Womyn's Music Festival.
Fashion designer. Musician. Custom garment maker/dream weaver. Heather Treadway has been in the fashion business for 12 years, designing and sewing clothing for her eponymous line as well as creating ready to wear clothing and costumes for musicians, performers, children and creative minded professionals alike. Starting out in Olympia Heather made her fashion debut making skirts out of vintage pillow cases. Now she makes wedding gowns and capes for stars like Big Freedia as well as costumes for shows like Portlandia.
Andrea Zittel is an American sculptor, installation artist and relational artist. Andrea Zittel divides her time between A-Z West, located in Joshua Tree California, and A-Z East in Brooklyn New York. In the early 1990s, Andrea Zittel began using the arena of her day to day life to develop and test prototypes for living structures and situations. One of her most visible projects in NY was "A-Z East", a small row house in Brooklyn which she turned into a showroom testing grounds for her prototypes for living. In 2008 she moved back to the West Coast, eventually settling in the High Desert region next to Joshua Tree National Park where she has now founded A-Z West. Andrea has also organized the smockshop, "an artist run enterprise that generates income for artists whose work is either non-commercial, or not yet self sustaining" by selling smocks, and High Desert Test Sites, "a series of experimental art sites" which "provide alternative space for experimental works by both emerging and established artists." Her work has also been included in group exhibitions such as the Venice Bienalle, Doccumenta X, Skulture project in Munster, and both the 1995 and the 2004 Whitney Biennials. She has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, the SF Museum of Modern Art, The Carnegie Museum in Pitsburgh, The Diechtorhallen in Hamburg, The Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria in NY, The Museum for Gegenwartskunst in Basel and the The Louisiana Museum in Denmark. Andrea Zittel’s work was recently highlighted in the exhibition 1:1 at the Schaulager in Basel Switzerland.
High Desert Test Sites is an arts organization co-founded by Andrea Zittel. High Desert Test Sites generates physical and conceptual spaces for art exploring the intersections between contemporary art and life at large. Scattered along a stretch of intimate yet diverse desert communities that include Joshua Tree, Pioneertown, Wonder Valley, Yucca Valley, and 29 Palms, their sites provide a place for both fleeting and long-term experimental projects.
FAQ
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Rewards
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Pledge $5 or more
3 backers
WOW: A link to a video of us slow-clapping for you in the deserts of Joshua Tree. Comes with every pledge above $5. You lucky bastards!
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $10 or more
56 backers
USPS LOVE: A hand-drawn postcard sent directly from Joshua Tree to your very own mailbox.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $25 or more
12 backers
THE DOC: A copy of the video documentary of our residency and performances in Joshua Tree by film maker Jodi Darby. Your choice of DVD or download code.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $30 or more
16 backers
FROM OUR HANDS: A page of Heather & Lisa's hand-written field notes and sketches on the natural history and soundscapes of Joshua Tree. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $30 or more
3 backers Limited (47 left of 50)
FIELDGUIDED #2: A copy of Lisa's second installation in her Fieldguided natural history book series - to be written & drawn in Joshua Tree. Comes with field recordings from habitat observation sites. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's video documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $37 or more
7 backers Limited (13 left of 20)
YOU ARE A DRUMMER: A copy of Lisa's "DIY Guide to Drums". A truly DIY guidebook for beginners on the drumset. With an audio download of all the beats in the book! Recently published by M'Lady's Records. http://www.mladysrecords.com/catalog.html .... PLUS a handmade postcard straight from Joshua Tree.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $40 or more
11 backers
WILSON's VERY BEST: An original DJ mix of what Allan is digging that month. In the popular digital download format, with original cover art. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $50 or more
5 backers Limited (15 left of 20)
OLD HAT: Explode into Colors 12" record QUILTS (M'Lady's Records 2010). Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency!
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $50 or more
3 backers Limited (17 left of 20)
CAVEMAN HAND TANK: Wear our hands.
HT will make you a flowy cropped tank top in your size out of the silkiest slinkiest shell pink rayon jersey, you have 4 options:
A) A plain cropped top (no print)
B) Heather's hand printed in your color of choice
C) Lisa's hand printed in your color of choice
D) HEATHER AND LISA'S HANDS PRINTED IN YOUR COLOR OF CHOICE!
Fun! Our hands thank you! Comes with a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency as well.Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $60 or more
0 backers Limited (30 left of 30)
FIELDGUIDED #1: A copy of Lisa's book of drawings & natural history observations of west coast insects. Published by Publication Studio in 2010. Comes with a digital download of field recordings of soundscapes from the insect habitats Lisa visited. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's video documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $80 or more
0 backers Limited (4 left of 4)
THE PARISIAN! It's the softest tank top you'll find for miles around. Dark blue and white pinstriped rayon material. SO cute, and hand made by Heather so that makes it all the more special. There are just a few of these in special sizes: Medium semi-cropped, Small semi-cropped, and Medium Men's mid-length. These are made to fit loose and flowy (model is wearing the small). This pledge amount also wins you a copy of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency and a hand made postcard!
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $100 or more
4 backers Limited (16 left of 20)
LEARN ART! Your choice of an hour-long sewing lesson with Heather, sax lesson with Allan, or drum lesson with Lisa. (primarily for Portland metro area - please inquire about limited availability for NYC, Olympia & LA). Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $125 or more
0 backers
SWEET LIL PACK OF VINYL:: Explode into Colors QUILTS EP + the STLS 7 inch DRUMCORE + Kickball's 10", Everythingisamiraclenothingisamiracleverythingis.Plus a download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency & performance.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $150 or more
2 backers Limited (18 left of 20)
BEAT THIS: Lisa and Heather write you a drumbeat to use however you want. Your choice of time signature. Sent in digital audio format. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $150 or more
0 backers
Everything KICKBALL: A package of [almost] everything Lisa's old band ever made: Self-titled mp3, Huckleberry Eater & ABCDEFGHJIKickball cds, Everything is a Miracle Nothing is a Miracle Everything Is 10 " vinyl, and a "be your own fucking rainbow" t-shirt.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $200 or more
0 backers Limited (15 left of 15)
REAL DEAD INSECT: Lisa will send you a carefully preserved insect specimen that she collects in the desert of JT, hand-written field notes on what it was up to when she found it, & digital field recording of the soundscape from the site where it was collected. With a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $200 or more
0 backers Limited (6 left of 6)
EIC RARE SCHWAG: A super rare Explode into Colors T-shirt (american apparel womens medium, teal) and their 7" record Paper b/w Heat. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's video documentary of our residency!
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $300 or more
2 backers Limited (8 left of 10)
THE GREAT ES-CAPE:
One of a kind handmade gorgeous tweed capelet made by HT just for you! The style and shape of the cape will be exactly like the one in the photo, only difference is the tweed fabric will be slightly different based on availability. A photo of fabric options will be sent to you for your choosing pleasure. This capelet has some amazing features: A woven criss-cross detailing in the triangular front yoke, snaps under each arm to create form, and a hood. Fully lined! Just send along your size request and she will whip one up for you. Plus Jodi Darby's video documentary of our residency & performance in the desert.Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $400 or more
1 backer Limited (9 left of 10)
THE MAKEOVER: A custom hoodie designed & sewn for you by hand by Heather Treadway plus one paragraph of style advice. Plus a real vinyl record from one of our bands. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency. Check out Heather's stylings at www.heathertreadway.com.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $450 or more
0 backers Limited (15 left of 15)
PERSONALIZED MIX MIX: Give Allan a list of your favorite bands and genres and he will ignore it in order to make you something you should actually like! Plus a vinyl LP from one of our bands, and a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $500 or more
1 backer Limited (4 left of 5)
DESERT DREAM COVER: Lisa, Heather & Allan will record a high-quality version of any song of your choosing. Seriously. What’s yr jam? Wanna hear our one-of-a-kind, spirited version of it? SO DO WE! Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $800 or more
0 backers Limited (4 left of 4)
WE PLAY YOUR HOUSE (or another venue of your choosing, within reason): Allan, Lisa and Heather show up and perform an adaptation of the music they develop at the residency, in HT-designed costumes. Limited to Portland metro area. Plus a digital download of Jodi Darby's video documentary of our residency.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $999 or more
0 backers Limited (5 left of 5)
YR VERY OWN HT WINDBREAKER! A custom windbreaker hand-sewn by Heather Treadway and inspired by her Secret Drum Band costumes. Plus a drumbeat by Heather & Lisa, an original DJ mix by Allan, and a digital download of Jodi Darby's documentary of our residency!
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $1,500 or more
0 backers Limited (4 left of 4)
CUSTOM DESIGN: Heather will make you a custom piece of fashion. Get creative - she wants to make the garment of your dreams. Includes private consultation & a fitting. Plus a rare Explode into Colors 7 inch, QUILTS EP, the DIY Guide to Drums and an EIC t-shirt. And a download of Jodi Darby's video documentary!
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $2,000 or more
0 backers Limited (3 left of 3)
!!! ??? >>> : Allan Wilson will fly anywhere in North America (Can/Mex/US/CentAmer) to DJ your party.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers Limited (2 left of 2)
WOW! Allan Wilson will fly anywhere in the world to DJ your party.
Estimated delivery:
Funding period
- (24 days)
