artistic statement

After far too much unnecessary agonizing about the artistic quality of my artistic statement, I discovered an equation.

I like to make things. (From Pom-pom creatures to dinner to pieces of music, I've always been a fan of crafts.)

+ I like people. (Not all of them yet, but I'm definitely outgoing and gregarious.)

+ I like sounds. (All sorts.)

= I like making sounds with people.

This is truly the thrust of my work. I'm not as interested in philosophical pontifications as I am in creating musical relationships with other people. The immediacy of getting together with friends and strangers to make sound thrills me.

I try to keep my ears and options as open as possible, which has enabled me to enjoy a wide range of music experiences in listening, playing, and composing. I grew up in a household where Rossini, Handel, Beethoven, Jacques Brel, Dolly Parton, Abba, and Peter, Paul, and Mary were all on equal footing and could be found (among others) at any given moment on the turntable. Due to large-motor coordination issues, I couldn't be the tough jock I thought I wanted to be; I ended up putting that energy into a small obsession with virtuosity. My attraction to complexity and to simple songs for everyone duke it out for supremacy in my music, often resulting in melodically based structures that trip over their two left feet. I aim to put the sounds and ideas that excite me the most into pieces for myself and others to play.

andrea at reloadsanear dot com