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El alma que canta se sacude la quietud
y la tristeza elevando su espíritu
para exhalar esperanza.
En aprecio por la creación inspirada
por la luz de la luna reflejada en nosotros
da vuelo a las alas
por cualquier medio posible.
Estamos más allá de las palabras.

The singing soul shakes off stillness
and sorrow lifting its spirit to exhale hope.
In appreciation for the creation we inspire
by the moonlight reflected off each other
that gives flight to the wing
by any possible means.
We are beyond words.*

Magos Herrera performing in a video of Rojo Sol accompanied by Kevork Mourad's live painting captured at a rehearsal for Con Alma

Dear Every Body,

Here we are.

I usually wait and send these emails when I have a season's worth of work. This time I have one work to offer. But it's perfect for the season.

During our isolation Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera recorded an album called Con Alma. They worked with over 30 musicians in Mexico, Germany, Italy, Brazil and New York. The album was released last week so you can check it out now. I have joined Paola and Magos to create a live, international, communal event for the occasion. Remember album release parties?

The Con Alma Project expands the circle of collaborators to include Kevork Mourad, Eamonn Farrell, Andy Carluccio and Liminal and is being anchored by a skeleton crew at National Sawdust with Charles Hagaman and Garth Macaleavey where we also got the band back together with James Fry and Alyssa Howard.

The broadcast can be seen by viewers in Mexico via Canal 22 and will be available in the US on WNET All-Arts. And for those without a TV, it can be streamed on National Sawdust's website.

The hour-long broadcast is a kind of visualization of the album that weaves music videos created during the pandemic with animations Kevork will be live-painting, Magos performing (which causes the jaw to drop in astonished appreciation), and real-time conversations between Paola, Magos and artists heard on the album who are based in Germany, Amsterdam (thank you for being up so early/late!) and Harlem as well as thoughts from journalist Carmen Aristegui and New Museum Deputy Director Karen Wong.

We've also designed sections for video content solicited from our potential audience via a social media campaign that asks to share your sound of isolation. And we will be experimenting with this prompt during the event as well. Since it is primarily seen by a TV audience we ask for words that describe your isolation via twitter and the hashtag #conalmaproject. It will give you an opportunity to add your voice to a textual chorus.

I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to create situations that reinforce our mutual here-ness. While here, we can watch something together, listen to music and take a trip. In anticipation of the months ahead and out of respect for how fleeting here is, this is a good reminder. When not here I imagine being together. Happy to fill the time between now and then with the creations shared by this community. Thank you for being here and for your inspiration.

In love and solidarity and making,

Ashley

*at - for Con Alma. Thanks Luis Moreno for the translation help

Con Alma

Created by Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera

Directed by Ashley Tata

Sunday 12.13.20 @ 19.00 est
More info at National Sawdust

Featuring:

Paola Prestini

Magos Herrera

Kevork Mourad

Carmen Aristegui

Viola Blache

Marie-Charlotte Seidel

Adedayo Perkovich

Karen Wong

Video Design:

Eamonn Farrell

Production Engineer:

Andy Carluccio

Liminal

Production Team:

James Fry

Alyssa Howard

Vanessa Rebeil

Charles Hagaman

Garth MacAleavey

Presented by The Mexican Government through the Secretary of Culture, Canal 22, Radio Educación, ALL ARTS/WNET and National Sawdust

Commissioned by Jill and Bill Steinberg

With additional support from The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Geraldina Interiano and Scott W. Wise

Kevork Mourad and Paola Prestini rehearsing Con Alma at National Sawdust

ACTION

SIGN AN OPEN LETTER TO THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION TO ESTABLISH A SECRETARY OF ARTS & CULTURE
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#BEANARTSHERO
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Planted

This fall the first cohort of resident artists at Brooklyn Academy of Music was announced. BAM has been foundational to my development as an appreciator and practitioner of the arts. And I'm a bit overwhelmed to be a member of this thrilling group.

Myself and the following list of staggeringly talented collaborators are still working on creating a Virtual Reality proof-of-concept piece that combines a physical and sonic installation with a 10-minute VR experience. We've continued to be generously supported with time and space through my residency at 153 Coffey in Red Hook, BK and have received some financial support from BAM. If you have any interest in hearing more about this project please hit me up.

Virtual Reali-Tree collaborators (yes, yes I did):

Visual/In Real and Virtual Reality Designers:
Afsoon Pajoufar + Aoshuang Zhang

Sound Designer/Composers and Performer:
Eliza Bagg + Sadah Espii Proctor + Booker Stardrum

And myself.

So far.