A conversation with Mike, Danny, Mark & Kevin Perez on August 30, 2008, the night before Kevin & Christie’s wedding. Recorded on Betty Perez’ porch in Sacramento, CA.

Mike, Danny, Christie, Mark & Kevin Perez

LONG BEACH, April 5 — in 30 minutes the CSULB Laptop Ensemble, under the direction of composer Martin Herman, will perform at the CSULB University Art Museum (UAM) Exploring noise and signal processing with Max/MSP this performance follows the ensemble’s inaugural performance in Long Beach last weekend.

Further details will be posted here as the concert progresses.

1 video:

First Composition
It is remarkable how powerful and enveloping this work is as experienced with my eyes closed.

Eyes open I am inundated with visual experience. Even though a laptop ensemble with drone or noise qualities is not overly indexical, I still search for it, I still am seduced by the visual.

Eyes closed this work entirely envelopes my being in a sonic, or more than sonic, corporeal experience. A sort of Jordan Belson cenote of subterranean sonic/haptic experience. Buffeted by the colors of the tones I feel as if I am floating above and below an auditory halocline.

Video of Third Composition:
Seth Shafer – Music for Knobs I

The works in this evening’s concert share a significant level of abstraction, yet diverge from there, one ethereal, one bombastic, melodic, staccato.

• New Music Ensemble Web Page

In the Washington Post’s famous Joshua Bell experiment of 2007, the legendary violinist gave a free concert on a reportedly 3.5 million dollar instrument, and nobody noticed. Years earlier Allan Kaprow’s biggest take-home message from studying with John Cage at Black Mountain was that “anything looked at carefully enough, becomes interesting.”

In tonight’s concert a wide range of abstract, sometimes densely layered sounds could be easily experienced on a surface level, yet seemed to reveal ever richer resonances with engaged listening. Perhaps the opposite of so many catchy pop compositions. These are probably not the best dance tracks, but this evening’s works seemed to offer experience in return for the effort to hear.

In addition to being a compelling evening, the vision of live music’s future performance possibilities had real urgency.

Drinkin Boba! Photo by Shannon Abigail Simbulan

Here’s my “tea” makin’ videos:
1. Brewing Iced “Sun” Tea
2. Makin’ Boba ‘n Milk Tea
3. Making a hot, spicy holiday cider

3 videos:

COLD WATER HERBAL TEA!

Oh, btw, I forgot to mention… after you let it brew for a couple of hours… then you just strain it… and sweeten if you like…

WANT THAT WITH BOBA?
video below!

OR HOW ABOUT SOME *H*O*T* HOLIDAY CIDER:

6 videos:

According to Wikipedia:
Trinidad is one of California’s smallest incorporated cities by population (367 residents in 2010, up from 311 residents in 2000) is noted for its spectacular coastline with ten public beaches and offshore rocks. These rocks are part of the California Coastal National Monument of which Trinidad is a Gateway City. Fishing operations related to Trinidad Harbor are vital to both local tourism and commercial fishery interests in the region. Trinidad lies at an elevation of 174 feet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad,_California

8 Videos:

5 Videos:

DAVID’S BOW TIE

WEDDING PHOTO SHOOT – PART 1

WEDDING PHOTO SHOOT – PART 2

WEDDING PHOTO SHOOT – PART 3

SPACE INVADERS

HUGS

HACKING YOUR WEDDING TALK @BCSD9

JULIA

DAVID

SPRING

JESSICA

SIGH

ILLYA + ANTONIA + WHITNEY

LORENZO

JOON ‘n DAVID

WEI DONG

HONG

KAREN

DONNA

MEGAN

FOREST ‘n JULIA

BRIAN

ERIC

CHRIS

AARON

COREY

ALAN ‘n ERIC

REBECCA

SARA

MELISSA

MEGAN

ANTONIA

FRANK

WEI

GLENN

DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!