drums, voice, violin, etc.
From ensemble to solo work, church choirs to free jazz, and basements to festivals.
I’ve been dedicated to making music and exploring sound for as long as I can remember. Here’s a selection of musical projects I’ve worked on in recent years.
Madeline Kenney
I played drums on two tracks for Madeline Kenney - described by The Fader as “a force to be reckoned with” - for her Summer Quarter EP on Carpark Records (2021).
Prisencolinencinainciusol
"Prisencolinensinainciusol" by Adriano Celentano (1972) is a surrealist Italian pop masterpiece designed to sound like American English, but not actually… Transcribed, played, sung, and mixed by me for the occasion of Charles Quittner's birthday.
Cookie Tongue
I play drums as the Crowmaster for Brooklyn-based freakfolk/psychedelic/ceremonial band Cookie Tongue - including performances at the 2020 at Asheville Fringe Festival that were given the festival’s Most Innovative Sound award. Recordings include “Dream Seed Ceremony” and an upcoming EP.
Sxip Shirey
I play the drums, sing backup, and play other instruments with Sxip Shirey, an avant garde composer specializing in populist music that is often used for circus, dance, and theater. We’ve worked together in numerous capacities but most recently did a series of concerts in western Massachusetts that “got the Berkshires up and dancing” (WBUR). Shirey has released seven albums including three solo albums, toured internationally, and been recognized by press worldwide. He is known for innovative instrumentation and object oriented compositions which he often performs and presents to audiences with stories, dialog, and delight.
I played drum kit and co-arranged percussion for “Grown Up” by Ben Levin. Ben uploaded this video of us talking about our arranging decisions. I also co-arranged percussion for Shubh Saran’s “Slip.”
Apartment Sessions
Apartment Sessions is a Brooklyn-based multimedia artist collective, created and produced by Luke McGinnis, Evan Tyor, and Elizabeth Maney. I have been involved as a percussionist, singer, violinist, and co-arranger since 2017 and have played on 35+ sessions and live shows. We produce monthly videos, performing original arrangements/orchestrations with a rotating ensemble of NYC/New England-based pro musicians, covering our favorite artists, and featuring our favorite musicians. We also crowdfunded a tour of Iceland in 2019 and recorded a series of sessions there. Apartment Sessions is centered around building a strong, diverse community through music and collaboration.
GORPLORD
Free improvised music, always with Evan Strauss (bass) and always with guests (such as Daniel Carter, Jared Yee, FaReal Di Realest, Jacques Boudreau, Jessie Fried, Annie Lemieux, Andrew Frank, Morgan Greenstreet, and many more.)
We hosted a monthly concert series in Brooklyn called WAY OUT! at Wayward Social, renamed RIGHT ON! at Red Hook Record Shop from 2017-19.
Live at The Nest - 4/20/19 feat. Jared Yee
The following releases are available via Cosmic Primitive Records:
S.E.M. Ensemble
From 2016-18, I worked as managing director of the S.E.M. Ensemble, a pioneering experimental music ensemble founded in 1970 by Petr Kotik. I was lucky to perform with the group as well, including performances at The Kitchen, Paula Cooper Gallery, and two tours to the Czech Republic and Poland to perform works by Julius Eastman (Macle, Joy Boy) and John Cage (Song Books I & II), the latter of which was described by the New York Times as “luxuriously gonzo”.
SEM performing Julius Eastman’s Macle at Paula Cooper Gallery, Dec. 2017, photo by Michael Yu
SEM at Sacrum Profanum Festival, Krakow, Poland, Sept. 2017
“Macle was like a breath of fresh air… The performance swept the audience…” – Glissando, Warsaw (Poland), July 20, 2018
“Without doubt, one of the highlight peaks of the [NODO] festival was the Czech premiere of Macle by Julius Eastman” – Amadeus, Milan (Italy), August 8, 2018