IUPUI – This almost palindromic acronym stands for … Indiana University – Purdue University at Indianapolis, and Still Life with Microphone lands there in residence this week starting on February 5th.

Click here for a full schedule and webstream links.  You can be here too!

Here’s the extended scoop:

Indiana University School of Music at IUPUI offers graduate programs in both Music Technology and Music Therapy, and is closely connected with The Donald Tavel Arts Technology Research Center at IUPUI. Its mission statement carries a mandate to enrich the community through Technology, but there seem to be mission statements all over their website, including this one which lead not only to the hiring of our host, Scott Deal, but subsequently to our residency with the music department:

“The Donald Tavel Arts and Technology Center explores frontiers of music-related, multimedia and cross-disciplinary networked projects. Within these parameters, the work of the center extends into fine arts, education, health sciences, business, and computer science. As Tavel Center associates collaborate with researchers in these areas, new modes of creative thought, healing and expression emerge.”

So… Three cheers for this institution, and especially for this music department. We’ll feel right at home as we visit with like-minded folk. The nearly week-long residency includes workshops in Ableton Live, Max/MSP/Jitter, and “Todd and Luke” forums on Multimedia Performance, culminating with an evening performance of Still Life with Microphone, featuring the digitized violin music of Todd Reynolds, and Luke Dubois’ inimitable blend of audio driven film and live graphic animation.

Atlas.

Imagine a technology and performance center called The Atlas Building, state of the art technology in education. Next, imagine some of the most beautiful scenery we have in the US. Next, imagine a Music Department with a Jazz Studies Professor completely committed to opening the minds of not only his students, but those of the whole music department.

The WHOLE music department of Boulder’s Colorado University opened its arms to us as we (Todd and Luke) visited for the first time with a Still Life with Microphone residency on January 28th through February 1st. John Gunther, professor of Jazz Studies, was our host, and singlehandedly brought the funding and planning together to create at least 10 events which lead to Saturday night’s performance of Still Life, featuring several performances of new musical and a three-screen, four-projection setup in the Atlas Black Box theater.

Highlights included an hour with the entire String Department, thanks to Erika Eckert, Judy Glyde and Paul Erhard, in which I got to know a group of incredibly strong, impassioned players, as well as a two hour “improvisation from scratch” workshop, an hour of SoundPainting™ with John’s Jazz ensemble as I rode into town, and tag-team workshops with Luke on music and video technology.

John Hadfield flew in to do a gig with John Gunther and Luke and myself at The Walnut Room, which, by the way, has some of THE best pizza I’ve had in awhile… (I’ll put up a clip or two as soon as I have a moment to breathe) Playing with the Gunther/Hadfield show was yet another highlight to an incredible week.

And a special thank you to the Pendulum Series, a new music series directed by composition faculty Dan Kellogg and pianist Hsing-Ay to be lauded for its openness and commitment to excellence across what would be considered stylistic ‘boundaries’ for some. I’m grateful for their invitation to perform Icy Sleeves on their program also featuring the music of Mark Anthony Turnage, in residence for the classical side that week as well.

Some incredibly talented folk there with great vision. Special shoutouts to those we worked with closely like Emily, Brandon, Hunter, Seraphin, Josh, and to all the faculty who were so warm and welcoming. Stephanie, Michael Theodore, Gary, Rebecca of the Atlas Building.