Metropolarity w/ O O L O IMetrpolarity, your afrofuturist quantum time traveling cyborgs, return with a special event. In conjunction with their recent community unity prompt, "Bad User Agreement", the Metro Squad goes deep with an intentional workshop and reading.

LIGHT TOUCH WORKSHOP 1pm-3pmfacilitated by Ras Cutlass, this workshop will provide a space for writers and artists to contemplate and navigate through their own personal #**bad user agreements**# with a light touch, we will navigate the world together, workshop stories and shape ideas, resulting in the divination of the newest Metropolarity zine, "Bad User Agreement"

(please note this workshop is early afternoon 1pm start time!)

METROPOLARITY reads with OOLOIpresenting a new improv group, OOLOI, featuring members of Philly's weirdest, soul-pushingest afropunk and experimental bands (Madam Data, Sour Spirit, King Azaz, Ronnie Vega, etc), providing the soundscape as we re-imagine the future.

(please note this reading is a late evening 7pm start time)

The Secret Cinema presents THE MARCH OF TIME 

On Thursday, March 8, The Secret Cinema will present a retrospective of THE MARCH OF TIME, the groundbreaking, influential series of topical newsreels made by film pioneer Louis de Rochemont. Produced under the banner of Time and Life magazines between 1935 and 1951, THE MARCH OF TIME presented fast-moving, concise summations of crucial current events, and vivid histories of facets and trends of life in America.

THE MARCH OF TIME's unique style employed breathless narration and an unusual yet seamless blend of actuality footage and skillfully staged recreations (or in some cases, simply creations) of the unfilmable. This manipulation of reality was understood and accepted by audiences as an effective story-telling method, and was eventually incorporated into other films (most memorably in the MARCH OF TIME tribute/parody newsreel that begins CITIZEN KANE). In a pre-television era filled with the dozens of competing short subjects that accompanied all feature film screenings, de Rochemont's creation was particularly successful, and eagerly consumed by millions of theatergoers every month.

Our program will showcase an assortment of episodes, showing examples of the variety of topics chronicled by THE MARCH OF TIME.

One 1946 short, ATOMIC POWER! (called "quite remarkable" by Raymond Fielding in his definitive book about the series, THE MARCH OF TIME, 1935-1951), could boast of the participation of virtually every scientist involved in the then-recent development of the atomic bomb. J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, Albert Einstein and 10 others did not simply answer questions, as most documentaries would show, but they appeared as actors playing themselves, recreating the crucial events, decisions and conversations that led to the creation of man's most terrible weapon.

Other episodes look at topics as diverse as the THE AMERICAN TEACHER, CAREERS FOR GIRLS, and, in an amusing reel titled IS EVERYBODY HAPPY?, the post-war spread of belief in fitness gurus, crackpot nutritionists, radio therapists, astrologers and fortune tellers.

As a bonus we'll also feature two non-MOT films: AN EGYPTIAN ADVENTURE, a rare 1928 de Rochemont semi-documentary that anticipates THE MARCH OF TIME's creative license, and SCHOOL TIME IN CAMPS, a charming, Kodachrome short made by the MOT producers for their Life magazine sponsor, documenting an ambitious program to introduce city kids to the wonders of nature.

As usual, all Secret Cinema programs are projected in 16mm film on a giant screen (not video).

There will be one complete screening at 8:00 pm. Admission is FREE.

Urban Shaman Attack / Elliott Levin / DM Hotep/ Jim Tuite Visuals

Urban Shaman Attack returns to The Rotunda. This event features saxophonist / poet Elliott Levin (ESP Label) and guitarist DM Hotep (Solar Arkestra) as a duo. Urban Shaman Attack will follow with a set of original psychedelic jazz, and the evening will close with a collaboration of these musicians. The event will feature the visual arts of Jim Tuite as well, adding incredible lights and video. Experience this event for yourself instead of hearing about it later. 

Admission is FREE

Womynsfest Celebrating 18 Years

Womynsfest is the longest-running free festival for womyn in Philadelphia. Womynsfest is an all age showcase of womyn performers!

Looking for Vendors!

Returning Performers:The Primaries Mia Johnson: a singer/songwriter who has been making good music in Philadelphia for over two decades. To her strong vocals and rhythm guitar she adds the gorgeous talents of Erin Ryan Barnes on cello to create a texturally-rich duo. 

Sara Chodak: a 14 year old Philadelphia-based songwriter who is driven by emotion and the world around her. She is an eclectic mix of grungy punk, traditional folk, and rebellious rock.

Every Heard: a Korean-American singer-songwriter. Winner of the 2017 Philadelphia Folk Festival Camp Fire contest, Ev blends the local Philly folk style with a jazz fusion all her own 

Rachel Hall Trio: Baltimore-based singer and guitarist Rachel Hall, formerly of The Damsels, now fronts her own trio playing both covers and originals. Powerful and sultry vocals soaring over rocking riffs give the Rachel Hall Trio their signature sound.

GhettoSongBird: a rock-n-roll singer/songwriter/guitarist from North Philadelphia that has performed at legendary rock venues around the world including CBGBS (NYC) The Whisky A Go-Go (L.A.) and The Troubadour (London) to name a few. She recorded her 1st EP "Alley Of The Earth in Los Angles 2001 with the help of her mentor Rosa Lee Brooks (who wrote and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, with new material finally being released this year. 

Newcomers:

Jaz: a published and performance poet, author, Singer-Songwriter, model and theater artist from Philly, PA. She also does a mean karaoke, loves big bodies of water and hugs trees. 

Andrea Nardello: Philly's Andrea Nardello has garnered favorable comparisons to Melissa Etheridge and Shawn Colvin. Nardello has been performing and writing since she was 8 years old, has toured the US, and often fundraises to support The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Musicians On Call.

Vendors:Alemah Boutique offers one of a kind handmade and upcycled clothing and unique reversible fabric bowls.

Admission is FREE 

Vision Driven Consulting has teamed up with The Rotunda to bring resources and capacity-building workshops to self-producing artists/musicians, arts organization staff, and event curators in all disciplines.

Rotunda Workshops: 6-8pm at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia); all workshops in the series are FREE and OPEN to the public. Refreshments provided. No sign-up necessary.

Grant Writing – Intermediate (March 12th at The Rotunda)• Review aspects of a strong grant proposal• Practice writing an actual grant • Receive feedback on your draft proposal 

Real Budgeting for Real Work (April 9th at The Rotunda)• Look at sample budgets and learn how to interpret the story behind the numbers • Create a budget tailored to your goals for 2016• Learn how to assemble a project budget for potential funders

Event Planning (May 14th at The Rotunda)• Learn new techniques for building an audience and your ideal project participant• Troubleshoot issues with audience development that you may have had in the past• Identify marketing techniques to keep people showing up to your future events

Marketing (June 11th at The Rotunda)• Learn about writing and sending Press Releases• Identify your target audience and how to reach them• Discuss the pros and cons of various social media and online marketing toolsFacilitator: LaNeshe White, Interactive Mechanics & Theatre in the X

Crowdfunding 101 (September 10th at The Rotunda)• Learn how to tell if crowdfunding is right for your project• Discover the pros and cons of crowdfunding platforms• Hear from a panel of artists who have run successful crowdfunding campaigns

Creating an Artists Statement (September 24th at The Rotunda)• Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats of a new project • Think through the components of your project and its goals • Hone in on the details of your program or project and begin a draft project plan

Setting & Measuring Goals (October 8th at The Rotunda)• Identify what you want to achieve in your projects• Incorporate critical feedback and self-reflection into your arts practice• Brainstorm and receive tools for measuring success

http://www.visiondrivenartists.org/

CANCELLED!  My Gay Banjo Philly Show w/ Geb the Great Cackler!

JOINED BY GEB THE GREAT CACKLER!!! Come on over to your fave place The Rotunda for songs and laughs and maybe some seeds for sale! Let's welcome Spring together. With love, MGB

$5-$10 Sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds!

CANCELLED! 

RESCHEDULE FRO DECEMBER 15

Wild CombinationA portrait of Arthur RussellBowerbird is excited to present a screening of "Wild Combination", director Matt Wolf's visually absorbing portrait of the seminal avant-garde composer, singer-songwriter, cellist, and disco producer Arthur Russell. Before his untimely death from AIDS in 1992, Arthur created music that spanned both pop and abstract art. Now, over fifteen years since his passing, Arthur's work is finally finding its audience. Wolf incorporates rare archival footage and commentary from Arthur's family, friends, and closest collaborators - including Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg - to tell this poignant and important story. 

Admission is FREE

POSTPONED DUE TO SNOW STORM!!!! NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON! 

Poet~tree EnMotion Presents…The 2018 Spring Equinox in Celebration of Women!

Wednesday, March 21st, 7-10pm (Doors @ 7pm)!

This ongoing seasonal series features a variety of multi-disciplinary performance, arts & culture presentations… Doors open @ 7pm & performances begins shortly after featuring, a Fierce Female Lead Lineup of Artists ranging from Live Musical Acts to Spoken Word Flowetry to Folkloric Infused Dance Movements.

 A FREE community event … but Donations are Appreciated!

A Live Music, Movement & Dance Celebration in Honor of Her-Story!}

·      Angi Vita: Live Painter using the body as a living canvas…angivita.com

·      KyoDaiko: Philadelphia-based community Taiko drumming ensemble. kyodaiko.com

·      Lydia Swaray: West African Singer/Songwriter using music to express her voice. facebook.com/Lydia-Music-2000455466902518

·      Modero Dance Co.: A fusion of traditional and modern dance disciplines based in Indonesian culture. moderocompany.com

·      Plum Dragoness (a.k.a. Gabrielle de Burke): Resident Performance Artist, Event Organizer & Arts Educator. ThePlumDragoness.com / DragonSpiritArts.com  

·      Three Aksha Dance Co.: Preserving & promoting Indian culture & heritage through classical Bharatanatyam dance. threeaksha.org

·      Sonni Shine & Guests: percussive riffs, artful melodies & meaningful lyrics create an earthy combination of soul, funk, jazz, and folk. SonniShineMusic.com 

ARTIST BIOS: 

·      Angi Vita, a graduate of Richard Stockton University, has a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts. Her degree, in addition to life experiences, is utilized in connecting to viewers through various avenues of art such as oil painting, body painting, sculpture, dance, mixed media, and performance art. She has been active in the artistic community for over ten years. Inspiration is often derived from her exposure to various cultures and mentalities which fuels her desire in reaching a wider audience for the purpose of human growth. angivita.com 

·      Lydia Swaray is a singer/songwriter who was born in West Africa Liberia. Her influences derives from old folk and her grandfather. Her unique instrumental of guitar and expressive voice brings a sense of calm to her audience. Her wish is to help people through music therapy. facebook.com/Lydia-Music-2000455466902518  

·      Modero is a community based dance company that was founded in 2011.  Sinta decided to start her own dance company after her trip to Poso in Central Sulawesi and consulted with her sister Diana. Her sister gave her blessing and her brother Igor Saykoji designed her logo complete with a Pamonian dancer wearing the traditional Pamonian outfit called Tomboli and then Modero was born. Sinta’s vision is to combine traditional and modern dance disciplines. This fusion brings the best of both worlds in energetic & intricate choreography. Modero started in the city of Philadelphia with only 4 dancers, Amelia Laytham, Whitney Postman and Katherine Antarikso. Modero performed in many different community gatherings, city of Philadelphia events, Andrea Clearfield’s legendary salon, Laura Cohn’s From Bali to Bala Annual Gift Show to a few local Latin Showcases. Modero dancers has grown over the years and now consist of 20 dancers as young as 4 years old and as old as 67 years young. Modero has been recognized to be the Indonesian culture torch bearer in the city of brotherly love and have performed in many prestigious events such as the World Festival of Families during the Papal Visit in September 2015, Philadelphia Philles games in 2015 and 2016, Ted@UPS Talk on September 15, 2016 in Atlanta Georgia (SCAD SHOW) and more. With high demands in bringing more quality event planning and entertainment within the Indonesian community, Modero has grown and provide a broader service to the community.  With many years of event planning under her belt from wedding , community events with as many as 1500 people in attendance, Sinta is now joined by DJ Storms and DJ RAH on Modero’s entertainment division. These services are available for the community as well as private events. moderocompany.com

·      Kyo Daiko is a Philadelphia-based community taiko drumming ensemble.  All members are volunteers that perform for love of the art and the energy that the great drums bring to them.  Kyo Daiko performs regularly at a wide range of venues: from school and community events, to Phillies baseball games, Japanese festivals (including Washington D.C.’s National Cherry Blossom Festival), to more unusual settings such as roller derbies and museums.  In 2013, Kyo Daiko was showcased during the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) in a commissioned piece with Kaoru Watanabe, performed both at the Settlement Music School and at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. The group was founded in 2005 and originally led by Kristopher Rudzinski, who studied and performed with Marco Lienhard’s group Taikoza in New York.  The group’s membership comes from a wide variety of backgrounds, and continue to grow with new students and continuing players.  Members attend regular classes throughout the year and participate in workshops with master teachers from around the world. 

·      Native to West Philadelphia, Plum Dragomess (a.k.a. Gabrielle de Burke) is a multi-talented thespian, dancer, martial artist, instructor, poetess and writer who has been involved with performing arts since childhood. She is known for her poetic style, vocal performance, fire dance, flow arts and choreographic flair throughout Philadelphia and abroad. Over the past 15 years, she has toured not only as a solo artist, founding member/core performer/assistant artistic director of Archedream for HumanKind among many others. She has also independently released 2 albums of original work with the project Plum Dragoness & the Elements, known for its fusion of multi-media, live world beat musical infusions, spoken word vocals & lyrical poetry. She has also helped bring together the all female performance group trio known as The Femme-Mynistiques, who will officially release their debut EP “Here She Comes…” in the summer of 2016. Since 2007, Plum has been a resident performance artist, as well as host and organizer for the successful performing arts series known as Poet-tree En Motion at The Rotunda! This has allowed her the opportunity to share her own creative performances (including collaborative projects she initiated) and work created by a plethora of other unique artists with the west Philadelphia community and beyond! Gabrielle’s work as a healing arts practitioner and instructor continues to intersect with her work as an inter-disciplinary performance artist through the incorporation of Internal and Martial Arts forms in combination with Dance, Poetry and Theater presentation. Gabrielle has been teaching in, around the Philadelphia area & abroad since 2000. If you dig It… then follow: ThePlumDragoness.com + facebook.com/4plumdragoness & Listen:soundcloud.com/plum-dragoness  + cdbaby.com/Artist/PlumDragonessandtheElements +tunecore.com/music/plumdragoness  

·      Sonni weaves together percussive guitar riffs, artful melodies, and meaningful lyrics to create an earthy combination of soul, funk, jazz, and folk.  Her music has drawn comparasions to Amy Winehouse, Hiatus Kaiyote, Erykah Badu, Ani Difranco, and Norah Jones. Sonni has been performing in the Tri-State area for over 10 years as a vocalist and guitarist, and is proud to call West Philadelphia, PA her home.  After attending Drexel University for Music Industry, Sonni transferred to Temple University in 2010 where her band, The Underwater Sounds, became one of the first artists to join with the University's record label Bell Tower Records. In their time together The Underwater Sounds recorded 4 studios albums and played over 600 shows throughout the Northeast US.  In 2014 The Underwater Sounds won PHL Live’s Best World Music award, and the band has shared the stage with such prestigous acts as Snarky Puppy, The Easy Star All Stars, The English Beat, John Brown's Body, and Groundation. A producer and songwriter at heart, she collaborates frequently with different musicians.  She has written music for Kuf Knotz, goldenspiral, C-rayz Walz, Money Fame & Love, Impressionist, and Predator Dub Assassins, and her compositions have been featured on WKDU, WXPN, WMMR, and Radio 104.5. As a yoga teacher, Sonni firmly believes in the healing power of music and sound and is enthusiastic about eventually incorporating elements of Nada Yoga into her classes.  The act of performing a song and becoming like "one vibration" with her audience members is a feeling she lives for and believes is profoundly sacred.   

·      Three Aksha was founded in Philadelphia in 2003 by Artistic Director Viji Rao, and is based at Girard College, where she has been an artist in residence since 2008. Three Aksha seeks to preserve and promote Indian culture and heritage through classical Indian Bharatanatyam dance choreography in the Philadelphia area and in other ethnically diverse regions of the world. Three Aksha has performed in major cities across the US, the UK, Europe and India. 

Three Aksha has been recognized for its development of new choreography within the realm of classical Indian tradition, and for its work in the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam, which is renowned for its focus on the body. The company’s dancers have trained in Kalakshetra Bharatanatyam under Viji for a minimum of six years, and have also studied under teachers in India.

In addition to its active performance and touring schedule, Three Aksha shares its expertise in Indian dance in workshops and lecture-demonstrations throughout the Delaware Valley. As a complement to the socially conscious themes that frequently play into the company’s performance work, Three Aksha engages with social issues by working with youth and with fundraising programs.

Many of Three Aksha’s students have pursued Bharatanatyam to its fullest, completing arangetrams (debut performances) and receiving support for apprenticeships from the Philadelphia and New Jersey Councils on the Arts.

 A FREE community event … but Donations are Appreciated!

POSTPONED DUE TO SNOW STORM!!!! NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON! 

Legendary AACM musician, composer, and professor Thurman Barker returns to The Rotunda on March 22. Joined by Dan Blacksberg and Julius Masri. 

Growing up in Chicago in the 1950s, Thurman Barker was exposed to the city's rich musical heritage, regularly hearing R&B, doo-wop, soul, jazz, and blues. Accordingly, he began his professional career at age 17 by anchoring the rhythm section for blues legend Mighty Joe Young. While serving as a percussionist for the city's Shubert Theatre throughout much of the 1960s, Thurman played for numerous national touring productions, including the following: Hair, The Wiz, Grease, One Mo' Time, Ain't Misbehavin'. 

A versatile drummer and percussionist, Barker also performed with singers Billy Eckstine, Marvin Gaye, Bette Midler, and Vicki Carr and worked with classical groups like the Chicago Chamber Players and the New York City Opera. Perhaps Thurman Barker's most notable musical experience has been with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), an organization founded in the 1960s to promote innovative music and its players. A charter member of the group, Thurman first appeared in AACM productions with Joseph Jarman's pioneering ensemble. He then went on to play with many other members, including Muhal Richard Abrams, Amina Claudine Meyers, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell, and Henry Threadgill. In the 1970s and '80s, after moving to New York, Barker worked with jazz giants Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, and Billy Bang, touring with their groups and recording numerous albums with them.

Since 1993, Barker has taught jazz history and performance at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Through his efforts to develop the program, he was promoted to Full Professor of Jazz Studies in June of 2016.

Dan Blacksberg: Called "A virtuosic technician with abundant creativity" by All About Jazz New York, Dan Blacksberg has become a major voice carving out new paths in both Jewish and experimental music. Primarily through his trombone playing, but also as a composer, educator, concert organizer, and occasional record producer, Dan has excited audiences and empowered musicians in his hometown of Philadelphia, and around the world. From performing and recording with traditional klezmer musicians like Elaine Hoffman Watts and Adrienne Cooper, to experimentalists George Lewis and Anthony Braxton, to performing with his own groups The Dan Blacksberg Trio and Deveykus (the worlds only Hasidic doom-metal band), his work spans from the traditional to the avant-garde and radical spaces in between. 

Julius Masri: A Philadelphia based multi instrumentalist and performer/ composer for the city's dance community, Julius Masri was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, and moved to the States in 1990. He began studying percussion with Philadelphia instructors Carl Mottola and Elaine Hoffman-Watts, and continued his education at Bard College with Thurman Barker, Richard Teitelbaum, and Joan Tower. He currently performs in such groups as the metal two piece Night Raids, experimental free jazz groups such as Dromedaries, (trio with Shayna Dulberger and Keir Neuringer), and Sirius Juju. Julius has also performed with Dan Blacksberg in such groups as Superlith (for trombone and circuit modified keyboards), as well as in Hasidic hardcore punk group Electric Simcha.

Admission is FREE

Event Horizon Series presentsMarch 23rd - BioMess, Beholder and Hallowed Bells

BioMechanical ShapeShifters (or BioMeSS for short) is the project of Floyd Bledsoe from Trenton, New Jersey. The name has been used for his electronic music experimentations since the early 1990s. The concept is that BioMeSS is not solo but a group consisting of various devices that create the soundwaves. The 2010s saw recordings start to appear on the internet and now there are over 35 albums available on the Bandcamp website with many containing several hours of music each. Styles range from quiet droning atmospherics to chaotic abstract noise and many spaces in between. Floyd is also one third of The Melting Transistor and records and performs with them. 2018 marks the first time that BioMeSS will appear live on stage as a solo act.

Painting landscapes of distant planets, terrain of sub-atomic particles, the space between impulse and action, clouds formations and chase scenes, sonic worlds never before heard are spontaneously composed and served to the listener throughout the improvisational performances of BEHOLDER. One only needs to open to the experience and allow the music to unfold. This trio is based on the dynamic musical relationship of pianist Dan DeChellis and guitarist John Philip Tomasic. Both known for their unique approach to their instruments and the art of improvisation, their recordings and performances of improvised new music in New York and New England reach back to the late 1990s. Having met while at the New England Conservatory, their combined vision, energy and talents have laid the foundation for their latest efforts on “Claim No Native Land” with drummer Zach Martin. Together they chart a path for both themselves and the listener, traversing several vast and different worlds, emotions, declarations, linear time and the eternal present. The music at once travels forward and remains stationary simultaneously. Dedicate the time to listen and you will be rewarded.

“We draw from so many influences, genres, histories – and then combine our experiences…we really ‘claim no native (musical) land.” D. DeChellis

“When we play, we are not offering the listener an obvious point of reference, rather an opportunity to at once be in the present moment and also follow a sonic storyline.” JP Tomasic

Hallowed Bells is the project of Philadelphia-based musicians Alison Stout (synths, beats) and Darian Scatton (synths, processed pedal harp). Creating electronic songs-without-words, the duo weaves together sweet, lyrical melodies, dissonant harmonies, and mesmerizing noisescapes - producing a unique and personal synthesized landscape of sound.

Admission is FREE

and then!April 13th - Juan Garces, B.E.E.P. and Mikronesia

Juan Garces is an experimental and improvisational musician and electronics and synthesizer enthusiast. He uses vintage and contemporary synthesizers, sequencers, live looping, and a laptop computer to take his listeners on a unique, imaginative journey. He has been playing experimental music since the late 1970s.  Juan is a founder and constant in the improvisational music projects The Melting Transistor with Floyd Bledsoe and Karl Fury, The Equinox Project with David Berends and Karl Fury, and Black Thujone with Mike Hunter. He has played solo and group performances at various venues, including Electro Music in New York State and Asheville, NC; Rowan University; Event Horizon in Philadelphia; the Cosmic Crossings Concert Series in Washington Crossing, NJ; and on live radio broadcasts on Music With Space (WPRB, 103.3 FM, Princeton, NJ) and Digital Dreams (WLFR, 91.7FM, Galloway, NJ). Juan has also collaborated with Dr. Brad Garton, head of the Columbia University Computer Music Center, in New York City, on numerous projects, and continues to collaborate with other experimental musicians as often as he can. In his deep past, Juan performed live with Ted Klett and Tom McMillan (PaxElectronic Collective/Area 25), Tommy Buzz Matthews, Ian Kelly and Eli Ward (Sonic Alchemy), and Michael Mironov (Dancing Water Percussion Ensemble).

 The Boyer College Electroacoustic Ensemble Project—BEEP—is a group for electroacoustic music creation in a collaborative environment. Founded in 2013 by Dr. Adam Vidiksis at Temple University, BEEP embraces a variety of aesthetics, from EDM to the avant-garde. We function in varied modalities: from a laptop orchestra, to fusion of computers and traditional instruments, to an electronic music band. BEEP uses the laptop orchestra model, “an ensemble of computer-based meta-instruments,” as but one of many possible modes of music making using computers and other electronics.

Our main goal as an ensemble is to explore new musical paths and new technologies by uniting people of varying and complementary skill sets in the discovery of new possibilities of creating sound. BEEP also aims to promote expressive music making and musical vocabulary, increase technological literacy among its participants and audience, to encourage a culture of code literacy and computer competency hand-in-hand with critical and independent thinking, and to perform the ever-expanding repertory of electronic music.

Mikronesia (Sonic landscapes + visuals by Willam Fields) - Mikonesia is the ambient music project of composer and sound artist Michael McDermott. He has created works for video, dance, stage, installation, smart phones, multi-speaker arrays, wind sculptures, wishing wells and deep sleep. His practice explores the relationship between present moment awareness, deep time and humanity's personal connection through listening. His work integrates a daily practice of meditation, Deep Listening and textured sound worlds through a process he calls “sonic photography”. This process involves site specific recordings of physical spaces re-imagined using photographic development and collage techniques. His aim is to reframe the everyday world as both a grand statement that stretches out in both directions of time and as an ephemeral instant of precious connection.

In 2016 he completed a certification program in Deep Listening studying with Deep Listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros. He was recently Artist in Residence at <fidget>, Composer in Residence for Temple University’s BEEP Ensemble and Composer in Residence at Village of the Arts and Humanities.  Over the past two years he has been traveling at artists residencies around the world in Brazil, Iceland, Germany, Thailand and India working on a sound design project of extinct animal sounds called Echozoo.

Admission is FREE 

Pleasant life Productions is hosting its breakout comedy show “Freshman Year”. Bringing out some of the most talented comedians from Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. Freshman Year is hosted by Jonathan “Slap” Ruber, featuring Barry Ribs, Dave Butler, Ms. Darkchild and DJ Sherlan. Doors open at 6:30 PM, show starts at 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased HERE . **Note tickets will be emailed to you upon payment and your name will be placed on guest list. 

Survivors of all kinds share their visual art, stories, and performance art at a FREE EVENT designed to bring the community together in mutual support. If you are a survivor who wants to display art, speak or perform at this event go here for details: http://sexabusesurvivor.com/2017/12/call-for-survivor-artists-and-performers-for-survivor-knights-philadelphia/

Featured artists, performers and speakers will include: Survivor ArtistCharlene Lutz (Muse Gallery Artists); Survivor Artist Kathleen Mosher(Msmoart LLC); Survivor Artist Mariellen Cressman; Survivor Artist Tamara Lyn; Survivor, Advocate & Musician Michael Skinner; Survivor, Artist, ActivistKathryn Wylde (My Story is Not Rated G); Survivor & Advocate, Speaker, Creative Leslie Peters RN; Survivor & Advocate Bonnell Williams; Survivor & Theatre Artist Michael Broussard (Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor); Survivor Artist, Advocate & Author of The Unexpected Victim Brian Cardoza (Broken Knee Club and Survivor Knights); Survivor/Advocate Debra Delregno; Musical duo Dual Diagnosis; more TBA.

Co-sponsored by Survivor Knights and Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor.https://www.facebook.com/SurvivorKnights/, https://www.facebook.com/askasexabusesurvivor/

Admission is FREE 

Ars Nova WorkshoppresentsJessica Pavone String EnsembleErica Dicker, violinAngela Morris, violinJessica Pavone, violaJoanna Mattrey, viola

Ars Nova Workshop is pleased to present the Jessica Pavone String Ensemble, featuring the violist as both composer and performer.

Being an instrumentalist and composer, the tactile experience and use of the body while creating sound has always been a theme that Jessica Pavone has explored in her compositions.  This is most notable in her solo viola music, created exclusively for performance by her.  The indeterminate pieces stem from years of concentrated long tone practice and an interest in repetition, song form, sympathetic vibration and the physicality of playing her somewhat larger-than-comfortable instrument. For the Jessica Pavone String Ensemble, Pavone has merged these two distinct modalities by creating an ensemble she both composes for and performs in.  These pieces continue to explore themes of her solo music, while also integrating a deeper understanding of the affects sound has on the listener. The way sound affects the body and psyche have always been an interest and while her discoveries in this area have been primarily through direct experience, she plans to further understand responses through sound with this ensemble.

The Wire magazine praised Pavone’s “ability to transform a naked tonal gesture into something special,” and The New York Times described her music as "distinct and beguiling...its core is steely, and its execution clear."

Jessica Pavone has performed in countless improvisation, avant jazz, experimental, folk, soul, and chamber ensembles since moving to NYC in 2000. She has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, performing in venues ranging from international music festivals, universities, and art galleries, to community centers and basements. Her music has premiered in venues in New York City such as, Roulette, Issue Project Room, and The Kitchen, and at the Klangbad Festival in Sheer, Germany. In 2011 she was featured in NPR’s “The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40.” She has received grants and commissions from the Aaron Copland Recording Fund, the American Music Center, New Music USA for her collaboration with choreographer Anna Sperber, The Kitchen, MATA, The Jerome Foundation, The Tri-Centric Foundation, Experiments in Opera, and the chamber music collective Till By Turning.

Admission is FREE 

Rescheduled from March 2. 

It's the first Monthly Fund event of 2018 and we're kicking things off with a BANG! Please join us for a night of amazing performers at The Rotunda in West Philly. 

Featuring performances by: Drum Like A LadySettled ArrowsAlmanacSpeak WrightRichie M Wexler 

and more! 

All funds will go to Bread & Roses Community Fund. For more info: http://breadrosesfund.org/

The Monthly Fund is a roaming, salon-style event series curated by Jeremy Prouty. Each month, a collaborative event is held somewhere in Philadelphia to raise funds and awareness for an organization doing good/necessary work. Past organizations include the Standing Rock Legal Collective, New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia.

Rescheduled from March 2.