Roxanne Nesbitt – Moon Bells/Symbiotic – June 12, 2022
Sunday, June 12, 2022; 8pm
Artist chat at 7:15pm
ANNEX (823 Seymour Street, 2nd Floor) [map]
Roxanne Nesbitt (installation, voice, piano)
Ben Brown (ceramics, percussion)
Parmela Attariwala (viola)
Moon Bells / Symbiotic extends Roxanne Nesbitt’s ongoing explorations of sonic timbre and texture through handmade ceramic percussion and altered instruments. Part installation, part performance, audience members will enter into a space that is shaped by the suspended ceramic sculptural pieces. The visual suggestion of weightlessness and levity blends with sound layers coaxed from the sculptural instruments creating a subtly shifting sonic and material translucency.
The performance installation features two new distinct bodies of ceramic instruments made by Nesbitt. The moon bells are hanging spinning translucent resonant panels designed using ratios from just intonation and warped through the ceramic process in the kiln. Symbiotic Instruments is an on-going project exploring interactions between traditional and experimental instruments.
The performance features Roxanne Nesbitt performing ceramics and piano, Ben Brown on ceramics and Parmela Attariwala on viola. There will be an in-theatre artist chat at 7:15pm, before the performance.
Roxanne Nesbitt (installation, voice, piano)
Roxanne Nesbitt is a designer and sound artist of Indo-Caribbean and European ancestry. Her research explores radical instrument design, the hinge between composition and improvisation, and participatory sound installation. Her latest work, “Death and the Rest,” features the nine-piece chamber ensemble Modelo 62 playing Nesbitt’s original ceramic instruments recently premiered at Gaudeamus Music Week (NL). Roxanne celebrates process making work that is intimate, inquisitive, and exploratory.
roxannenesbitt.com
Parmela Attariwala (viola)
Calgary-born violinist Parmela Attariwala has been mesmerized by sound for as long as she can remember; most especially by how un-worded sounds and music carry meaning. She pursued this passion through an undergraduate degree in performance, and postgraduate degrees in ethnomusicology (specializing in Sikh devotional music and Canadian cultural policy, respectively). Over a twenty-five year sojourn in Toronto meant to last only one year, Parmela cultivated an eclectic and interdisciplinary practice alongside the performance of traditional Western classical music and a teaching practice devoted to vulnerable youth.
Parmela moved to Vancouver in 2019. Since then, she has continued to engage music-making that pushes the boundaries of tradition and to advocate for equity in Canadian musicking. In 2021, Parmela co-founded Understory, a network and creation platform for Canadian improvising artists.
https://parmela.com
understorysound.ca
Ben Brown (ceramics, percussion)
Ben Brown is a mover and shaker. As a drummer, he has received a Juno Award with his group, Pugs and Crows. He is the founder of Music And Movement Mondays (MAMM) and the Conundrum percussion series.
benbrownsounds.com
Vancouver New Music is committed to keeping you safe and comfortable as we return to in-person gatherings. Masks are no longer required in indoor spaces, however in consideration of the comfort and safety of others we strongly encourage you to wear a mask while attending this event. If you have forgotten your mask, disposable masks will be available on request at the box office. We will continue to limit capacity to ensure that it is possible to maintain physical distance between groups. Find our full health and safety policy here.
Top Photo: Graphic design by Steve Chow from detail of Moon Bells instruments photo by Andi McLeish.
