Background
I first began creating music as part of sound designs for productions of my plays in 2001, mostly because in those early days, the companies who were putting up my shows weren't hiring sound designers. This drove me crazy. Sound has always been a central component of my writing and directing. Out of necessity, I started volunteering even though I didn't exactly know what I was doing. Out of that grew Occurrence, which, in the beginning, consisted of me, an old Blueberry iMac, and a CD Walkman with a bad skip. The name for the "band" came about because I couldn't afford most sound programs. I would download the demo versions and "hijack" the sound out of the computer to a Mini-Disc recorder before the program shut down or started asking me to buy it. Each track was a one time occurrence, since there was no way to save what I was doing.
Since then, I have continued to create pieces outside the contexts of plays and it has evolved into its own thing.
Visit the occurrence website for more informationa and downloads of tracks.
In 2006, one of my pieces was named a Finalist for Drunken Boat's PanLiterary Award for Sound (judged by Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky). You can read and listen to all the finalists and winners here.
I was also the lead singer for a band The Avon Barksdale, which recorded some tracks. The band is now largely defunct because of the demands of life and work. But we might record some new stuff down the road, time will tell.
You can buy/listen to the Barksdale songs here and here as well as here. You can read more and listen to rehearsal/unfinished songs on this page.
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The Avon Barksdale
Taking our name from a character from our collective favorite show The Wire, the band has been rehearsing since late 2007. The line-up: Cheney Brand (bass), Jay Breitling (guitar, percussion, vocals), Jeff Stern (drums, acoustic guitar, voice) and me (voice, keyboard, percussion, f/x), plus our sometimes collaborator Wayne Feldman (analog electronics). Why don't you become our facebook friend?
THE HAPPY SAD (2009)
Our mini-album of songs featured in my play THE HAPPY SAD is now available as a digital release:
iTunes • amazon.com • eMusic • lala
A limited edition CD is available for purchase. Send an email here and ask how you can get the CD.
DEMOS (2007 -- 2008)
Here are some demos (of varying audio quality) of songs we've been working on. All tracks recorded at The Icebox (our practice space) in Somerville, MA by Cheney and the rest of the band.
"8bell" is about a dead horse who is also my dead grandmother.
"when you are a person" is about how life is boring and death is scary.
both of these songs, I wrote lyrics from recordings of instrumental jams and then we collectively structured them into pop (?) songs.
"if you could" was a song i came up with for my play The Happy Sad, and I brought it to the band and we turned it into a song.
"untitled" and "ocean drive" are jams from our very first time playing together: of historical significance, though both tracks we've thought about returning to. jay was not at this session.
- 8bell (5-12-08) [mp3]
- when you are a person (6-16-08) [mp3]
- if you could (2-24-08) [mp3]
- if you could (early attempt) (2-4-08) [mp3]
- untitled (12-3-07) [mp3]
- ocean drive (12-3-07) [mp3]
SOUNDTRACKS (2008)
Our drummer/vocalist Jeff Stern made a rousing film about Obama called THE THRILLA IN WASILLA which you can watch here. The band did the soundtrack which you can check out below. Recorded as a foursome in a quick session at The Icebox.
- credits [mp3]
- sneaking up [mp3]
- palin compound (edit) [mp3]
- bikes [mp3]
- sarah vs. hillary [mp3]
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