31 May 2020

Sequestrian Arts | May 31, 2020



It's been over three months now, and still we persevere. I hope you and yours are well.

Because of the events in Minneapolis this past week where George Floyd, a Black man, was murdered, I feel it necessary to add a section to these links on Social Justice. The links are located at the end of this list.


COMMUNICATION SKILLS | COVID

Jay Miller is a professional voice coach. He recently posted the following instructional on his YouTube channel. It's very well done.
  • COVID Communication Skills: Speaking Through A Mask
    https://youtu.be/NLDzTC9VEys
    [From description] "Clear communication skills are always important, but speaking clearly just got a little harder if you have to wear a face mask in public places. Here are some potential problems you may experience when speaking through a face mask as well as some suggestions for optimizing the clarity of your communication"

    JJ Note: Mr. Miller's Voice & Speech channel is here:
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3pSSFaBz6fIvIU7kcxzN1Q

CULTURE | LANGUAGE
  • Open Culture | Learn 48 Languages Online for Free: Spanish, Chinese, English & More
    http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons

  • Victoria & Albert Museum | Curator Tour | Kimono: Kyoto to CatwalkPlaylist (5 videos): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe2ihXndm5jtNACjllBkZstI0H8ts251S
    [From description] "These films take you on a personal curator tour of our exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk. Captured as the museum was closing its doors for a while, curator Anna Jackson guides you through the exhibition spaces, providing a personal insight into the making of the show, star exhibits and the fascinating history of the kimono. Sometimes perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion."

  • Kunio Kobayashi Bonsai demonstration
    (Music but no narration, Runtime: 7:31)
    https://youtu.be/d2HNJh8XBt8
    [From description] "Kunio Kobayashi styled this Taxus tree at the Crespi Cup in Italy. Lots of pruning, heavy bending and work on the deadwood. This is the tree's initial styling - work will continue on refining the structure and ramification in the years to come."

THEATER | THEATRE | DANCE | NARRATION
  • Royal Shakespeare Company | Sonnets in Solitude
    Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSIxo_5qCKQjrXHGJvVQ7ppaBkH5D8P2b
    RSC Project Info webpage: https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeares-sonnets/sonnets-in-solitude

    [From this RSC website on the project] "Here at the RSC, as we all face this period of prolonged closure, we have turned to those same sonnets for inspiration and invited our acting companies to record the sonnets."

    JJ Note: Actor Patrick Stewart continues to read #ASonnetADay on his Twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/SirPatStew

  • Anno Domino  | New, online-only play
    Playwright Alan Ayckbourn and his actor wife have performed the world premiere of his 84th play in their sitting room and people can listen to it online from today (5/25). The pair play all eight parts in Anno Domino which people can access via the Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT) website until 25 June. https://www.sjt.uk.com/annodomino

  • Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan: Moon Water (full performance) | Runtime: 1:07:59
    https://youtu.be/uJABXU15MbA
    [From Wikipedia] "Cloud Gate Dance Theatre is a modern dance group based in Taiwan, the first of its kind in Taiwan and Asia. It was founded by choreographer Lin Hwai-min in 1973."

  • Stratford Festival (ON, Canada) | The Tempest | Stratford Festival On Film
    https://youtu.be/AZREpz1ZH6Q
    [From description] "Magic is in the air! In Shakespeare’s great drama of loss and reconciliation, a deposed ruler uses magic to summon the enemies who marooned her on a remote island. This elaborate, eye-popping production is anchored by a performance full of “passion and power” by theatre legend Martha Henry – “the poetry emerging from her lips is something to behold.” "

  • Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
    [From description] "Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 23 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents -- as well as millions more through television broadcasts. The company has earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance."
    Playlists for individual performances: https://www.youtube.com/user/AileyOrganization/playlists

  • Hamilton at the White House | The Obama White House - sponsored by the National Archives
    https://youtu.be/_edbv-LPX9c
    [From description] "On March 14, 2016, the President and First Lady hosted local students and the cast of Broadway musical Hamilton for a daylong celebration of the arts in America. Watch the cast perform musical selections "Alexander Hamilton" and "Schuyler Sisters" in the East Room."

  • Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum[From Description] "Since 1984, New Yorkers have been able to see, hear, and meet the most acclaimed artists in the world, in an intimate setting unlike any other. Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, has championed new works, offered audiences unprecedented access to our generation's leading creators and performers, and hosted post-show receptions for the audiences and artists to continue the discussion. Each performance uniquely combines artistic creation and stimulating conversation and takes place in the Guggenheim's intimate Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 285-seat Peter B. Lewis Theater. Described by The New York Times as "an exceptional opportunity to understand something of the creative process," Works & Process is produced by founder Mary Sharp Cronson. www.worksandprocess.org"

ART | DESIGN | MAKING

MUSIC
  • Gotan Project
    What is Gotan Project? [From Wikipedia] "Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris (France), consisting of musicians Eduardo Makaroff (Argentine), Philippe Cohen Solal (French) and Christoph H. Müller (Swiss), a former member of Touch El Arab."
  • Concert Roulette
    https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/classical_music/concert_roulette_alternative_classical_jukebox/15491
    [From webpage] "This has to be the most musical fun since lockdown began. Solo artists and ensembles all over the world have come together as if on a single platform, playing concert favourites, overlooked music and contemporary sounds.    Concert Roulette is the brainchild of classical innovators Hannah Fiddy and Hanna Grzeskiewicz, who as Alternative Classical showcase many great London performers and venues. These include Nonclassical, Spitalfields Music, the London Sinfonietta, Kings Place and the dynamic composer Gabriel Prokofiev.
    To play Concert Roulette, music-lovers can choose a complete lucky dip, or, if the mood takes them, opt for any combination of Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th-century or Contemporary."

  • Musicians on Lockdown
    A number of creatives are innovating in their work and sharing their creations. Musicians are right in there--search Google on musicians lockdown to see how extensively! Here is a curated set of presentations I've especially enjoyed:
    • Alex Krebs & Andrew Oliver Duo "Felicia" and "La Cumparsita"
      https://youtu.be/nSWx8tFCSik
      [From description] Recorded live in Portland, Oregon, USA and London, UK, April, 2020

    • Ozomatli - Cuando Canto: Quarantunes 2020
      https://youtu.be/jpAYZKX2Cz4
      [From Description] "Brought to you via our living rooms and home studios during #quarantine2020."

    • 2020: An Isolation Odyssey | 40 musicians play epic intro from Kubrick classic during UK lockdown
      https://youtu.be/nt8FhIVmR8M
      [From description] "When our concert performances of Strauss’ 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' were cancelled as the coronavirus pandemic intensified, players from the Orchestra of Opera North decided that the show must go on – virtually. Here is the first few minutes (most famously used in '2001: A Space Odyssey') played by musicians from 40 different homes under the UK lockdown, conducted from Sweden by Tobias Ringborg."

    • Jannat-e-Khas Music Video | Qawali Song ft Krishna Bongane, Nila Madhav Mohapatra | Shabin
      https://youtu.be/53mgkWt-rBk
      [From description] "Magic happens when music unites. 17 artists from 6 cities across India got together to create this song of hope - of an ideal world, filled with love, harmony and peace. To a world that is in need of empathy and healing, we present to you this labour of love - ‘Jannat-e-Khas’ "

      JJ Note: See the full description for the amazing number of people involved in this.

  • Some Single-Song Items

RELAXATION | QUIETING
  • Relax to the sounds of British wildlife
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2020/may/20/relax-to-the-sounds-of-british-wildlife
    [From website] "     Our interactive takes you on an audiovisual journey through a lush forest across the course of a day."

  • The Silent Watcher | 4K High Mountains - Beautiful Nature Video & Relaxing Natural Sounds - Ultra HD - 2160p
    Runtime: 1:00:00:07
    https://youtu.be/VtvBpcyQP9M

  • Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams - Aporia [Official Album Playlist] | 21 videos
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcCRbLljsLUeK7ru-0ww4VySMs1XbuSEt
    [From description] "Aporia is a New Age album from Sufjan Stevens and his step-father and record label co-owner, Lowell Brams. The 21 songs on Aporia are tightly crafted, resonating with a gem-like intensity. In the spirit of the New Age composers who sanded off the edges of their synths’ sawtooth waves, Aporia approximates a rich soundtrack from an imagined sci-fi epic brimming with moody, hooky, gauzy synthesizer soundscapes. The album may suggest the progeny of a John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, and Mike Oldfield marriage, but it stands apart from these touchstones and generates a meditative universe all its own."

FOOD | CULINARY
  • Proof Bread
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPYHRKEqMycep7r5kO-1org/featured
    [From description] "Proof Bread is a modern throwback to a way of life that values small-scale craftsmanship, local community, and creativity. We are a small group of passionate bakers working in our garage (thanks to cottage laws) which has been converted into a micro-bakery. Everything we bake is made by hand, from the best local ingredients, with no short cuts."

    JJ Note: More on bread baking - but this time you can watch other people make it!


FUN | SILLY | KIDS
  • New York Pulbic Library | A Day of Play | Recipes for At Home Play
    https://www.nypl.org/blog/2020/04/24/recipes-at-home-play?
    [from website] "The Day of Play “recipes” use simple household ingredients that you may have on hand and are quick and simple to make. Each recipe consists of suggested activities and ways to play, as well as talking points to extend the conversation and get your little one to make predictions, experiment, and enhance their vocabulary while they learn new concepts through play."

  • Cinema Quarantino Production | Das Fone Hell | Starring Sam Neill & Helena Bonham Carter
    https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1264105443724390400
    [From Neill's own description] "HELENA BONHAM CARTER stars in this groundbreaking Cinema Quarantino Production DAS FONE HELL. At vast expense, filmed on two continents over what (seemed like) five years, this profound and heartbreakingly candid insight into Modern Life will shake you to the core (Pilates 101)."

  • Backyard Rube Goldberg machine - amazing!
    https://nerdist.com/article/70-step-rube-goldberg-trick-shot/
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SOCIAL JUSTICE

Self-comfort, entertainment, discovery, & improvement are all important in these difficult times. They are necessary and, for many, a luxury. The following links provide information for proactive action. (I've tried to vet them for accuracy and, in the case of donation links, to determine if the money is indeed going to where it says it is. I think these are ok, but please use your own judgement.)

  • Opportunities for White People in the Fight for Racial Justice | Moving from Actor --> Ally --> Accomplice
    https://www.whiteaccomplices.org/
    JJ Note: Good link resources & a clearly written infographic

  • Salon.com | Why white silence is deafening — and deadly | By Sirry Alang
    https://www.salon.com/2020/05/31/why-white-silence-is-deafening-and-deadly/
    "Your anger and sadness are meaningless if you choose to do nothing about the small things you have control over."

  • ACLU | Know your rights while demanding justice for George Floyd | Video
    Speaker: Emerson Sykes, Staff Attorney | ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project
    https://twitter.com/ACLU/status/1266553313266368518

  • 26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets  | By Ejeris Dixon et al. | Published on Dec 17, 2014 
    https://issuu.com/nlc.sf.2014/docs/beyondthestreets_final
    [From webpage] "This list is designed to celebrate all the ways that our communities can engage in liberation. For a range of reasons, there are and always have been folks who cannot attend rallies and protests but who continue to contribute to ending police and state violence against black people. People seek justice and support liberation in an array of ways, yet their bodies, their spirits, and their lives may not allow them to be in the streets. We believe that we will win. And we need the presence of everyone in the movement to do so. We affirm that all contributions are political, militant, and valued. By and for those in our communities who can’t be in the streets, we offer a list of concrete ways that we are in the movement, and that we are supporting liberation every day. We see you. We are you. See you in the struggle."

    JJ Note: Dixon has tweeted that they will be updating this infographic.

  • Black Visions Collective (Donation link at bottom of page)
    https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
    [From website] "Black Visions Collective (BLVC) believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems."

  • Reclaim the Block (Includes donation link)
    https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home

    JJ Note: This is a site designed for Minneapolis. The approach & resources could be used in your cities/towns as well.

  • The Bail Project (Includes donation link)
    https://bailproject.org/#
    [From About page] "The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund provides free bail assistance to low-income individuals who are legally presumed innocent, and whom a judge has deemed eligible for release before trial contingent on paying bail. We enable our clients to return home to their families and communities while awaiting their court dates. We call this model Community Release with Support."

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