Experimental Film and Live Score Featured in Mind-Blowing Documentary
When music is the driving force of life, the imaginative filmmaker, composer and builder produces a documentary that serves as backdrop for riffs of live music.
That’s the sum of Consciousness Expansion, the live music and documentary event hosted at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center on Sunday, April 16, at 1 p.m.
The 1 hour, 20 minute documentary by the artist known as tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE (“tENT,” for short), includes footage of his addition expanding his music room as the background for his live musical performance, along with a trio of other seasoned musicians.
Instead of considering the work a documentary with a live score, tENT calls the result a “Score Movie.”
He explains: “Each action of building and finishing the addition became associated with a musical term, usually expression markings that somehow parallel the physical activity depicted. I also composed short musical motifs to be used as ‘building blocks.’ Most of these instructions appear in the movie so that the audience can follow along” in the 10th Score Movie he’s made in 40 years.
Now entering his seventh decade, tENT began studying piano and art at age 6, playing guitar and harmonica at age 16, and dipped into violin at age 18. Four years later, he made his first film and has since produced 713 more. An improviser, generally playing electronics, keyboards, percussion string instruments, he basks in detail and is not a fan of such oversimplification of his projects.
Performing live with tENT are:
Eric Lipsky, who plays cello and percussion in the performance, also serves as associate professor of engineering at Penn State Greater Allegheny.
Ben Opie, an essential part of the Pittsburgh creative music scene for 40 years and who serves as music technology faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. Currently playing with Thoth Trio, OPEK, Bombici and Throckmorton Plot, Opie’s wide-ranging musical interests embrace improvisation, jazz composition and electroacoustic performance. Opie will play alto sax and percussion in the performance.
Trained on classical guitar, Devin Sherman long ago returned to his musical roots of early blues, folk and Americana music, composing works that capture personal reflections on life and drawing from his poetry. Most often, he can be found picking and jamming in Central Pennsylvania, and songs from his debut album, Devin Sherman Does a Demo, can be streamed and have been featured on numerous radio stations. Sherman has performed at various events at the University of South Carolina and participated in the New Music on the Point festival in 2017, performing with a group of musicians from around the world, including Tony Arnold, Stuart Gerber, and members of the JACK Quartet.
Tickets for this special event can be purchased online or at the door.