I am sorry to announce that my residency at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, has been postponed. I’ll look forward to visiting next year sometime, and wish everyone a safe and speedy recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. More information here.
UNC Press to Publish "How to Perform an Archive" in 2025
I am pleased to announce that The University of North Carolina Press is publishing my first book. It's called “How to Perform an Archive” and is about listening to sound archives and the new music and albums I’ve made with them over the past two decades. Look for it in the fall of 2025!
"The Surveyor" Wins a Greater Columbus Arts Council Artist Projects Award
I'm so excited to work on a new project called "The Surveyor" -- In it, I'll look at (and listen to) the complex past and present of Appalachian Ohio through the notebooks of my ancestor, Thomas Spare. I wouldn't be able to do this work without support from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Thanks, GCAC!
Listen Now: An Interview on the RiYL Podcast
I had a great conversation on the RiYL (“Recommended if you Like”) podcast. We talked about “The Workbench” and other projects, too. Check it out below!
From the "Sound Is Magic" Newsletter: On "One Word"
You can now read my latest “Sound Is Magic” newsletter, where I listen back to a sound art project from nearly two decades ago, called One Word. I made it while in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts in California, and it was a pleasure to revisit that time and the music. You can read the newsletter below:
4-Star Review of "The Workbench" from Mojo Magazine
Here is an especially nice review of “The Workbench” from Mojo Magazine: “Dignified, meticulous, profoundly moving sound art.” Many thanks to Mojo!
New Newsletter: On the Making of "The Workbench" Video
A new Sound Is Magic newsletter is out now. In it, I write about the experience of creating the video for my latest project, The Workbench. You can read it in full below:
"The Workbench" Video Premieres Today on Foxy Digitalis Music Magazine
The video premiere of The Workbench is up now on Foxy Digitalis Music Magazine. Many thanks to Brad Rose there for sharing the video and for his kind review. And, thank you again to Kevin Davison for his excellent videography and editing, and Samantha Rehark for her lovely line drawing of the workbench. Rose notes, “I am so moved by this music and these visuals… A masterclass.” I hope the video and music are inspiring to you, too. Watch the video below:
Dusted Magazine Reviews "The Workbench"
Justin Cober-Lake from Dusted Magazine wrote a thoughtful review of The Workbench last week. You can read the full review here:
"The Workbench": Reviews from Aquarium Drunkard and A Closer Listen
"The Workbench" EP is out now -- listen to it on Bandcamp (and all streaming sites, too). It is a sonic portrait of my father, Paul. Here are a couple of great quotes from recent reviews:
From A Closer Listen : "Paul spent his life fixing typewriters and extending the lives of other objects. In similar fashion, Brian now extends his father’s memory, enhancing it with a heartfelt tribute that will introduce him – via the objects he loved – to people who never had the chance to know him. The physical workbench has now become aural; we suspect his father would be proud."
And from Aquarium Drunkard:
"Harnetty creates space for a piece that is at once melancholy, uplifting, winsome, and profound... Carve out some time to let this one work its wonders on you and you may find it about you and yours as well—an ode to all we share and can, together, repair."
A Closer Listen Reviews "The Workbench"
I am releasing an EP this Friday of "The Workbench" and here is such a thoughtful review from A Closer Listen. I love how they really took the time to pay attention to the sounds and grapple with the material and ideas, too.
2023 Year In Review
I wrote a 2023 Year In Review for my newsletter Sound Is Magic. It highlights performances, exhibitions, events, podcasts, talks, radio, articles, reviews, and more. I’m thankful, and looking forward to more in 2024! You can read it here:
"The Workbench" part of "Grief Listens" at the Listen Gallery in Glasgow, Scotland
I was honored to have The Workbench be a part of an exhibition last week at the Listen Gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. Many thanks to Richard Findlay Fletcher for curating the evening.
More info: Grief Listens "features audio/performance contributions from artists that have explored an attentiveness to sharing individual mourning with others, especially in how grief sounds through people, objects, and other relations."
"The Workbench" Premieres in Ohio and New York City
The Unheard-Of ensemble premiered The Workbench last week in both Ohio and New York City. The performances were at the Short North Stage in Columbus, Ohio, followed by performances in Athens, Ohio, and at Alchemical Studios in New York City. The performances were excellent, and I loved witnessing how their interpretation of the piece continued to grow and deepen. You can learn more about the project here:
Cover line drawing for The Workbench by Samantha Rehark.
"The Workbench" Premieres Tuesday, November 7
Next Tuesday (11/7/2023), the Unheard-Of Ensemble will premiere The Workbench, a sonic portrait of my father. This is a very personal and vulnerable project, and yet I feel compelled to share it. Plus, I love this fantastic line drawing my niece Samantha Rehark made for the cover! The premiere will be at the Short North Stage in Columbus, Ohio, at 7pm on 11/7, followed by a performance in Athens, Ohio on 11/8 (at Glidden Hall), and in New York City on 11/11 (at Alchemical Studios). You can learn more here.
Photo courtesy OU Composers.
Ohio University Presentation to Composers and Interdisciplinary Arts Students
Last week, I was very happy to return to Ohio University (where I did my PhD) to talk with students there. We talked about ways to perform an archive, senses of place, and the value of getting curious about Athens and Appalachia more broadly. It was a pleasure to be there!
New Podcast: In Conversation with Elaine McMillion Sheldon for WexCast
In September, I was fortunate to watch Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s film King Coal at the Wexner Center for the Arts, and then have a lovely conversation with her afterwards. Now, the Wexner Center has created a podcast of the event, and you can listen to our conversation on sound, culture in Appalachia, and what happens to Appalachia as coal mining recedes. I highly recommend watching the film, and then listening to Elaine’s thoughtful answers to my questions.
UCelli Premieres "Light and Line"
Last night, the cello quartet UCelli premiered ten new works by Ohio composers. I was happy to be one of them, and contributed a piece called “Light and Line.” Many thanks to UCelli, and the Johnstone Fund for New Music, which commissioned the pieces.
This Thursday: Solo Live Show at the Granville Center for the Arts
For folks in Ohio, I will be performing a solo set from Words and Silences this Thursday (September 28, 2023) at the Granville Center for the Arts. The concert is free, and you can learn more about it here. If you are new to this project, you can watch these videos I made last summer at Thomas Merton’s hermitage in Kentucky (of particular note is the storm that came in while I was playing on Merton’s front porch, in “Breath, Water, Silence”). If you are able, I hope to see you in Granville!
In Conversation With Elaine McMillion Sheldon
I had a great time this past Friday talking with Elaine McMillion Sheldon about her new film "King Coal" at the Wexner Center for the Arts. We talked about sound, extraction, and the tensions between myth and reality in Appalachia today. I loved watching this gorgeous film, and having the honor to be in conversation about it, too. If it shows up anywhere near you, you should go see it! (And yes, we are wearing nearly the same outfits.)
(Photo: Erik Pepple.)