Loading Video . . . This song by returning multi-disciplinary artist Aaron Beaumont beautifully captures a sense of ache and hopeful longing felt in the midst of suffering in response to 2 Thessalonians 1:5,11; 2:15-17. 2 Thessalonians 1:5 2 Thessalonians 1:11 2 Thessalonians 2:15–17 Lightness of the Pines By Aaron Beaumont Credits: Written, Performed, Produced by Aaron Beaumont Violin and Viola by Pauline Kim Harris Cello by Christine Kim Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2018 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I made the mistake of telling my primary care physician that I’m “probably a hypochondriac” on my first visit. He gives me unequivocal side-eye whenever I pass by his office, apparently healthy, to pick up a referral (his office being en route to the train, I have ample occasion to evaluate the nuances of my health). His skepticism isn’t without merit. I’m in good health, and if anything, tend to go longer than I should between check-ups. However, while not quite What-About-Bob level, when some faceless infirmity does arise, you might as well call me Henny Penny Beaumont. I’ve mistaken mild gum recession for an abscess in need of a life-saving root canal. Or there was the time I needed either A) a day or two to properly break in my new shoes or B) knee replacement surgery. It turns out it was the former. Phew!) Goodness knows how much shade Doctor P. would’ve thrown had I only been able to determine which and how many surgeons to call that one time I had heartburn. Point is, however minor the affliction, when something hurts, I want relief. What stands out to me in this text is its conspicuous lack of relief. The recipients of Paul’s letter find themselves suspended in a state of “suffering,” awaiting some ambiguous future reckoning. Justice may be “on the way,” but this seems a cold comfort to anyone currently in distress. And yet, this does not preclude them from finding “unending help,” “confidence,” “a fresh heart,” invigorated work, and enlivened speech. The act of sitting with one’s suffering, unresolved and uncomfortable, let alone finding in it “a fresh heart” would seem anathema to a thinking, feeling human. It only seems possible through some transformative inner reframing - spiritual work allowing distance between thought and thinker, feeling and feeler. This extension of the passage intrigues me most - the idea, as in Job’s story, of sitting in the ashes of human experience, in the bleakest parts, in places where we’re perhaps unmoored from spiritual anchors, and rather than attempting to hurry through, escape, or evaluate our circumstances as somehow curative or punitive, simply abiding in them. Easier said than done, right?! Our instinct in darkness is to find a light, and in discomfort to restore and relieve. While suffering may ultimately become a seed for growth and even triumph, and darkness may compel us forward to some breakthrough, we aren’t naturally given to mindfully considering that place in which there is no light at the end of the figurative tunnel. We’ve all heard platitudes like “it’s always darkest before dawn.” But what about when it’s just plain dark? This is the space I tried to imagine in my piece… albeit reluctantly at first! This isn’t my first Spark and Echo rodeo (it is in fact my sixth official S&E post!). Therefore I should know by now that when I tell Program Manager Rebecca that “the vibe I’m feeling” is something “more redemptive,” this naturally consigns me to instead exploring the Dark Night of the Soul, “a period of spiritual desolation suffered by a mystic in which all sense of consolation is removed.” As such, I took pains (no pun intended) to resist pat assurances of comfort or redemption here, and rather, sought to consider the act of sitting within a fathomless, desolate, indeterminate wilderness of mind or spirit. As in my previous (admittedly sunnier, zoological-leaning ) Spark pieces, I rely heavily on nature as the exploratory vehicle. Along with a “night vs day” dichotomy and seasonal imagery, I use “the pines” symbolically as an allusion to the Biblical cross (as a likely candidate for its make-up), the eponymous traditional song, and a literal pinebox, and as a literal impenetrable natural setting. I attempt to subvert the “blind vs sighted” and “night vs day” binaries by acknowledging their distinctive modes of perception, rather than conceiving one as simply a lack of some property in the other. Similarly, the string arrangement and palette serve as a foil to somewhat sonically undercut, complicate, and perhaps ultimately elevate the bleakness. I tilled the lyrical fields by re-visiting favorite literary seekers and grapplers: R. S. Thomas , R. M. Rilke , and Wendell Berry. Referencing Berry’s “Peace of Wild Things” in the last stanza, the singer re-imagines God as a solitary beast ranging over this spiritual wild, shunning crowds and cluttered daylight, unencumbered by the limited projections of our faith, yet nevertheless kindred in his own infinite loneliness positioned as the Most High. There’s a sort of “dark night of the soul” at the beginning of every new project, especially one with few parameters, and usually a point in the middle where I think to myself, “maybe I just won’t show this one to anyone.” Here again, as is my S&E M.O., I’ve wandered outside my musical comfort zone, and in the process created something I find, in the end, tonally awkward and ill at ease - perhaps not intentional, but also maybe fitting, given the subject. As a self-professed pop-head, I committed a cardinal sin of pop lyricism - while I set out to write a lyric, in the end I only managed something more like a poem, which, for me, a lyric should never be. I try to use a weird word or two in every song for fun (the hopeless word-nerd in me is shamelessly amused to no end by, say, rhyming “ocelot” with “...Spanish moss I thought”). That said, I don’t see “fathomless” or “unfettered” going into regular lyrical rotation anytime soon! However, rather than retreat to the warm, familiar blanket of pop convention, I leaned into the more oblique, imagistic, less easily-digestible lyricism, for better or worse. Similarly, I resisted my usual maximalist urge for a florid vocal arrangement and kitchen-sink orchestration. But in the spirit of this project and text, I will sit within the artistic discomfort, and abide the dark night of my sunny pop-loving soul. However, if my pop-loving soul still hurts in the morning, I’m probably stopping by Dr. P.’s for a referral. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aaron Beaumont has toured the U.S. and Europe as a pianist and songwriter and been invited to share his work in wide-ranging venues from the Sziget Festival in Budapest to KCRW Santa Monica to the Tribeca Film Festival to off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village to the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. L.A. Weekly wrote that Aaron's music brings "a new life to the ancient music-hall/pop piano-man tradition, with clear-headed songs of genuinely witty lyrical oomph and, most of all, a historically informed musical depth – all delivered with style, grace, wit and elan, of course." Aaron wrote one song, arranged two others, and served as a piano performance coach for the feature Permission (Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival), which premieres worldwide February 2018. He also contributed two songs to the forthcoming series Dan is Dead (Drake Bell, Maker Studios) and two songs to the indie feature film Alex & Jaime (2017 Roxbury International Film Festival). Aaron contributed an original co-write (“17”) and several arrangements to Gil McKinney’s 2017 debut album, How Was I to Know, which reached #1 on the iTunes jazz chart and #8 on the Billboard jazz chart. He also co-wrote “Good Love” for Briana Buckmaster’s 2018 debut album (#1 iTunes blues, #3 Billboard blues). Other recent TV and film placements include original songs written for Cedar Cove (Andie McDowell) and Where Hope Grows (Billy Zabka, Danica McKellar; Dallas Film Festival, Roadside Attractions). Aaron has composed original scores for films and theatrical productions, including All the Lovely Wayside Things; Tall, Dark, and Handsome; Heart; Until We Have Faces; Shrew; The Fire Room; the Breakfast Show with Adam O; Companion; and Beyond Imagination, winning best score and sound design at the Hollywood Fringe Festival for his work on Fugitive Kind’s production of The Fire Room by Ovation Award-winning playwright Meghan Brown. In 2016, Aaron wrote a commissioned work for the Spark & Echo Arts project, and in 2017 Aaron created a larger scale work as an Artist in Residence. Aaron also works as an in-house arranger, producer, composer, and mix engineer for the Gregory Brothers / Schmoyoho, whose original music has earned them a gold and platinum record and nearly one billion views on YouTube, along with myriad collaborations on other platforms. Recent Gregory Brothers collabs include the Justice League film (ft. Gary Clark Jr.), Weird Al Yankovic, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bassnectar, Alex Wassabi, LaurDIY, Markiplier, Slow Mo Guys, Todrick Hall, J. Fla, The Resident (Fox Network), and the International Olympic Channel. Songs Aaron has worked on with the Gregory Brothers have received over 175 million plays on YouTube. In 2015, Aaron participated in the Ultraviolet Music and Arts Festival in Los Angeles as a featured artist and presenter, and performed with his band The Mots Nouveaux for the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Rockwood Music Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Aaron wrote the music and lyrics to the original musical, Behind Closed Doors, which sold out every performance at the historic Hayworth Theater, received multiple Broadway World L.A. Award nominations, and played for thousands of festival goers on the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. Behind Closed Doors was selected to participate in the New York International Fringe Festival as a national show, enjoying a mostly oversold run at off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village. Aaron was selected as a finalist as a composer and lyricist for the Fred Ebb Foundation / Roundabout Theatre Company Fred Ebb Award for musical theater songwriters, and received the Hal Gaba Scholarship for Excellence in Lyrics from UCLA/Concord Records. Aaron is currently developing new musicals with playwrights Meghan Brown, Andrew Crabtree, Peter Berube, and Cassandra Christensen, and a one-woman show with soprano Lorelei Zarifian. Lorelei and Aaron’s first musical triptych, Midtown Antoinette, was featured on NPR-affiliate WFIT in March 2016 and debuted as part of the Florida Tech / Foosaner Museum French Film Festival. Aaron also occasionally helps produce the outrageous bingo raves phenomenon, Rebel Bingo, in New York and Los Angeles, as featured in the L.A. Times, Guardian, and BBC , and recently played a run of five capacity shows in the downtown L.A.’s Globe Theatre as part of 2016 Night on Broadway. Aaron has collaborated as pianist, musical director, and/or co-writer with a panoply of music buddies, including Jason Manns, Gil McKinney, Sara Niemietz, Tim Omundsen, Dave Yaden, Nicholas Zork, Aaron Roche, Nick Bearden, Emma Fitzpatrick, Amanda Wallace, Shane Alexander, Ben Jaffe, Brett Young, Courtney Bassett, Eden Malyn, Luis Selgas, Aly French, Sam Heldt, Karma Jenkins, Emily Iaquinta, Lynette Williams, Meshach Jackson, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas, Kamasi Washington, Chad Doreck, J.T. Spangler, and Katrina Parker. He claimed several distinctions as a young classical pianist, including two-time Wisconsin Academy Musician of the Year, Andrews University Concerto Competition Finalist, and the British Royal Conservatory of Music Award of Highest Distinction for Piano Performance at the Newbold Creative Arts Festival. He currently serves as co-chair of the Carnegie Hill Concert Series in New York, featuring leading interpreters of classical and New Music from around the globe. In 2015, Aaron founded SongLab, an online songwriting community for emerging songwriters. The inaugural SongLab Series welcomed GRAMMY-winner Dave Yaden as special guest. In addition to working with other artists, Aaron performs as one-third of the pop trio, The Mots Nouveaux, alongside vocalists Emma Fitzpatrick and Amanda Wallace. The band celebrated their latest album release with a residency at Hotel Café, a six-month residency at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, and residencies at Rockwood Music Hall and Sidewalk Café in New York. They were invited to join the lineup for the Broke L.A. Music Festival in downtown Los Angeles, where Lyynks music hailed their set as the “greatest revelation” of the festival, one that “really thrilled the crowd” of thousands at the Lounge Stage (GroundSounds.com). The Mots Nouveaux recorded a new EP in Spring 2017 with co-producer Peter Barbee / Among Savages, with forthcoming tracks slated for 2018 release. Aaron released his debut solo project, Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye), featuring the first ten songs he wrote, on Milan Records (Warner-Ryko) in 2008. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing the piano, traveling, eating, writing songs, making coffee, drinking coffee, collecting records, going for brisk walks, being near coffee, and composing extensive autobiographical sketches in the third person. Website Aaron Beaumont About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 1 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) Aaron Beaumont Other Works By Read the lyrics to "Lightness of the Pines." Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This soulful piece, composed by Nehemiah Luckett in response to Joel 2:3, produces a sound that is reminiscent of church choirs combined with Broadway. Joel 2:3 Devouring Fire By Nehemiah Luckett Credits: Composed and Performed by Nehemiah Luckett Curated by: Katie Reimer 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link It should be noted that while I was ruminating on this piece many wildfires broke out around the world; from North America to Europe to Greenland. 2017 was an unprecedented year for both actual and metaphorical fires. In this piece I wanted to explore the inner monologue of the lone voice crying out in the wilderness to anyone who will listen. Inspired by Joel and T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and in conversation with my engineer, producer and friend, Travis Tench, we landed on the concept of a solitary figure seeing this all consuming fire approaching. The sparseness of the orchestration reflects the stunning effect of this vision. Throughout the song with increasing intensity the warning bell sounds: "Fire!" Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Nehemiah Luckett has been composing, conducting and performing for over 20 years. He has been a featured soloist at the National Cathedral, Carnegie Hall and has performed all over the US and Europe. He has composed solo, choral and instrumental pieces. His Secular Mass (a five movement work for chorus, string quartet and oboe) was premiered in 2004. In 2015 he was commissioned by Greenpeace UK to compose Requiem for Arctic Ice: The Northernmost Par t. In January 2017 his piece Kyrie 2017 was premiered at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. He has also written two full length musicals: Hamlet: Prince of Funk (1999) based on the Shakespearean classic with collaborators Owen Beverly (Evans) and Matthew Smith and Brick by Brick (2006), based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe with collaborator, Ross Wade. Nehemiah is the Music Director and composer for Rev. Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir and is the choral accompanist and Drama teacher for Manhattan Country School. He has a deep gratitude for Power APAC (Academic and Performing Arts Complex) in Jackson, Mississippi where he studied music and theater and his family that allowed him to dream crazy dreams. Website Nehemiah Luckett About the Artist Nehemiah Luckett Other Works By Read the lyrics: "Devouring Fire" Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

aaron-beaumont-air-post-3-feat.jpg Loading Video . . . One of my earlier memories is a short exchange I had with my mom when I was somewhere around 4 or 5 years old, probably at the end of summer. I sat on my bed ruefully, and mom came in to investigate the cause of distress. Find the complete progression of the work linked below. Daniel 4 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 3 By Aaron Beaumont Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link September 18, 2017 One of my earlier memories is a short exchange I had with my mom when I was somewhere around 4 or 5 years old, probably at the end of summer. I sat on my bed ruefully, and mom came in to investigate the cause of distress. I informed her that my gloominess was down to the realization that I was growing up, and the fact that I didn’t want to. You might say I’ve had a adult-sized dose of nostalgia from birth. While, paradoxically, I’ve usually welcomed change, moving coast to coast, switching schools nearly every year, marauding over the frontier of my comfort zone, I’ve been equally obsessed with preserving my own past, or guilt-stricken when I fail to do so. This summer I pawed through a mountain of boxes back home in Illinois, filled with travel maps, notes from classmates, restaurant receipts, train fares, soccer jerseys, book reports, and concert tickets — I’m not a pack rat (he tells himself in the mirror every morning)… at least not in the age of limitless digital photos and magical apps like Genius Scan. Obsessively documenting and recording one’s life is not unique — rather, it seems like a prerequisite of the social media age. Grappling with this passage’s complicated depiction of madness (presumed to be clinical lycanthropy), while simultaneously grappling with whether or not to keep that 90s era 6 Days, 7 nights movie stub, or simply take a photo of it, finally revealed something of the crux of Nebuchadnezzar’s plight: he found himself suddenly bereft of a past. The sudden absence of my own history, of memories of any kind, would for me represent the purest kind of madness, and maybe the worst kind of hell. Uprooted, and thrown into a completely unfamiliar state, the king had no context or sense of identity — one might even imagine Nebuchadnezzar as having been “born” into some new reality, plunging from solipsism into a complete loss of self. Indeed, the relationship between what we are and what we imagine ourselves to have been is challenging enough at full mental capacity. Imagining such a state, and ruminating generally on the dynamic nature of identity and the fragmentary process of memory-and-meaning-making, guided much of my progress on my project during this phase. “Sampling” seemed an especially well suited analogue to this exploration of identity, memory, permanence, and personal histories. As such, I’ve made use of dozens of samples from my own existing musical catalogue, all the way back to my very earliest recordings of the first songs I ever wrote. Similarly, I’ve used field recordings and audio samples from my own life – time I’ve spent with my family, the sounds of rooms and rivers and seashells and fireworks. Many of these field recordings did not originate for this project, but rather out of my own quest to simply remember and record things that are most important to me. I tried to choose from these recordings samples that represent a journey through the wonder and terror of newness and things that might relate the very human experience of birth, growing, and self-realization to the story in Daniel 4. I also tried to place more emphasis on the mania, darkness, and alienation of Nebuchadnezzar’s bestial state, represented in the unsettling disintegration sketched out in movement three with its chopped and mangled samples and heavy effects. I’ve pieced all these materials into a very rough construction of the full musical collage, which I’ve imagined in five movements (expanding on the four sketches I included in post #2 ). In addition to considerable polishing, mixing, rearranging, and inevitably, trimming, I plan to record more live instruments to flesh out the sections, and especially, add non-sampled vocals for movements three through five. All music written, performed, and produced by Aaron Beaumont. 2017 Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aaron Beaumont has toured the U.S. and Europe as a pianist and songwriter and been invited to share his work in wide-ranging venues from the Sziget Festival in Budapest to KCRW Santa Monica to the Tribeca Film Festival to off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village to the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. L.A. Weekly wrote that Aaron's music brings "a new life to the ancient music-hall/pop piano-man tradition, with clear-headed songs of genuinely witty lyrical oomph and, most of all, a historically informed musical depth – all delivered with style, grace, wit and elan, of course." Aaron wrote one song, arranged two others, and served as a piano performance coach for the feature Permission (Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival), which premieres worldwide February 2018. He also contributed two songs to the forthcoming series Dan is Dead (Drake Bell, Maker Studios) and two songs to the indie feature film Alex & Jaime (2017 Roxbury International Film Festival). Aaron contributed an original co-write (“17”) and several arrangements to Gil McKinney’s 2017 debut album, How Was I to Know, which reached #1 on the iTunes jazz chart and #8 on the Billboard jazz chart. He also co-wrote “Good Love” for Briana Buckmaster’s 2018 debut album (#1 iTunes blues, #3 Billboard blues). Other recent TV and film placements include original songs written for Cedar Cove (Andie McDowell) and Where Hope Grows (Billy Zabka, Danica McKellar; Dallas Film Festival, Roadside Attractions). Aaron has composed original scores for films and theatrical productions, including All the Lovely Wayside Things; Tall, Dark, and Handsome; Heart; Until We Have Faces; Shrew; The Fire Room; the Breakfast Show with Adam O; Companion; and Beyond Imagination, winning best score and sound design at the Hollywood Fringe Festival for his work on Fugitive Kind’s production of The Fire Room by Ovation Award-winning playwright Meghan Brown. In 2016, Aaron wrote a commissioned work for the Spark & Echo Arts project, and in 2017 Aaron created a larger scale work as an Artist in Residence. Aaron also works as an in-house arranger, producer, composer, and mix engineer for the Gregory Brothers / Schmoyoho, whose original music has earned them a gold and platinum record and nearly one billion views on YouTube, along with myriad collaborations on other platforms. Recent Gregory Brothers collabs include the Justice League film (ft. Gary Clark Jr.), Weird Al Yankovic, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bassnectar, Alex Wassabi, LaurDIY, Markiplier, Slow Mo Guys, Todrick Hall, J. Fla, The Resident (Fox Network), and the International Olympic Channel. Songs Aaron has worked on with the Gregory Brothers have received over 175 million plays on YouTube. In 2015, Aaron participated in the Ultraviolet Music and Arts Festival in Los Angeles as a featured artist and presenter, and performed with his band The Mots Nouveaux for the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Rockwood Music Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Aaron wrote the music and lyrics to the original musical, Behind Closed Doors, which sold out every performance at the historic Hayworth Theater, received multiple Broadway World L.A. Award nominations, and played for thousands of festival goers on the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. Behind Closed Doors was selected to participate in the New York International Fringe Festival as a national show, enjoying a mostly oversold run at off-Broadway Theatre 80 in the East Village. Aaron was selected as a finalist as a composer and lyricist for the Fred Ebb Foundation / Roundabout Theatre Company Fred Ebb Award for musical theater songwriters, and received the Hal Gaba Scholarship for Excellence in Lyrics from UCLA/Concord Records. Aaron is currently developing new musicals with playwrights Meghan Brown, Andrew Crabtree, Peter Berube, and Cassandra Christensen, and a one-woman show with soprano Lorelei Zarifian. Lorelei and Aaron’s first musical triptych, Midtown Antoinette, was featured on NPR-affiliate WFIT in March 2016 and debuted as part of the Florida Tech / Foosaner Museum French Film Festival. Aaron also occasionally helps produce the outrageous bingo raves phenomenon, Rebel Bingo, in New York and Los Angeles, as featured in the L.A. Times, Guardian, and BBC , and recently played a run of five capacity shows in the downtown L.A.’s Globe Theatre as part of 2016 Night on Broadway. Aaron has collaborated as pianist, musical director, and/or co-writer with a panoply of music buddies, including Jason Manns, Gil McKinney, Sara Niemietz, Tim Omundsen, Dave Yaden, Nicholas Zork, Aaron Roche, Nick Bearden, Emma Fitzpatrick, Amanda Wallace, Shane Alexander, Ben Jaffe, Brett Young, Courtney Bassett, Eden Malyn, Luis Selgas, Aly French, Sam Heldt, Karma Jenkins, Emily Iaquinta, Lynette Williams, Meshach Jackson, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas, Kamasi Washington, Chad Doreck, J.T. Spangler, and Katrina Parker. He claimed several distinctions as a young classical pianist, including two-time Wisconsin Academy Musician of the Year, Andrews University Concerto Competition Finalist, and the British Royal Conservatory of Music Award of Highest Distinction for Piano Performance at the Newbold Creative Arts Festival. He currently serves as co-chair of the Carnegie Hill Concert Series in New York, featuring leading interpreters of classical and New Music from around the globe. In 2015, Aaron founded SongLab, an online songwriting community for emerging songwriters. The inaugural SongLab Series welcomed GRAMMY-winner Dave Yaden as special guest. In addition to working with other artists, Aaron performs as one-third of the pop trio, The Mots Nouveaux, alongside vocalists Emma Fitzpatrick and Amanda Wallace. The band celebrated their latest album release with a residency at Hotel Café, a six-month residency at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, and residencies at Rockwood Music Hall and Sidewalk Café in New York. They were invited to join the lineup for the Broke L.A. Music Festival in downtown Los Angeles, where Lyynks music hailed their set as the “greatest revelation” of the festival, one that “really thrilled the crowd” of thousands at the Lounge Stage (GroundSounds.com). The Mots Nouveaux recorded a new EP in Spring 2017 with co-producer Peter Barbee / Among Savages, with forthcoming tracks slated for 2018 release. Aaron released his debut solo project, Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye), featuring the first ten songs he wrote, on Milan Records (Warner-Ryko) in 2008. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing the piano, traveling, eating, writing songs, making coffee, drinking coffee, collecting records, going for brisk walks, being near coffee, and composing extensive autobiographical sketches in the third person. Website Aaron Beaumont About the Artist Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont - Part 1 Lightness of the Pines Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) Aaron Beaumont Other Works By Follow the development of Aaron's project by continuing to read his prior first , second and final posts written as 2017 Artist in Residence project. 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genesis1_3highres_1-smaller.jpg Loading Video . . . Actor/Photographer/Filmmaker Michael Markham has brought us a series of photographs in response to the theme of "Light and Darkness" from Genesis 1:3. Genesis 1:3 Genesis 1:3 By Michael Markham Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2013 Photography Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link In this passage I was struck by the ease with which God brought about light. He simply spoke it into existence. Then I thought about our modern scientific understanding of the origins of the universe. When God spoke light into existence it was the giant event that not only brought forth light, but every particle of matter in the Universe. And it is still expanding. Then I consider man's attempts to provide light for himself. I am intrigued by the moment of God's speaking and by the power with which that word is given creation. These images explore the beginning and extended moments of man-made light from the first spark of a match, to the phenomenon of a photographic flash, almost literally lightning caught in a glass bottle, and finally God's enduring creation of light, our sun. We struggle so hard to imitate in an incredibly finite way what God whispered into existence with such power and glory. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Michael Markham is an Actor/Filmmaker based out of New York City. His favorite roles in New York include Platonov in The Spectacular Demise of Platonov at Shapiro Theater; Frizer in christopher marlowe’s chloroform dreams at The Red Room with Lunar Energy; Giant in Giants at HERE; and The Singing Soldier in Mother Courage and Her Children at The New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. Film and television include Law & Order; When Things Fall Apart; Home Office; Fumes; Lies; Unearthed; Game Theory; and Blind Date. Though his production company KiteMonkey Productions Michael has created over 10 short films in the past 5 years. His currently project The Decades of Mason Carroll is currently in final stage of post production. Look for it on the festival circuit in 2018. Michael graduated from The Juilliard School Drama Division, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from Washington University in St. Louis. He currently lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children. Website Michael Markham About the Artist The Call Michael Markham Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Elizabeth Dishman, along with dancers Rachel Korenstein and Caitlin Yuhas, created a beautiful piece of modern dance exploring Isaiah 43:2. Isaiah 43:2 Tide By Elizabeth Dishman Credits: Curated by: Emily SoRelle Adams 2012 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "Tide" ponders the surging joys and frustrations of connecting with a God who many times answers our suffering simply by being present, by holding our heads above the waves rather than taking us out of the water. Our collaborative process began with a series of improvisations based on images of water, vulnerability and relational give and take. We then crafted set dance phrases that we transformed in various ways and built into duet structures. Finally, we brought in a large tub that on show day was filled with water, which added a third active and metaphoric presence to the work. Rachel and Caitlin joined me in searching out physical and emotional resonances that explored a fluctuating but sweet relationship inspired by God's promises to stay with us in life's surprising waters. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elizabeth Dishman is the Artistic Director of Dishman + Co. Choreography, a Brooklyn-based experimental dance company founded in 2001. Originally from Colorado, she studied Voice Performance at Emory University, and Choreography at The Ohio State University. In pursuit of ineffable junctures between the abstract and theatrical, the universal and deeply personal, Elizabeth and her collaborators devote themselves to scrupulous exploration and ardent play, probing the elusiveness of live performance in search of lasting things. Over 15 years and 40+ original works, Dishman + Co.’s choreography has been described by critics as “complex skeins and cerebral dreams”, “bodies in rigorous concentration”, and “playful and provocative…raw humanity seeps in”. www.DishmanAndCo.org Website Elizabeth Dishman About the Artist dance in the dances Terra Firma Visitation Stranger Name Elizabeth Dishman Other Works By This piece was also performed at our event, Reflections on Water: New Works of Music, Dance, and Spoken Word Poetry . Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Musician and composer Peter Mawanga wrote this song of confession, pointing to hope for deliverance, in response to Judges 6:1-18. Judges 6:1-18 ULEMU By Peter Mawanga Credits: Music Lyrics + Composition by Peter Mawanga VOX + Lead Guitar by Peter Mawanga Second Guitar by Ndawa Nyanda Saxophone by Richards Mgala Bass Guitar by Alfred Sitolo Nkhoma Drums + Percussion by Lyson Chisuse Produced by Peter Mawanga Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The song is inspired by the book of Judges 6, verses 1-18. After the Israelites had sinned against God, He gave them into the hands of Midianites. Later, when they confessed to God and cried out for his forgiveness, God used Gideon to redeem them from the Midianites. ULEMU is a song of confession and total submission. Ndabwera pamaso panu, mogonja ndimothedwa nzeru Ndaona ukulu wanu ambuye ndilandireni inu (Here I am in total submission, I confess my sins and acknowledge you are my lord and saviour.) Ndayesayesa mwa nzeru zanga koma ndaperewera ndithu Ndazindikira kulakwa kwanga ambuye ndikhululukireni inu (I thought I could stand on my own, but instead I have fallen short of your glory, so please forgive me.) Ulemu ukhale kwa inu Ndi mtima wanga wonse ndipereka Ulemu kwa inu (With all my heart, I give glory and honour unto you.) Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Peter Mawanga has attracted worldwide acclaim with his music, the Nyanja vibes, performing on world stages in Africa, Europe and America. Not a stranger to the BBC and other media outlets, Mawanga has established himself as one of the living legends in Malawi and Africa. Blending traditional instruments as the Nyanja’s visekese, malimba , and kaligo , with contemporary instruments, he produces music that is fondly described by many as therapeutic, drawing from the Nyanja’s core values of peace and calm. The Nyanja are the most peaceful people in Africa and their country Malawi, which has never been at war, be it civil or otherwise, is known as the warm heart of Africa. Their instruments are deliberately designed to produce sounds that appeal to different feelings that aim at calming the nerves, celebrating life, pleading for peace and mostly merrymaking. It is from this source that Peter birthed the aMaravi movement and the celebrated Nyanja afro-vibes which mainly took off when he produced the now world renown album, Mawu A Malawi (The Voice of Malawi) , which featured stories of AIDS. For seven months Peter and colleagues had collected narratives from twenty-six of the most inspiring people they had ever met. They shared their loss, pain, joy, courage, and wisdom. The result of the project was Mawu a Malawi . The album was launched at the University of North Carolina and Department of State, making Peter Mawanga the first African musician to perform at the office of the Secretary of State. Since then, Peter’s performances have been holistic, characterized by song, film, dance, talks and sometimes dramatic monologues. His talks, among other things topics, are on: Malawian traditional sounds ; origins, use, relevance, relation to Africa and the world at large, the fusion with contemporary instruments, extinction, and preservation efforts. Music and dance in Malawi , the interplay of music in the social setup. Issues of identity, music as a people’s movement and a catalyst for life. Dance and tribal heritage. Talents of the Malawian Child Project Mawanga’s personal life (self-discovery) and involvement in projects for social change and economic empowerment. Peter, just like the Nyanjas of Malawi, believes that music goes beyond the ear, reaching out into the inner person to produce a healing power. It is one of the keys to a peaceful mind. Website Peter Mawanga About the Artist Nambala Wani NDAUPENYA ASAMALA Peter Mawanga Other Works By Listen without video here: Spark and Echo Arts · ULEMU (Live Studio Version) – Peter Mawanga Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Dancer and teacher Sarah Pope brought together a community to collaboratively create and perform a performance response to their interpretation of Acts 2:42-47. Acts 2:42-47 Growing Together By Sarah Pope Credits: Project Created with Members from Greenwood Baptist Church Curated by: Michael Markham 2016 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link To create “Growing Together,” I held weekly dance/Bible study workshops with Greenwood Baptist Church community members ages 8-80. None were professional dancers. Resources I used to influence our dance classes included the BrainDance as well as the Dance for Solidarity . I also drew heavily on my experience as a dance teacher and facilitator using creative dance, which is often thought of in relation to young children experiencing dance for the first time. The specific practice of drawing words from text and creating movements to them is widely used in dance education contexts (children in an elementary school classroom choosing words from a poem and creating movements to them) as well professional, collaborative dance creation processes (text generated by the artists, or poems or other writings, being mined for meaning and the inspiration for dance phrase material). I saw that the creative dance practice had exegetical applications. So, it was important to me not only to “make a dance work inspired by Acts 2:42-47” but to bring transparency to the process of doing so: highlighting the community-building and the collaborative aspects of creating from the text with members of my church family who were interested in dancing although they were not necessarily “dancers.” We used the verses as instructions for creating together as a community of faith. The result was not only “Growing Together” but, also, growing together as a community of faith — becoming more like the early church described in Acts 2:42-47. Inspired by this process, I have decided to continue offering dance-based Bible studies at Greenwood Baptist Church. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Sarah Pope is a Brooklyn-based dance artist, dance & fitness educator, and clown. She has worked with many dance companies in New York, most recently Mark Lamb Dance and Renee Gerardo Dances. Her clown character, SarahBesque, debuted new work at the NY Clown Theatre Festival at The Brick Theater , September 2016. As an educator she has taught in many NYC public schools with Together in Dance , as well as at Spoke the Hub Dancing and the Prospect Park YMCA. For the 13 years she has been located in NYC, Sarah has actively served as a volunteer and a staff member at Metro Baptist Church, where she performs regularly with Mark Lamb Dance. She is currently a member of Greenwood Baptist Church in Park Slope. Website Sarah Pope About the Artist Sarah Pope Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

April Knighton Leviticus16 V2 Loading Video . . . Responding to Leviticus 16, this beautiful painting by April Knighton explores the hope of reconciliation in the midst of a list of rules. Leviticus 16 Scapegoat By April Abesamis Knighton Credits: Curated by: SEA 2021 6 x 4 feet Acrylics on Canvas Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Like many (I'm sure), I'd never spent much time reading the book of Leviticus. From a distance, it presents itself as a book of long, winding passages with plenty of unintelligible phrases. How could I illuminate a text that seems obscure and repulsive? In a book that centers around the rituals and legal practices that defined the Old Testament, the chapter of Leviticus 16 stood out for me. It suggests hope. A promise of atonement in the midst of rules and rituals. Leviticus highlights the consequence of sin and the cost of resolution. As I painted this piece, I constantly thought of several themes over and over: sin, absolution, and restoration of relationship. In the process, my heart always longed for the latter. How is that restoration possible within the complicated and often-confusing paradigm of a devastated, yet hopeful, world? Leviticus 16 makes it seem impossible to experience a restoration of relationship with God. It presents a daunting process that culminates in resolution through the physical embodiment of ritualistic forgiveness. My heart longed for reprieve. Is there an alternative path? This work explores the multi-faceted and often dichotomized relationship between consequence and promise, and unrealistic laws and hope. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection April Abesamis Knighton is a Chicago-based artist as well as a registered art therapist and licensed clinical counselor. She received her Master of Arts in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 2012 and has extensive experience helping individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, sexual assault, and trauma. She currently works as an art therapist/psychotherapist at a private practice using integrative, trauma-informed, and compassion-focused therapy. A certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, accredited by the National Council for Behavioral Health, April previously worked as the Mental Health Promotion Specialist and Art Therapist at SAIC, managing a federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), providing therapeutic support to students, and curating a variety of art exhibits showcasing art and its ability to transcend stigma. Her work at SAIC also focused on initiating creative programming that promoted mental health and wellness, which was featured on NBC’s TODAY Show and highlighted by professional organizations — including the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), American Art Therapy Association (AATA) and Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA). Trained in multiple disciplines with a deep appreciation for outsider art, April’s art practice currently centers around oil and acrylic painting and digital illustration. Website April Abesamis Knighton About the Artist Until Then April Abesamis Knighton Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Choreographer and dancer Elizabeth Dishman brings us this beautiful new video in response to Joshua 15:63-16:10. Joshua 15:63-16:10 Terra Firma By Elizabeth Dishman Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2015 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This portion of Joshua is one of a series of long passages in which the tribes of Israel receive their allotments in the promised land, their lines of demarcation being tediously described. The brief verses at the ends of these chapters caught my interest, noting almost in passing that “Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites…They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer.” I’m drawn to these moments in the book of Joshua–and the whole Bible really–when the clear path encounters the unexpected, the unideal, the nooks and crannies of reality. As a response, this film is a study on territory and dancing with the enemy. The work revels in the contested but shared space between two dancers who grapple within a carefully plotted piece of ground. With a supporting cast amplifying the intimate struggle, Terra Firma embodies the effort of ousting an enemy, and figuring out how to live with him in the ambiguous aftermath. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elizabeth Dishman is the Artistic Director of Dishman + Co. Choreography, a Brooklyn-based experimental dance company founded in 2001. Originally from Colorado, she studied Voice Performance at Emory University, and Choreography at The Ohio State University. In pursuit of ineffable junctures between the abstract and theatrical, the universal and deeply personal, Elizabeth and her collaborators devote themselves to scrupulous exploration and ardent play, probing the elusiveness of live performance in search of lasting things. Over 15 years and 40+ original works, Dishman + Co.’s choreography has been described by critics as “complex skeins and cerebral dreams”, “bodies in rigorous concentration”, and “playful and provocative…raw humanity seeps in”. www.DishmanAndCo.org Website Elizabeth Dishman About the Artist Tide dance in the dances Visitation Stranger Name Elizabeth Dishman Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "A Call to Solitude" is five movements of prose set to music. After writing the prose, I collaborated with John Forsleff to compose musical aspects of the piece, with the idea that the violin and guitar would provide the emotional content of the text. Hosea 2:6-23 A Call to Solitude By Ariele Macadangdang Credits: Composed by Ariele Macadangdang and John Forsleff Performed by Sarah Amos, narrator; Ariele Macadangdang, violin; John Forsleff, guitar Artist Location: Southwestern Michigan Curated by: Benje and Ashley Daneman 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "A Call to Solitude" is five movements of prose set to music. After writing the prose, I collaborated with John Forsleff to compose musical aspects of the piece, with the idea that the violin and guitar would provide the emotional content of the text. The first movement is about a woman's invitation to a feast and the discovery of a new place. In the second and third movements she struggles to accept that the feast is set for her, and that it is given to her freely. In the fourth movement she shows up weary from a trying season of life, bringing a set of expectations to the rich man. She is a person who cannot put down her pride to accept love from the true source. The fifth movement is my attempt at depicting the unwavering invitation of the rich man and the release of freedom that comes from receiving love. The feast is symbolic of intimacy with the Lord. In a way the woman is Israel, but to me she represents followers of Jesus in different seasons, relating to the King. Every day Jesus invites us to a feast and most days we can't see the feast for what it is. At times when we can see it we shy away from it, thinking it is not ours to have. As a result we often settle for what we think we can provide for ourselves. Performers on this recording are Ariele Macadangdang, violin, John Forsleff, guitar, and Sarah Amos, narrator. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ariele Macadangdang is a violinist from Southwest Michigan. In June 2012 she was a featured soloist in the Wal-Mart Annual Shareholders Meeting held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Through her activities at Western Michigan University she has performed in collaborative concerts with jazz pianist Ed Simon, and Israeli jazz pianist/composer Alon Yavnai. She has twice performed at the Orfeo Music Festival held in the Italian Alps, where her current teacher, Renata Knific, is a faculty member. Since 2010 she has been a founding member and planter of a fine arts community outreach, Imago Dei, with InterVarsity Christian Ministry on her campus. Ariele is a freelance violinist for independent studio and recording projects with singer-songwriters in her area. She also enjoys improvisation and collaboration across artistic disciplines. She completed her undergraduate studies at Western Michigan University and is to begin her graduate studies at the University of Miami, Florida, in August 2014. Website Ariele Macadangdang About the Artist Ariele Macadangdang Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Earth Jesus J Mc Donald Loading Video . . . Artist J McDonald ponders the interaction of Heaven and Earth in response to Revelation 12:15-16 as reflected through his sculpture. Revelation 12:15-16 Earth Jesus By J McDonald Credits: Curated by: Evelyn Lewis 2016 9 x 18 inches earth and steel Sculpture Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Though the earth does nothing but give and asks nothing in return Though the earth in its vastness has the capacity to swallow our sins, Though the earth to all opens its embrace And so we take And so our greed lacerates its skin And so the earth’s open arms hang upon our cross Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J McDonald is an artist, designer and fabricator based in Brooklyn, NY. His artwork, primarily sculpture and installation, deals primarily with the contemporary human relationship to built space and natural environment. His work has been exhibited throughout NYC, received residencies around the US, and has taken him as as far as West Africa, where he researched local building methods and built numerous structures, both architectural and sculptural. J also owns and manages Shape Studio, a design and fabrication shop where he has honed and utilized his understanding of material, craft, and detail. Website J McDonald About the Artist J McDonald Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

rstander_1.jpg Loading Video . . . Artist Ryan Stander created a thoughtful piece in response to the theme of "Memory" from Psalm 88 and Psalm 106. Psalms 106 Psalms 88 Untitled (Stander) By Ryan Stander Credits: Curated by: Emily Clare Zempel 2013 Lithograph + Objects Photography, Mixed Media Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Since seminary, the Psalms have had a special place in my heart and theology particularly the provocative lament and complaint Psalms as they draw upon memory in such interesting ways. Faith and our utter need for salvation allows Christians to boldly approach God baring the ugly realities of all that is wrong in the world to the only One who can set things aright. The psalmist’s testimonies left nothing out of their purview: praise and bitterness, hope and fear, life and death. In addition to the psalms that convey this emotional gamut, some also contain brute and penetrating questions of Yahweh: Why? Where? How long? These laments (and these questions of complaint) are firmly rooted in Israel’s covenant with God, utilizing memory of the both the individual and community. But more provocatively, many of the Psalms remind God of God’s own past promises and salvific actions. In other words, they remind God to be God. I chose two Psalms to inspire this work, Psalm 88 and 106. Both use memory in curious ways as alluded to above. The psalmist in Psalm 88 recalls his current desperate circumstances and fears that having been forgotten by God. He then challenges God to recall God’s own attributes and past actions of “wonder”, “steadfast love”, and “faithfulness” in efforts to stir God into saving action once again. Psalm 106 recalls both sides of the covenant: God’s salvific actions on Israel’s behalf and Israel’s efforts and failures to live out their part of the covenant relationship. The psalmist says, “For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Originally from northwest Iowa, Ryan Stander is a fairly recent transplant to the plains of North Dakota. His education has alternated between art and theology with a BA in Art from Northwestern College (IA), an MA in Bible and Theology from Sioux Falls Seminary (SD), and an MFA from the University of North Dakota. His research brings liturgical theology and the arts into dynamic conversations. In particular, Stander explores how the sacramental imagination, as formed through liturgical participation, engages ideas of place/space, and other cultural forms including the visual arts. As an artist, his work moves between printmaking and photography, with a keen interest in lithography and alternative photographic processes. Thematically, Stander’s work often engages concepts of memory and identity. Ryan and his wife Karina recently moved to Minot, ND where he serves as an Assistant Professor of Art at Minot State University. Teaching primarily photography, Stander also recently started and now serves as the director for Flat Tail Press, an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University. Website Ryan Stander About the Artist Ryan Stander Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work