Loading Video . . . This contemplative piece by composer Pascal Le Boeuf explores the theme the morality of eavesdropping and the following verses: Ecclesiastes 7:21 ESV Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Luke 12:3 ESV Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. 1 Corinthians 5:12 ESV For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? Ecclesiastes 7:21 Luke 12:3 1 Corinthians 5:12 outside listenINg By Pascal Le Boeuf Credits: Written and Recorded by Pascal Le Boeuf Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Ashley Gonzalez Daneman and Benje Daneman 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As an atheist I consider the Bible to be an inspirational work of art. A work of art that has moved enough people to define many aspects of western culture or at the very least, the framework upon which many choose to base their goals, social behaviors and self-conceptions. I am proud to be a part of a project that builds a community through creative expression. The composition "outside listenINg" explores the moral implications of eavesdropping by using piano and string quartet to represent the subject and the eavesdropper respectively. This analogy is accentuated by disparate approaches to recording production in which each part functions as a separate composition: the "subject" a new original work and the "eavesdropper" derived from the string part of an earlier composition ("Calgary Clouds" from the Le Boeuf Brothers' album, "In Praise of Shadows"). The goal of this piece is to guide the listener to question the morality of eavesdropping and how it effects our daily lives. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Described as “sleek, new” and “hyper-fluent” by the New York Times, Pascal Le Boeuf is an EMMY award-winning pianist-composer and electronic artist whose interests range from modern improvised music to cross-breeding classical with production-based technology. Le Boeuf’s most recent awards include his eighth Herb Albert ASCAP Young Composers Award (2013) and a New Jazz Works Commission from Chamber Music America (2011) to be recorded in 2014 by JACK Quartet. In 2012, his music was awarded “Best Electronica Song” and “Best Eclectic Song” by the Independent Music Awards for remixes of his compositions. He was also nominated for “Best Keyboardist” in the 2012 Downbeat International Readers Polls, composed music for the 2008 Emmy Award-winning movie King Lines, and won first place in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. Le Boeuf has released eight albums as a leader; his most recent, King Pony (2014) features collaborations with rock guitarists Billy Norris (Gavin DeGraw), Adam Levy (Norah Jones) and Armand Hirsch (Bobby McFerrin). Previous albums include House Without a Door (2009), In Praise of Shadows (2011) and Remixed (2013) – the acclaimed electronic follow-up to In Praise of Shadows featuring the Le Boeuf Brothers ensemble. The 2013 release of Pascal’s Triangle (Linda Oh, bass; Justin Brown, drums) was described by the New York Times as “reaching for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” In 2010, Le Boeuf made his Blue Note debut opening for Chick Corea as part of the Blue Note Emerging Artist Series. His many collaborators include the the Myth Quartet, Ambrose Akinmusire, Justin Brown, Harish Raghavan, Ian Rosenbaum and Andy Akiho; choreographers Ernest Felton Baker II and Raymond Pinto; and poet/lyricists Jane Resnick, James Sprang, Emily Greene and Kate Davis. In collaboration with Emmy/Grammy nominated composer David Schwartz of the hit television series Arrested Development, Le Boeuf’s music was featured on NBC’s 2011 drama The Playboy Club. His compositions have been performed and featured by members of Bang on a Can All-Stars, JACK Quartet, Turtle Island Quartet, Sirius Quartet, RighteousGIRLS, Downtown Avengers, Imagine Dragons, Foundry and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. In 2010 and 2011, Le Boeuf was commissioned by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts to compose music for a multi-interdisciplinary performance (music/words/video/dance) at the the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, FL to honor Bill T. Jones, Desmond Richardson, Kerry Washington and Liv Ullmann. Loosely based on writings and themes of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copeland respectively, these compositions highlighted live music performers in conjunction with computer manipulated recordings of the performers, scored recordings of Bernstein/Copeland speaking about music, and directed improvisation based on dance. His unique style and musical inspiration stem from exploring many genres of music, helping him challenge the boundaries of composition. Over the past five years, he has received grants from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, Chamber Music America and the New York Community Trust via the Edward & Sally Van Lier Fellowship Grant. The multi-rhythmic sound of Le Boeuf’s music has reached a diverse range of listeners in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Umbria Jazz Festival. His music can be heard on Universal/Alma Records, Nineteen-Eight Records, ESC Records, FrameMusic and Capri Records. Le Boeuf received his B.M. and M.M. (with honors) from the Manhattan School of Music and double-majored in Electronic Production/Design, and Songwriting at the Berklee College of Music. Principle teachers include Kenny Barron, Garry Dial and Theo Bleckmann. As an educator, Le Boeuf has served on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Summer Program, the Stanford Jazz Workshop and functioned as co-director of the 1990 Institute in Beijing, China. Website Pascal Le Boeuf About the Artist Pascal Le Boeuf Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Resident Artist Emily Ruth Hazel’s new poem in response to the theme of “Lies” and Genesis 2:21-25, 3:1–13; John 3:8; 18:37–38; Ephesians 5:25-33 and Revelation 22:17 as she builds a poetry collection responding to every theme from the year as a 2013 Spark+Echo Artist in Residence. Genesis 2:21-25 Genesis 3:1–5 Genesis 3:7–13 John 3:8 John 18:37–38 Ephesians 5:26–33 Revelation 22:17 Runaway By Emily Ruth Hazel Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, 2013 Artist in Residence 2013 Poetry/Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As with the first three themes of the year, which I found myself defining by contrast—Light and Darkness were intertwined, the theme of Fools led me to write about wisdom, and Dancing was set in relief against grief—the theme of Lies inspired me to explore the alternatives, honesty and truth. Under the many layers we wear, there is an opportunity for daring vulnerability and naked authenticity. The truth of who we are, and of who God is, is not as simple or as flat as it is often presented or misunderstood to be; deeper truths are always multifaceted. In “Runaway,” I wanted to take a closer look not only at our human tendency to run away—from truth, among other things—but also at how God has different qualities of a runaway, being hard to tie down and moving unexpectedly. This got me thinking about our human strategies for trying to make sense of our world and of the spiritual realm, and how religion can come close to articulating these things but sometimes misses the point entirely. Since subtle masks and readily accepted myths can be just as dangerous and destructive as overt lies, if not more so, I wanted to offer a poem that could acknowledge a few misconceptions about Christianity and some of the contradictions within the global and historical Church, which are troubling to me. When I began delving into the chain reaction of deception and hiding just a few pages into Genesis, I was surprised to discover a direct connection between that text and the New Testament passage I had already had in mind to respond to (Ephesians 5:25–33), which quotes a line from Genesis about the mystery of marriage. I’m intrigued that the Apostle Paul chooses the metaphor of marriage—perhaps the most complex and intimate of human relationships—to depict the relationship between God and the Church. It was this image that became my starting point for taking off some of the layers. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Ruth Hazel is a poet, writer, and cross-pollinator who is passionate about diversifying the audience for poetry and giving voice to people who have been marginalized. Selected as the Honorary Poet for the 25th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading in Providence, Rhode Island, she presented a commissioned tribute to the Poet Laureate of Harlem in February of 2020. She is a two-time recipient of national Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prizes and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for a residency at The Hambidge Center in 2014. Her chapbook, Body & Soul (Finishing Line Press, 2005) , was a New Women’s Voices finalist. Emily’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies, magazines, literary journals, and digital projects, including Kinfolks: A Journal of Black Expression and Magnolia: A Journal of Women’s Socially Engaged Literature. Her poetry has also been featured on music albums, in a hair salon art installation, and in a science museum exhibition. Emily has written more than twenty commissioned works for organizations, arts productions, social justice projects, and private clients. Currently, she is developing several poetry book manuscripts and writing lyrics for an original musical inspired by the life of the extraordinary singer and Civil Rights icon Marian Anderson. A graduate of Oberlin College’s Creative Writing Program and a former New Yorker, she is now based in the Los Angeles area. EmilyRuthHazel.com Instagram: @EmilyRuthHazel Facebook.com/EmilyRuthHazel Website Emily Ruth Hazel About the Artist Artist in Residence 2013, Emily Ruth Hazel Word of Mouth In the Wake of the Storm Circling the Waist of Wisdom Give Me a Name Homecoming Give Us This Day Undressing Prayer Emily Ruth Hazel Other Works By Explore the other works composed throughout the year in Emily's poetry collection, created as a 2013 Artist in Residence . Explore her works created throughout the year: “In the Wake of the Storm” LIGHT AND DARKNESS (JANUARY 21, 2013) “Circling the Waist of Wisdom” FOOLS (APRIL 26, 2013) “Homecoming” DANCING (JUNE 27, 2013) “Runaway” LIES (AUGUST 8, 2013) “Give Us This Day” HARVEST (NOVEMBER 14, 2013) “Undressing Prayer” MEMORY (JANUARY 6, 2013) Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Artists in Residence spend a year developing and creating a major work in response to Scripture. Click on their names to view their projects. Current Artists in Residence Spark+Echo Arts seeks to develop and support communities of artists who engage with and create in response to the Bible. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 and some internal changes, we decided to pause the Artist in Residency for a year so that we could regroup our resources. Our hope is to continue offering this opportunity in 2021. Previous Artists in Residence 2020 Sapient Soul, Marlanda Dekine (Poetry + Spoken Word) 2019 Lancelot Schaubert (Short Story) 2018 Elias Popa (Installation Art) 2017 Aaron Beaumont (Music), Lily Maase (Music) 2016 Ebitenyefa Baralaye (Visual Art), Chris Knight (Film), Lauren Ferebee (Theatre), Stephanie Miracle (Dance) 2015 Benje Daneman (Music), Jason DaSilva (Film), Melissa Beck (Visual Art), Don Nguyen (Theatre), Christine Suarez (Dance), The Spark & Echo Band (Music) 2013 Nicora Gangi (Visual Art), Emily Ruth Hazel (Poetry) Related Information View More Art Make More Art The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. View Full Written Work Runaway by Emily Ruth Hazel 1 The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. She lives everywhere, a temple built of flesh instead of stone, a body with a mind and a will of her own, her heart not only red but also blue and independent, her spirit both radiant and restless. How far she has wandered, dragging the train of her newly washed dress through sewage-flooded gutters. When she returns, ready to change, grace attends her, fingers gently combing out the tangle of her hair, patiently undoing seven times seventy buttons. But legalism has one narrow foot braced against the Church’s back, two hands yanking taut the laces of a corset made from the bones of faith, that great, endangered mystery that swims beneath the surface. Perhaps this undergirding was designed for the body, to shape and support, but it digs into her skin, pressing her inmost parts to conform to its constraints. Breath held captive, the bride anxiously waits to be untied, Pilate’s questioning of Christ reverberating through her centuries later—What is truth? This far from paradise, knowing good and intimate with evil, how could her heart ever again be naked without shame? What would she look like if she lost the fig leaf lingerie? What if she continued the long walk down the aisle, eyes fixed on her first love, confessing all her uncertainties— would God still have her? 2 Born hungry, we feed each other false hopes like the warm milk of a lullaby. Having outlived the famine years, we think we are finally wise and bite into the red delicious of deception, handing it off to our partners. The growl grows louder. A tribe of exiles and runaways, we are all in the same soup line, but we front as if we’re in the queue to enter an elite club where God is a brass-knuckled bouncer letting in only those who pay or charm their way inside. Angling for VIP passes, we bleach our teeth with white lies, wear pretense like concealer, sweep shades of embellishment in all the right places. We flaunt our faux diamonds and flash our fake ID. Fully knowing who we are, knowing that we can’t afford the cover, the host at the door waves us in and offers us a bowl and spoon. We grab what is given with one hand, the other hand already reaching back to draw the invisible velvet cord across the path behind us: we want to be the first inside and the last to make the cut. 3 Measuring our steps like a barefoot bride who wears a borrowed spoon dangling from her necklace, what is it we are limping toward? Eden is a memory of the scent of apple blossoms. What do we have left, we ask, that we have not created for ourselves? Our fingerprints on everything, by this time, who can tell how much of religion is manmade? The river of life that streams from heaven has been dammed and redirected, human calculations managing the flow, interrupting natural rhythms. From the spinning belly of the same truck out of which that wall was born, poured as a thick, gray river of our own, we have built a semblance of refuge on the shore. Easily sold on the invention of that which is concrete— a substance that grows stronger as it ages—who can blame humanity for mixing with cement our aggregate beliefs? We manufacture cinder blocks of knowledge weighty enough to withstand minor disasters, but never too heavy to lift alone. Stacking rules upon rituals, long ago, we tried to build a tower that would scrape away the blue, leave a keyhole in the sky so we could see beyond, but our tongues divided us; our ladders toppled. Among our tall attempts, we have landscaped a courtyard instead, an echo of the garden we once knew, then sealed it with a glass roof more transparent than our prayers, turning the open space into yet another structure to contain the wind, to cage our fear of what we can’t control. Everything within our reach we have domesticated. But what can we do with a wind that cannot be caught? Close Loading Video . . . The Church is a conflicted bride, her face flushed with passion, her thoughts laced with doubt. Home, to her, has never been a single street address. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . In his work, Babbler, composer Jonathon Roberts combines the sounds of his toy Yamaha keyboard with lyrics warning against gossip from passages in the book of Proverbs: Proverbs 1:10; 4:24; 10:18; 11:13; 12:13; 14:7; 14:23; 16:28; 18:6-8, 20-21; 20:19; 24:1-2 Proverbs 18:6-8 Proverbs 16:28 Proverbs 12:13 Proverbs 14:7 Proverbs 11:13 Proverbs 10:18 Proverbs 14:23 Proverbs 4:24 Proverbs 1:10 Proverbs 18:20-21 Proverbs 20:19 Proverbs 24:1-2 Babbler By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Written, Composed, Performed, and Recorded by Jonathon MT Roberts. 2016 Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link It was 1989, I was 8, and my father brought home from Toys R Us a Yamaha Portasound PSS-680 as a keyboard for the family. I loved it. It had 100 different sounds, 100 rhythms, drum pads, and coolest of all, a little synthesizer that allowed you to build and modify your own sounds. After a few years of heavy interest in the keyboard I was wooed by the traditional piano and its 88 fully-weighted keys. It wasn’t until I moved to NYC and joined the great absurdist comedy band The Renaldo The Ensemble that I fully appreciated the Portasound’s potential. For 5 years I carried my axe on the subway and played its crystal clear tones for late night crowds at the Living Room on the Lower East Side. I love just about everything about the Portasound, it’s mini-synthesizer, perfect portamento, the light feel of the keys, 5 octave range, aero-dynamic design, fully printed list of songs and styles on the case itself, MIDI outputs, and of course the demo–whoever composed this endless journey of a song should have been given a Grammy. Now with kids of my own, I don't play out as much. I enjoy the finer moments of home life. One of those is a chance to really explore the Portasound's extraordinary features. Another thing that I've explored more fully is the book of Proverbs. I love just about everything about this book as well. Its pithy comments, rants on wisdom, outlandish metaphors, timeless advice. Thus was born an ongoing project of mine, Portasound Proverbs , a collection of songs that explore two great things in my life, the book of Proverbs and the Yamaha Portasound. The project features sound and percussion entirely played from the Yamaha Portasound PSS-680 and lyrics entirely from the book of Proverbs. This tune, "Babbler," explores verses in Proverbs regarding gossip. By arpeggiating the bubbly sounded of the Portasound I am depicting the deceptive allure of gossip. The singing is focused and intense, and eventually devolves into desperation just like the gossips and babblers describes in Proverbs. The piece hinges on this verse: Proverbs 20:19 (NRSV) A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler. The rest of the lyrics are comprised of or adapted from others quote on gossip from Proverbs including: Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. Proverbs 4:24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Proverbs 10:18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. Proverbs 12:13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble. Proverbs 14:7 Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 16:28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 18:6-8 The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 18:20-21 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 24:1-2 Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J onathon Roberts is a composer and sound designer for games, film, theatre, and ensembles. His style grew out of classical and jazz training, and evolved through quality life adventures: touring the country in an RV with a one person theater piece on the Apostle Paul, living in Brooklyn with an improv music ensemble, performing in a downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, and a long stint writing music for the renowned slot machine company, High 5 Games. He has released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He created the popular podcast/web series ComposerDad Vs. Bible , in which ComposerDad accepts intense compositional challenges from a mysterious Bible while out with his kids. He frequently collaborates on music and theater projects with his wife, actor Emily Clare Zempel. They live in Beacon, NY, with their two boys and a tangled box of electrical cords. www.jonathonroberts.com Website Jonathon Roberts About the Artist Loving Arms I Make Tents The Sower Response There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner Weakness The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Remember Me Prayer How Beautiful I Am a Fool The Constant Ecclesiastes Cows Blessing Fools for Christ More Than Rubies Only a Few Years Will Pass Dear Friend Jonathon Roberts Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

baralaye_sea_post-3_main.jpg Loading Video . . . Part 3: Follow the process for creating this piece for Artist in Residence 2016 Romans 9:20-26 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 3 By Ebitenyefa Baralaye Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link My third post finds me in a new home, San Francisco, after months of transition and life on the road. The line “Why have you made me like this?” from my selected passage has rung repeatedly in my mind over many hours taking stock of and packing all of my belongings (mostly my artwork and studio items) into storage in preparation for shipment. I have traversed the conceptual, physical and practical cost of everything I own, deciding what would be kept and what should be shed. Numerous times artworks intended for the glories of exhibition and acquisition have found their way to a dumpster and the odd relic of my past, uncovered from a tucked away box, was deemed too precious to depart with. The judgment of what is honorable or dishonorable, worthy of keeping or destroying, truly lies in the heart of its beholder and maker. The images included in this post catalog some items I have come across on my cross-country journey over the past two months of traveling and living on the road. Each has given me pause to consider how God uses simple and great things of creation for purposes beyond our expectations and awareness. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ebitenyefa Baralaye is a ceramicist, sculptor and designer. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, raised in Antigua and lives in the United States. Ebitenyefa received his BFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design. His studio bases have included Long Island City, Queens; the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in New York City; and Bloomfield Hills, MI where he is currently enrolled as a Ceramics MFA candidate at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has exhibited in various solo and group shows domestically and internationally including the 2011 Gyeonggi International Ceramix Biennale in Icheon, South Korea and the 2016 Toronto Design Festival. He has held residencies at the Peters Valley Crafts Center in Layton, NJ and most recently, Talking Dolls in Detroit, MI. Website Ebitenyefa Baralaye About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 1 David Abram Artist in Residence 2016: Ebitenyefa Baralaye – "Bam Bam" Ebitenyefa Baralaye Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Ebitenyefa’s project by reading his FIRST , SECOND , THIRD and FINAL posts written as a 2016 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Responding to Isaiah 5, Lancelot Schaubert's short story causes readers to wrestle with the concept of justice as we identify and distance ourselves from the characters therein. Isaiah 5 Watchtower By Lancelot Schaubert Credits: Background Photo by Jewad Alnabi on Unsplash Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2022 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I wanted this piece to capture the ambiguity of future judgment and even the impermanence of it as all justice through Jesus is restorative and not retributive: a wasteland isn't an abyss, isn't nothing. A wasteland is simply laid fallow. In fact, the Heath is one of the biggest images in England for pre-cultivation, the sort of thing the Spirit might hover over like the primordial chaotic waters of creation. In this respect, even in the judgment of the verse, there's hope: from tilling to tilling to tilling. Sowing to sowing to sowing. Eventually you'll hit harvest, even if it takes a sabbath of sabbaths to fallow and find. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lancelot has sold work to The New Haven Review (The Institute Library), The Anglican Theological Review, TOR (MacMillan), McSweeney's, The Poet's Market, Writer's Digest, and many, many similar markets. (His favorite, a rather risqué piece, illuminated bankroll management by prison inmates in the World Series Edition of Poker Pro). Publisher's Weekly called his debut novel BELL HAMMERS "a hoot." He has lectured on these at academic conferences, graduate classes, and nerd conventions in Nashville, Portland, Baltimore, Tarrytown, NYC, Joplin, and elsewhere. The Missouri Tourism Bureau, WRKR, Flying Treasure, 9art, The Brooklyn Film Festival, NYC Indie Film Fest, Spiva Center for the Arts, The Institute of the North in Alaska, and the Chicago Museum of Photography have all worked with him as a film producer and director in various capacities. Website Lancelot Schaubert About the Artist Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 1 Posh Girls As Waters Cover Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Stripped to the Bonemeal Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Zeke wanted good grapes. Not the cheap kind we use to make jams or table wine, good grapes. Great wine: the sort you bring out first at a wedding. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Zeke wanted good grapes. Not the cheap kind we use to make jams or table wine, good grapes. Great wine: the sort you bring out first at a wedding. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Yo Sé" by the Spark+Echo Band is a musical bilingual response to Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah 29:11-14 Yo Sé By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Words and Music by Jonathon Roberts // Musicians: Jonathon Roberts, accordion, voice; Emily Clare Zempel ukulele, voice; Jay Foote Upright bass; Alex Foote, percussion // Mixing: Alexander Foote // Mastering: Christopher Colbert Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2012 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This is a classic passage, one of those that you want to put on your wall or memorize when you are having a rough day. I use it as such, carry it with me. Sometimes I think about it at the little Lutheran storefront church we go to in Queens. This lovely bilingual church community that has been our home for 10 years is part of what inspired writing our first song in Spanish and English. This song was part of the Spark+Echo Band's second album, Inheritance . Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By I know the thoughts that I think when I think of you. I know the plans that I have for you. Plans of hope, Plans to prosper, Thoughts of peace, And none of calamity. And you shall call upon me, And you shall come to me, And you shall pray unto me, And I will harken unto you. And you will seek me, And you will find me, When you search for me with all your heart. I will be found of you, I will be found of you. And we will be free. Yo sé los planes que tengo para tí. Yo sé muy bien los planes que tengo para tí. Planes de bienestar, Y no de calamidad. A fin de darle un futuro y una esperanza. Y tú me invocarás y vendrás a suplicarme. Y yo te eschuraré me buscarás y me encontrarás, Me encontrarás cuando me busques de todo corazón. Te dejaré encontrarme, y tú serás libre. And I will seek you, And I will find you, I will search for you with all my heart. I will find you. I will search for you with all my heart. I will be found of you, And we will be free. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer Jonathon Roberts is inspired by Ezekiel 1 and Chef Aarti Sequiera's "Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad" to create Wheels, a song that now exists in two versions, one for rock band and one for chickpeas. Ezekiel 1:15-21 The Wheels By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Musicians: Jonathon Roberts (vocals, piano), Emily Clare Zempel (bassoon), Matt Bauer (harmony vocals), Jay Foote (bass), Mason Neely (drums) Mixed by Alex Foote Mastered by Matt Shane (Masterdisk, NYC) Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The above rendition of "Wheels" is from the debut album of the Spark & Echo Band. The song, however, has an interesting history. In the first year of Spark+Echo Arts, when it was called Bible Confrontatie, the project emphasized confronting or responding to another artist's response to Scripture. In that vein, this song was originally created as a response to Chef Aarti Sequiera's Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad , another work in the Spark+Echo project. To create the song, I recorded the great sounds that came up as I made her salad in my kitchen: firing up the gas burner, roasting a red bell pepper over the burner (it whistled and popped), stirring up tahini, pouring chickpeas, chopping shallots, boiling beets, scraping the skin off the bell pepper with a knife, dropping and toasting walnuts in a pan (we were out of pine nuts). Then I sampled Aarti saying two words from her video: "Tahini" and "Chickpea." I used the tah, iin, and chi sounds. In the spirit of a Food Network style challenge, I limited myself to only the recorded sounds from the salad prep and Aarti's three syllables (tah, iin, chi) when making the composition. I cut the sounds up, pitched them at different octaves, and added delay and reverb. The text is adapted directly from the story of Ezekiel's Vision of God in Ezekiel 1. There are so many fascinating parts of this story, but since Aarti focuses on the mysterious wheels that Ezekiel saw, I thought I would also make this the focus of the song. I imagine the narrator emphatically telling the story of what he just saw to the first person he sees. When we see something incredible, barely believable, sometimes we focus on just one component of what we saw, the only part we can wrap our head around. Imagine a couple telling their grandkids about an extreme storm they just witnessed. The storm had tornados, torrential rains, and affected thousands of lives, yet the part of the story they tell over and over is that there was a mailbox in perfect condition yet up in a tree. The rest of the tale was unfathomable so they keep coming back to that mailbox. That reminds me of Ezekiel a little bit when he spends so much time focusing on the wheels‚-how many, how they intersect, that they move but don't turn. Perhaps of all the wild things he saw, the wheels were something that he could wrap his head around and communicate so he really focused on them. So those are the parts of Aarti's Recipe and Ezekiel's story I am confronting with this "Chickpea Edition" of the Wheels. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

The Rejoicing of Obedience The Ruin of Idolatry Loading Video . . . Visual artist Nicora Gangi explores behavior and outcome in this diptych responding to two juxtaposing passages in 2 Chronicles (vv 7:10; 22:4). 2 Chronicles 22:4 2 Chronicles 7:10 The Body without the Spirit | 2 By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2021 11 x 14 inches Paper and digital collage Mixed Media Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link About “The Rejoicing of Obedience” (from 2 Chronicles 7:10) Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel. The whole congregation expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction imaginable. They kept the feast of the dedication of the altar, then the day of atonement, and finally, the feast of tabernacles. We must never begrudge the length of hours, days or even weeks we spend in the worship of God and communion with Him. For the joy and happiness of heart will so far outweigh any length of it. About “The Ruin of Idolatry” (from 2 Chronicles 22:4) Ahaziah was 42 years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. [...] He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab… (2 Chronicles 22:2a, 3-4a, NASB 1977) A repetitive statement in II Chronicles is: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord.” These kings debased and destroyed themselves because they kept close to the kinds of idolatry, lewdness and sensuality, which the God of Israel strictly forbade. Forsaking the divine guidance that was theirs through the good and famous priests and Levites who taught the knowledge of God in David’s life time, they listened to the counsels of their relations, becoming a ruin to the nation of Israel. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord I See Him but Not Now So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land I See Him but Not Now The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Memories Lies Fool Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By View the other two posts in this collection at: The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 3 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Aaron Beaumont's new song explores the psychedelic nature of Peter's vision in connection to his introduction to Cornelius as described in Acts 10. Acts 10 Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) By Aaron Beaumont Credits: Written, Performed, and Produced By Aaron Beaumont. 2016 Backup Vocals: Amanda Wallace Curated by: Sarah Gregory 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Acts 10 is an incredible – and incredibly wacky – story. Intense heat, a meditation sesh on a seaside rooftop, culminating in a trance in which exotic animals appear out of thin air THREE times. It might be raving mad or psychedelic – either way, Peter definitely looks kind of like a person who, I confess, I would take pains not to sit by on the subway. This made me wonder, “What WOULD this story look like if it happened today? What would I have done in Peter’s shoes?” That’s the basis of Narwhal and Ocelot… that, plus, the irresistible opportunity to (as a theater writer and all around word-play dork) come up with a bunch of rhymes for “ocelot,” which I’ve never had an excuse to work into a lyric (and it was still a stretch) #lifegoals . Here, Joppa becomes L.A., my beloved former home and a place not especially scared of a little casual afternoon rooftop meditation (possibly paired with hot yoga). Also, Peter’s dietary restrictions – so L.A.! Having grown up a vegetarian, I get it, and still dabble. For instance, I too would abstain from eating narwhal and ocelot, probably even if I thought it was the Lord’s bidding? And therein lies the crux of this story for me: it isn’t simply that Peter gets this zany vision, but rather, that he also acts on it, traveling to a whole new city to rendezvous with an officer from foreign occupying forces. Highly taboo. And from what I understand, the outcome of all these absurd, weird decisions was (likely) the first non-Jewish Christian community. I, for one, as a healthy skeptic, given to perhaps excessive rationalization, would probably have dismissed this vision out of hand (perhaps even as a byproduct of the “shellfish that I ate”). But then, as an artist, and moreover, as a human, I’m constantly challenged to act on a tenuous vision – to organize my life around a conception of reality that is frequently at odds with the actual reality I’m confronted with. In a recent interview, Todd Rundgren says something to the effect that he’s an idealist, and boldly believes in a bright future for humanity – and as a result, he often finds himself kind of angry at humanity for regularly challenging this organizing principle. To me, the Acts 10 story illustrates the conundrum perfectly: the problems of perception and apprehension, and the elusive, complicated, sometimes absurd, and often frustrating nature of chasing a vision. This time, it works out for Peter. But what do we do with all the days when the crazy, transcendent rooftop vision isn’t accompanied, and affirmed, by an ensuing knock at the door? 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 Lightness of the Pines Artist in Residence 2017: Aaron Beaumont Aaron Beaumont Other Works By Read: Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) lyrics Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Two, Oil on Canvas, 10 x 20 inches Lifted, Charcoal on Paper, 14 x 17 inches Loading Video . . . Abigail Barr explores the theme of "Community" from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 through two different works of oil and charcoal. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two and Lifted By Abby Barr Credits: Curated by: Matt Talmage and Renee Bergen, Pop-Up Curator 2012 Two: 10 x 20 inches. Lifted:14 x 17 inches. Two: Oil on Canvas. Lifted: Charcoal. Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Growing up in a strong evangelical family, my faith and art are deeply intertwined. I think of spiritual concepts in terms of visual images, and often the inspiration for my art comes from what I am learning or meditating on in my walk with the Lord. This project was no exception. I keenly felt my own insufficiency for the task and wrestled with the image throughout my time working on it, but ultimately I found my faith strengthened as I experienced the Lord inspiring and guiding me faithfully through the process. I have always loved creating illustrative work that suggests story, as well as using people as subject matter. For me, figures are a powerful way to tell a story and show emotion in my work. The passage I chose to illuminate (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) speaks deeply about the importance of relationships and community, of keeping yourself woven into the fabric of lives around you. Correspondingly, I wanted the two figures I drew to be joined inextricably as one whole unit, and yet distinguishable as separate entities, pushing and pulling on each other and displaying dynamic unity. I hope the image illustrates the power of bearing one another's burdens and carrying one another through hard times, even though this may be difficult and messy. We can only succeed by looking to the One who bore all our burdens perfectly, and continues to lift us up when we fall. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Abby Barr grew up in Hampton Roads, Virginia as part of a large, artistic family. She has been drawing and creating artwork as long as she can remember. Since her early teenage years, she has shown and sold her work, as well as fulfilled commissions. After graduating from high school, where she recieved four years of private classical art instruction, she went on to study Theology and Philosophy at Grove City College (2007), where she also consistently pursued art classes outside her major. Her mediums of choice include pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, watercolors, ceramics and collage. Abby has travelled and lived around the world, for both work and pleasure, and moved to Manhattan in 2011. She currently doodles and sketches in Harlem or at a shared studio near Columbia University. Website Abby Barr About the Artist Abby Barr Other Works By Abigail was chosen by our Pop-Up Curators, Matt Talmage and Renée Renata Bergan during a Spark & Echo concert at Pete’s Candy Store . Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." This love song is inspired by the Bible's writings on eternal life, true lasting love, and the beautiful night time sounds of spring peeper frogs near the house I grew up in in Wisconsin. The Bible passage that appears directly in the song is Matthew 6:19-21, and the concept of dying to ourselves from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31) is also prominent. Other biblical concepts include the influence of nature and spiritual forces on our lives, the lies we believe, and the hope of eternal life (see Psalm 136:1, 1 John 2:25, Jude 1:21). Matthew 6:19-21 Frogs By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be." This love song is inspired by the Bible's writings on eternal life, true lasting love, and the beautiful night time sounds of spring peeper frogs near the house I grew up in in Wisconsin. The Bible passage that appears directly in the song is Matthew 6:19-21, and the concept of dying to ourselves from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31) is also prominent. Other biblical concepts include the influence of nature and spiritual forces on our lives, the lies we believe, and the hope of eternal life (see Psalm 136:1, 1 John 2:25, Jude 1:21). This song was written at my childhood home after a break-up with a long-time girlfriend, Emily Clare Zempel. Year later, Emily and I reunited in NYC and got married. I sang this song at our wedding reception, and later, we recorded it as the Spark+Echo Band and toured it around the country. It used to be a sad song for me, but now it's a love song between us. -Jonathon Roberts Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Multidisciplinary artist Lauren Ferebee responds to Psalm 137 through her theatrical film. Psalms 137 while in a foreign land By Lauren Ferebee Credits: Curated by: Emily Clare Zempel 2013 Theatrical Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link In thinking about Psalm 137, I was struck by the phrase “daughter Babylon” – the female personification of land, which is a theme that recurs in history and in literature – the female body as a space to be mapped, conquered, and known. I thought about this in relationship to the psalm's overall discussion of self-silencing – the act of not wanting to sing for those that keep you captive, and yet knowing that if you don’t sing for long enough, if you are silent for long enough, you will forget your song. “while in a foreign land” explores what silence does to memory: how the real violence in the act of conquering and destruction is an act of forgetting. I deconstructed this narrative to look at small pieces of it from different points in time, overlaid with video highlighting different aspects of the female body in space and how we respond to it. In particular, I examined the narrative of sex slavery in our culture, and how we distance ourselves from its brutal reality. I struggled with that even in researching it. Learning about young – very young, impossibly young – girls being tortured, drugged, and kidnapped all over the world (even in our country) was a wake-up call for me. Women distanced from their bodies even as they are defined by their bodies. This piece is only the beginning of a long examination of everything I found when I started digging – the beginning of my artistic confrontation with the subjugation of women’s bodies, and the way that global patriarchy systematically condones the separation of women from their deepest selves, through violence, through language, through culture, ultimately resulting in their decision to silence themselves, as the speakers of Psalm 137 choose to silence themselves, even as they fear forgetting the roots of their songs. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lauren Ferebee is a Texan native and a multidisciplinary artist whose primary mediums are playwriting and installation/video art. Most recently, her play The Reckless Season was selected for Stage West’s Southwest Playwriting Competition Festival of New Works, and her alternative screwball comedy Sexual Geography was a finalist for the Reva Shiner Comedy Award at the Bloomington Playwrights’ Project. In 2014, she was a juried fellow at Saltonstall Arts Colony, a semifinalist for the Shakespeare’s Sister fellowship and the first theatre-artist-in-residence at HUB-BUB in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where in addition to writing, she did community-based theatre work. Her most recent work includes Sexual Geography (developed at HUB-BUB), The Reckless Season (The Spartanburg Little Theatre/HUB-BUB), Somewhere Safer (FringeNYC 2013, Inkwell finalist), and Blood Quantum (At Hand Theatre & WET Productions). Three of her short plays, jericho, jericho , Bob Baker’s End of the World and The Pirate King are published online at indietheaternow.com , where Somewhere Safer is also published as part of the 2013 Fringe Collection. She is a member of playwriting collective Lather, Rinse, Repeat, and studied playwriting, screenwriting and television writing at Primary Stages/ESPA. Lauren also has regional and NYC credits as an actress on stage and in film, and from 2007-2010 was co-artistic director of a site-specific classical theatre company, Rebellious Subjects Theatre. She especially enjoys acting in and teaching Shakespeare and working on new plays. She holds a BFA in drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Website Lauren Ferebee About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Part 1 Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Part 3 Wonders of the Deep Artist in Residence 2016: Lauren Ferebee Lauren Ferebee Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work