Tag Archives: Constance Cooper

Arc Welding Performing “Modern” Dada In NY

Arc WeldingDate: June 12, 2016
Venue: ABC No Rio (NY)
Review By Dawoud Kringle

Arc Welding, an experimental improvisational a cappella ensemble with Constance Cooper, Beth Griffith, and Lauren Lee, presented a performance at C.O.M.A., at ABC No Rio.

As Cooper – who’s a member of MFM – introduced the project and performance, the others began vocalizing. It became clear immediately that this was not to be a cappella performance with songs and arrangements. The vocalizing included a wide variety of harmonies, throat singing, sounds and ambient noises.

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Cooplog #9 : A very brief view of blizzards and improvisation

Constance CooperText by Constance Cooper

Amidst snowstorm forecasts last February, a friend of mine was driving off for the President’s Day Weekend amateur string-quartet-playing fest, which is an annual reunion of devotees of the summer Chamber Music Conference at Bennington College.

The only concern my friend expressed about snow conditions was whether the people responsible for bringing all the string-quartet parts would be able to get there.
I thought, fine if they don’t! How wonderful it would be to improvise all weekend, night and day!

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Cooplog #15

Photo courtesy of Constance Cooper

Photo courtesy of Constance Cooper

Text by Constance Cooper (keyboards/vocals improviser and performance artist)

Quoting Sten Hostfalt (composer/improviser, microtonal guitarist, superb colleague) about the improvising life:
Free as a style and stylistic marker and/or a philosophy ? What is free ? How free is free ? is free really free ?
does it matter ? do we care ? well, either way we’ve done it for decades already so it most likely does exist.
Also we might find a clue in rehearsal ( yes freedom can be rehearsed ! ) the night before this event.
And the audience can hear/decide for itself at the concert.

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