I am an experimental vocalist, engaging in free improvisation and realizing indeterminate scores by contemporary composers. I perform classic graphic and text compositions like John Cage’s
Songbooks (Aria 2a and b) and
Aria w/Fontana Mix; Gavin Bryar’s
The Sinking of the Titanic; and Tom Phillips'
IRMA. I love working with composers on new indeterminate pieces and multimedia structures like Christopher Burns’
Fieldwork, and
Alligator Char; Debra Loewen's
Layers; and Kevin Schlei’s
Collision.
As an improviser I fuse extended vocal technique with vintage styles of chant, opera, chanson, and punk. Always pushing the limits, I explore extremes in timbre, texture, and breath; while playing with fragmented melody, intimate phonemes, and/or nonsensical _____ (text?). I perform acoustically and electroacoustically; live processing my voice through guitar pedals, a tube amp and my fuschia speaker cabinet, Roxy.
I have performed and collaborated with exceptional artists like: Hal Rammel, Fred Frith, Christopher Burns, Shayna Dunkelman, Jason Hoopes, Ryan Gregory Tallman, Phillip Greenlief, Steve Nelson-Rainey, Damon Smith, Trevor Saint, and many others.
Ensembles:
Skøefst, a free improvisation trio with Christopher Burns (electric guitar) and Trevor Saint (glockenspiel)
Great Lakes Improvising Orchestra is a fifteen member improvisation collective, instigated and conducted by Hal Rammel.
Burns/Nelson-Raney/Schoofs free improvisation trio with Steve Nelson-Raney (alto saxophone) and Christopher Burns (electric guitar)
MiLO–Milwaukee Laptop Orchestra an improvisation collective fusing live electronic sound, instrumental and vocal performance, and video projection into a rich multimedia experience.
Minor Vices a contemporary music ensemble directed by Christopher Burns, Performers: David Collins, saxophone; Adam Murphy, clarinet/bass clarinet; Trevor Saint, bells; Kevin Schlei, tabla; Amanda Schoofs, voice; and Seth Warren-Crow, drums
Soft Alarm a free improvisation trio with Ben Willis (upright bass) and Devin Drobka (drum kit)
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