August 27, 2016

Meet Reid Simpson

Photographer Reid Simpson took photos for:

All Together Now #8 on 11/4/2017 to be posted soon!
All Together Now #3 on 8/27/2016
All Together Now #2 on 6/25/2016

Artist Q&A

Q: What drew you to photography?

A: My dad took a lot of pictures with slide film, recording family activities. I followed the example as a teen, mainly for Boy Scout events, not unlike what I do at concerts these days. In college, I started expressing more “artsy” views with textures and light effects with a 35mm Olympus OM-2n and a 50mm f1.8 lens.

Q: What do you try to achieve with your photographs?

A: For concert and event shoots, I want to catch the passion and craft of the performers. Expressions, movement, fingers, eyes, flexed sinew, flying hair… whatever evokes a memory of the moment.

Q: What do you think people feel when a camera is pointed at them?

A: By avoiding intrusion on the artist/perceiver connection, I’m trying to avoid forcing the performers to react to the camera. At a previous ATN, I quizzed Jaypix Belmer about subject engagement; I learned that it’s as easy as making the person comfortable with a smile, with the camera down, before starting to shoot. I’m still working on that.

Q: What will you be thinking about going into this All Together Now performance?

A: I’ve shot informally at other ATN events (and hundreds of shows), so I’m comfortable with the general staged performance environment. Music and spoken activities are instinctive for me now, but I’m expecting to be challenged technically and artistically by Amanda Graff and Muhammad Seven. Stretching my skills, camera and personal, is a big reason why I’ve participated in the ATN!

Meet Sarah Fard

Sarah3 (2)
Sarah Fard performs for All Together Now on August 27, 2016.

Sarah is the guitarist and singer of Savoir Faire, which sprouted from what was once just solo performances of vintage jazz standards. Though her college studies focused mainly on jazz guitar, she hopes to combine her experience in rock, jazz, blues, and classical music toward new and original compositions. Sarah finds inspiration everywhere from Kimbra, Fiona Apple, Muse, Joe Pass, and the late great Ella Fitzgerald. She finds that working with a band offers unique opportunities to diversify the role of the guitar, while solo performances offer a chance to arrange intimate entwinements of voice and guitar.  Sarah spends much of her time teaching, as she believes that an arts education plays a critical part in social and creative development.

http://www.savoirfairemusic.com

Artists Statements:

“The line between inspiration and innovation is hard to define sometimes, but it’s the pooling from various corners of inspiration that works best for me. I spent so long just covering jazz standards because I was afraid to perform my originals without copying old ideas- or having boring new ones!”

“I don’t write love songs. That’s not to say that they aren’t important, because of course there is a reason that most songs are love songs! I suppose it’s that a) love comes in many forms, and it doesn’t have to be a romantic ballad to express love, and b) I feel that young girls today are so bombarded with that. Grab a guitar and write about your crush. There is a lot going on in the world today, and music needs to express that, too.”

Meet Adlai Grayson

adlai screaming on beach

Adlai Grayson performs for All Together Now on August 27, 2016.

Originally from Miami, Adlai Grayson graduated from MIT and has performed cancer research at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. He’s directed several collaborative, artistic endeavors, and currently runs Project Nailz, a Boston-based dance company empowering women and other marginalized communities.

Artist Statements:

“Collaboration between artists is a part of life. There really isn’t a boundary if all your senses are set to be aware. Imagine someone painting, there’s music in their strokes. There’s choreography in their hands. There’s a look of ease or a look of desperation leaking from their eyes. Imagine combining writing, dance, and lighting. Ugh the magic! Collaboration is beautiful.”

“Over time, one thing I’ve learned about myself as an artist is that I have a hard time letting go of pieces that I love, but when I do, I create space for new experiences.”

 

Meet Johnny Blazes & 3rian King

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Johnny Blazes & 3rian King perform for All Together Now on August 27, 2016.

 

What’s 10 years between queers?

 

Johnny Blazes & 3rian King  are twins in glitter and song and yet 10 years apart in age. Through music and memoir the pair examine the difference a decade can make in the queer experience. This performance will include previews from their upcoming show “Do you queer what I queer?” premiering at the Afterglow Festival in Provincetown in September.

Artist Statements:

“My favorite thing about the Boston art scene is how all the weirdos find each other. I performer with burlesque dancers, circus artists, and poets as often as I perform with other musicians. We’ve carved out this little corner of the art world where freaks and fags and lovely weirdos can frolic, and no one gives a shit about what ‘genre’ your art is.”

-Johnny Blazes

“To me, the essence of being queer is not knowing whether you want to be someone or do them. The joy is in finding that you don’t have to choose one or the other.”

-Johnny Blazes

Meet Hemway

Hemway

Hemway performed in the first All Together Now on April 23rd. They are also hosting and performing for the rest of the series on June 25 and August 27th.

Hemway :: Music :: Boston
Hemway is a melodic, song-oriented alternative/modern rock band from Boston. Their songs feature emotionally rich lyrics and unusual instrument voicing and relationships. Band members, James Brooks, Shaun Utter, and Anna Rae draw on years of performing and touring experience to bring audiences an energetic and eclectic mix of songs that reference multiple genres including rock, pop, blues, folk, and reggae.

Website: www.hemwayband.com

Artist Statement:

“As I’ve gotten older my relationship with music has changed… in the past it was about trying to “succeed”… meaning become rich and famous. These days its about feeding my spirit by participating in an activity that allows me to express my creativity without worrying about the end goals… without having any real goal at all other than to have fun writing good tunes and performing with people I enjoy.”

-James Brooks of Hemway

“When I went to music school I had a teacher once who asked a large lecture class I was in, ‘What do musicians DO?’

The answer was simply, ‘they play.’

This has resonated with me ever since. ‘Playing’ music let’s us connect directly to something natural and childlike and really helps to keep us young.”

-James Brooks of Hemway