December 2019 Newsletter: NEW VIDEO: "Wildcat Hollow"; Loghaven Artist Residency
End-of-year thoughts: as I write this, I'm sitting on a porch in Knoxville, Tennessee, looking and listening out over the hills and woods and quiet. I'm at the Loghaven Artist Residency, and have had a lovely week of work (on a new album) and solitude in the most beautiful cabin I've ever been in. I am grateful for this opportunity, and hope that your new year brings you unexpected opportunities, too. Below, see some photos from Loghaven, as well as the latest Forest Listening Rooms video -- of local children at Wildcat Hollow in the Wayne National Forest, Ohio. Finally, look out for a special "Year-in-Review" Newsletter in the next few. Thank you again for you interest in this work, and my best wishes to you in the new year, Brian
NEW FOREST LISTENING ROOMS VIDEO AND IMAGES
Listening session with children at Wildcat Hollow, in the Wayne National Forest.
This is the fourth short video in a series that shares some of the many different people and environments of Forest Listening Rooms, a socially engaged art project taking place in Appalachian Ohio. Here, I joined a group of young children this past spring to listen and talk of what they heard: branches and birds, wind and voices, airplanes and industry. They then listen to music and archival recordings of children of past generations talking of mining. They finally tell their own stories, of their discoveries in the forest.
Below, I've also included some of the many photos documenting Forest Listening Room performances over the past 18 months, taking place all over the Wayne National Forest and Appalachian Ohio. I enjoyed all of these interactions, and look forward to continuing the project into the new year. Click the button below to see more photos, learn more, and watch the other videos in the series. (Photos below by Julian Foglietti, Rava Films, and Brian Harnetty.)
LOGHAVEN ARTIST RESIDENCY
Loghaven, located just south of downtown Knoxville, is a brand new artist retreat. Along with five other artists, I was asked to spend a week there as part of an inaugural "test" residency. It was a fabulous experience, and I was able to write and record a significant portion of a new album based on the Thomas Merton archives. Loghaven is bound to become one of the premiere artist residencies in the country, and I was honored to be there. (Photos by Poynter Photo and Brian Harnetty.)