Amy Pence's Armor, Amour

A very cool book of poetry by my step-mother-in-law. My song cycles are printed in the pages, and one of them was art-ified for the cover! There's also a sweet digital download of the poems being read, on top of my awesome background soundtrack. Cool enough to buy 4 or 5 copies I'd say.

http://www.ninebarkpress.org/order.html

I Am Watch Television Zombie

This interdisciplinary production explores our addiction to television with a team of 20 actors, musicians, technicians and aerial dancers. With no seating, audience members will wade through a transformed theater space waist-deep in balloons, immersed in thousands of animated TV images projected on four walls.

Actors will interact with audiences as musicians appear and perform seemingly out of nowhere. With a rich mix of aerial dancers, actors, live music and thousands of moving images and balloons, there could be moments of sensory overload, overwhelm and laughter.

The production was conceived and produced by Hunter Ewen, a CU doctoral candidate in music and Nicole Predki of Frequent Flyers (MFA Dance 2009).

Taking place January 26th and 27th 2012, at the ATLAS Black Box Theater in Boulder, CO, I Am Watch Television Zombie is an exploration of the nature of our mutual addiction to the television screen.  With an all volunteer team of over 40 actors, dancers, musicians, technologists, videographers, welders, chefs, computer-programmers, and balloon inflaters, the show will be an unrelenting assault on the eyes, ears, and taste buds of the audience.  Instead of sitting in chairs, the audience will be directed by invisible voices in the concert hall to stand and move throughout the 2,400 sqft performance space. Audience members will wade, waist-deep, in a sea of balloons that fill the entire hall as projections flash all around them and aerial dancers take to the sky on custom-built contraptions above everyone's heads!

Throughout the performance, people will be completely surrounded by moving images projected onto a 360 degree, wrap-around screen.  We will be projecting 58 hours of television (the average amount a person watches in a week) during each performance. Musicians will emerge from nooks and crannies in the space and play along with the BOOMING 13.1 surround-sound system while mingling with the audience.  We even have a mechanically controlled grand-piano ready to do our bidding!  The wails and cries of the actors will be reflected, projected, and transformed by a suite of custom-built computer applications to form the terrifying roar of the zombie apocalypse.

What we have:

This project was the winner of the 2011 ATLAS Arts and Technology Fellowship, and as such, much of the technical support will be provided freely by the ATLAS Center for Arts, Media, and Performance.  This includes use of projectors, computers, audio equipment, lighting design, audio and video recording equipment, as well as an excellent support team to help make sure everything behind-the-scenes runs the way we want.  The black box theaterat The University of Colorado Boulder, is quite possibly the most technologically advanced performance venue of it's size in Colorado, and it is a great honor to be producing the show alongside their team.

We are also blessed with an incredibly passionate and creative group of on and off-stage performers.  The team of aerialists are volunteers from Colorado's pre-eminent aerial dance and theater company, and the musicians and performance artists are all volunteers from the Boulder and Denver areas.  We have the passion, drive, and experience to make this project a great success.  We have all been involved in large-scale performances, and we're raring to go.  And with YOUR help, this project will be bigger, better, badder, and bolder than anything we've done before!

What we need:

Volunteer performers are the backbone of this project, but we're still a long way from financing our endeavor!  We need money for costumes, set design, props, welding of aerial dance equipment, software, and wires and cables to make the fleet of projectors and computers work.  We need wood, canvas, and paint for the scenery.  We need metal to build rigs for the dancers and to build percussion instruments for performers.  We want to build special rigs for the performers to hide in, emerge from, and be flown to the ceiling as they explore every inch of the space, horizontally and vertically.  We need money for exotic and spine-tingling foods to entice the audience.  We need money to buy and fill the entire performance space will balloons (and if we're lucky, we'll set a Guinness Record doing so).  We will need safety equipment for the aerial performers: harnesses, ropes, fabric, and pulleys.  It's a tall order, but a little bit of money goes along way (especially since we're all volunteering our time)!

We also need people who can become involved creatively in the project!  Our reward system is setup such that everyone who donates becomes involved in the show.  Not only will you get some epic loot (not available to the public), but we want images and videos FROM YOU - things you think would be appropriate for our show.  So we're asking everyone who donates to send us names, pictures, and/or videos.  It could be you and your friends posing like zombies - it could be you making a crazy face, or dressed up as your favorite TV/movie/internet character - it could be a great drawing you make or even something completely unrelated!  We want everyone to feel like they have astake in the project, so the wackier, crazier, and more unusual your pictures / videos, the better!  We're looking forward to seeing what awesome stuff everyone comes up with!

Why Write Casanova

At first glance, Giacomo Casanova represents a technically demanding and intellectually daunting character to bring to life on the stage. Casanova’s public stereotype far outshines the significance of his exploits. His adventures took place in an era far removed from our own. And on the subject of himself, Casanova has already written 1.3 million words about his conquests. Known as the most prominent paramour of his time, the greatness of Casanova’s love is not measured in breadth. It is measured in depth. Instead of aspiring to love as many as he, maybe we can learn to love as much. This simple statement gave me my first insight into the character and proved to be a “eureka moment” for my musical journey.

Every story has to begin at the beginning; mine started in a meeting with the charming and effervescent Bill Mooney. Through his assiduous passion and rapier wit, he helped me appreciate the creative possibilities in retelling Casanova’s story. Casanova at Twilight provided a great opportunity to reimagine a familiar archetype. With the help of his delightful wife, Valorie Goodall, we set off on a grand adventure of sex and deceit in 18th century Italy.

After adventuring for some time, I began to realize that Casanova and I were connected in ways I never anticipated. As a composer and lyricist, I found inspiration in Casanova’s witty, scandalous tales of debauchery. They fascinate and titillate. However, Casanova’s true brilliance resides in his autobiography, Histoire de ma Vie. He articulates the intimate details of his life with critical objectivity and a frankness that many others are unwilling or unable to achieve. As his story progresses, Casanova reveals the true depth of his character, his naked soul emerging from page after page of brutal, unapologetic honesty. I try to capture the same feeling of integrity in the music for Casanova at Twilight.

The music is ribald at times, and soothing at others. It bounces capriciously from one idea to the next as Casanova’s mind wonders. Themes from Casanova’s past are often misremembered or misinterpreted, especially when in pursuit of a lovely lady. He never developed a strong understanding of musical technique, so phrases and motifs often fluctuate in style and historical context. It is at once loud and brash, soft and sweet, angry, funny, ugly, and sexy. As with literature, true musical expression can only be achieved through self-reflection and a fearless exploration of the human condition. In this way, Casanova and I are brothers.

World Record Ballon Blower-upper

Hello all.  Many have seen this on Facebook, but here is the video of me breaking the Guinness Record for most balloons inflated in 1 hour by 1 person.  The new record is 582, as you can see below.

Casanova at Twilight - Tickets on Sale Now

Tickets just went on sale for my new musical comedy!  Performances will happen in the ATLAS Black Box Theater.  The show's dates are 9/23, 9/24, 9/25, 9/30, 10/1, 10/2, and 10/3, with 7:30 shows on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:00 shows on Sundays.


ABOUT THE SHOW:
Lock up your daughters! Casanova at Twilight is a scandalous new musical comedy written by Bill Mooney, with original music by Hunter Ewen, based on Casanova’s autobiography. This musical romp through Casanova’s scandalous life is directed by Valorie Goodall, and features Bill Mooney as Old Casanova, Garrett Smith as Young Casanova, with Leigh Holman, Jeffrey Kash, Bjorn Arvidsson, Emily Murdock, Kari Kraakevik, David L’Hommedieu, and Bruce and Jere Mock.


TICKETS:
- Single tickets $30
- $5 student rush tickets available at the door for CU-Boulder students with valid Buff One Card


Visit CuPresents.org (or click here) or call 303-492-8008 for tickets

Things I Like

Looking back, I decided to create some abstract designs (with Olly Moss in mind) of things that I like. See if you can guess all of them!

Lily Foster Video

Here are few videos from my recent performance, Hullo, My Name is Lily Foster. Much of the piece is intended for mature audiences, but the following clips are appropriate for internet exhibition. Enjoy.

Radio Interview and Other Press

Check out the radio interview I'm doing for Boulder 1190.  It's on Sunday at 7:30pm.  Also, there's a really nifty press release circulating about the premiere.  I've included it below:

CONSTITUTION DAY CONCERT CELEBRATION FEATURES COMPOSITION PRIZE WINNER

A prize-winning composition by a CU-Boulder student that seeks to reflect in music what our founding fathers were feeling when they gathered to write the Constitution will be performed in a concert in celebration of Constitution Day, Sept. 17.

“Novus Ordo Seclorum” (New Order for the Ages), by Hunter Ewen, a master’s student in composition, will be featured in the Pendulum New Music Concert Series on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which opens with “Fanfare” by Daniel Kellogg, commissioned and performed by the CU Horn Choir, will be held in Grusin Music Hall. It will be free and open to the public, with a reception following.

Ewen’s piece won the Constitution Day composition competition cosponsored by CU-Boulder’s College of Music and the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement.
When composing the piece, Ewen set out to capture the ethos of the political culture at the time of the Philadelphia convention. On Sept. 17, 1787, 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention adopted the Constitution of the United States of America. The Constitution officially took effect on March 4, 1789.

“There are several unusual elements in this composition, all of which reinforce the sense of community, as well as the idea of stepping off a ledge and diving headfirst into the unknown,” said Ewen, who composed the piece to include a set of live performers underscoring a series of dramatic readings, where music is generated and notated by a computer.


“Their uncertainties about the future of the country translate into our uncertainties about what’s going to happen next, musically,” said Ewen. “Their sense of community becomes are sense of community, their fearlessness becomes our fearlessness.”



Each year the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement undertakes a project to commemorate the constitution. Activities from past years include an art competition, debates, and online quizzes.


“We try to keep it lively and sponsor an activity that will capture people’s imaginations,” said Peter Simons, director of the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement.

Call the College of Music Concerts Box Office at 303-492-8008 for
information about this performance. For more information about the College of Music visit http://www.colorado.edu/music. Information on the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement is available at http://www.colorado.edu/iece.

Moving Images

Experiencing moving images is a fairly common occurrence in modern society. Please see here if you don't know what I mean. My new piece, Novus Ordo Seclorum is going to explore that phenomenon. With a projected score, procedurally generated, the performers will be repeating short musical gestures (a la Riley's in C) that morph and evolve over time. The performance is celebrating Constitution day, and will be performed on Constitution day (9/17) at 7:30pm, Grusin Hall, University of Colorado at boulder. Please inquire with requests for score rental, if interested. I would be happy to send out the Max file.

Harry Potter

If you are in Cleveland, I have a new piece I'm premiering on October 3rd, at Amassa Stone Chapel. The title is "Harry Potter Returns to Hogwarts". It is a solo electronic piece, controlled by bluetooth buttons+accelerometer (magic wand). The piece will be very theatrical and very interesting - I will post a video or two when it is done. If you're in Colorado, it is being played on October 31st, date and time tbd.

New Gi•nt's Eye Videos

Better late than never. Here are a few movements from one of the Gi•nt's Eye performances that happened last April. Click on the videos for a brief description on who the performers are, who the audience is, what is improvised, and where the computer is coming into play. Enjoy!

Movement 1 (The "Launch" Movement)
Live audience member on piano, with reactive piano-playing computer algorithm.

Movement 2 (The "Fantasy Game" Movement)
Improvised dance, improvised music reacting to a movement-sensitive digital body suit. Real time audio and video processing.

Movement 4 (The "Valentine" Movement)

Movement 5 (The "So Long" Movement)
Soprano vocalist, live piano, computer controlled piano, and offstage flute, trumpet, ebow, saxophone. Poetry by Serena Chopra (created in Mvmt 4). Improvisational music.

I'm engaged

That's right!  After 5 years and 7 months of dating, Megan and I are finally engaged.  To see pictures and read the story of how it went down, you can visit my personal website (MeganAndHunter.com).  Keep in mind that the website is only about 80% done, but it's still good enough to be entertaining.  Enjoy!

No news is good news

School is now out, and I am embarking on a number of fun summer projects. One of the more interesting projects is designing a new website, and needless to say, my commitment to keeping this website up to date is lagging. I will make a formal announcement when it it live, so keep on the lookout.

Gi•nt's Eye Premieres

Don't forget to come to one or both of my premieres next weekend. Gi•nt's Eye will have two performances: Saturday the 5th at 8:00pm, and Sunday the 6th at 2:00pm. They will both take place in Atlas Black Box theater. Admission is free and there's a great reception afterwards. See you there!

New Poster for 2/27 Concert

New Gi•nt's Eye Events

Here are three upcoming events related to Gi•nt's Eye.

Arts, Media, and Engineering Lecture - 2/14 - Arizona State University

Movement 6 Demo - 2/16 - 6:15 - Atlas Black Box

Movement 1 Demo - 2/27 - 7:30 - Atlas Black Box

Movement 2 Demo - 3/16 - 4:00 - Boulder Library 

And don't forget the concert premiere dates 4/5 8:00 and 4/6 2:00 in Atlas Black Box.

Gi•nt's Eye website is up!

Though you have already seen my splash screen, I feel compelled to mention that the basic information for my new composition Gi•nt's Eye is online.  Things are being updated in real time, and the first ten Gi•nt's Eye related event's (lectures, demos, etc...) are posted.  Check back later for more information.

Faculty Templates

Though this is not strictly related to music, the faculty web templates are done. These templates are meant for music faculty members who would like a web presence but don't have the time or inclination to create their own website. Feel free to contact me for more information or to setup a time to meet.

The massive (unnamed) dance, art, poetry, mixed media composition

As I start with the preparations for my massive interdisciplinary multimedia piece (as part of my interactive series, for April of next year), I need to start recruiting talent. My current needs include musicians who can improvise in a 21st century idiom, an onstage artist (who works in an odor free medium), a graphic designer, and an onstage poet. If you're interested in participating, or would like more information please email me or visit the blog I set up, http://ewen.wikispot.org The majority of my time is being spent working on this project, though there will be a few smaller concert opportunities around the Boulder / Denver area. I will keep the site updated with the latest information about premieres and performances. Thanks in advance.

New Mouthpiece

The private screening of the new line of mouthpieces (designed by Jacob Crandall and myself) took place today. Though this is an engineering project, it is music-related, so I thought it would be appropriate to mention. I can't speak about the specific design elements on this website, as it could jeopardize the international patent; however, I can say that the project was well received. There was even time for a live demonstration of one new model!! If this designed is published in the Case magazine, or anywhere else, I will post a link. If not, this is probably the final word.