Intermedia Collaboration

A discussion of Intermedia work, in particular Roger Reynolds's FLiGHT Project and the video "operas" of the late Robert Ashley. Participants include Tom Hamilton, a collaborator of Ashley's, and Ross Karre, percussionist and Intermedia artist for performances of various works by Reynolds. Moderated by Roger Reynolds, Pulitzer prize-winning American composer and University Professor, University of California, San Diego. To inaugurate the 66th American Music Festival: Personal Visions on March 8, 2015, at the National Gallery of Art, guest festival director Roger Reynolds joined Tom Hamilton and Ross Karre to discuss artistic collaboration in the creation of multimedia experiences. Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously wrote about "the suspension of disbelief"—of giving oneself over to a constructed illusion. This discussion considers the ways contributors work together to reach an optimal balance among media in creating such experiences. Hamilton talks about altering vocal quality and assembling electronic aspects of the late American composer Robert Ashley's idiosyncratic "operas." Karre describes collaborating as projection designer for Reynolds's works, including the image and light projections for the FLiGHT Project portion of the JACK Quartet concert held later that day.