Back Voice & Percussion Duo

BACK is the premier voice and percussion duo of New York, committed to sharing passionate and engaging performances of a broad variety of music with an equally broad audience. From concert halls to basement shows, BACK presents exciting commissioned works from inventive composers coupled with fresh interpretations of standard repertoire. The duo strives to expand the unique, yet vital instrumentation of voice and percussion, drawing from their close relationships with composers to create truly idiomatic music.

BACK has showcased their energy and enthusiasm in such Brooklyn venues as Pianos, iBeam, Zebulon Cafe, Northeast Kingdom, 1012 Willoughby, Exapno, Symphony Space, Issue Project Room and Whitman Hall, performing standards of the avant-garde by composers such as John Cage, George Crumb, Morton Feldman, Steve Reich, Georges Aperghis, Iannis Xenakis, James Tenney, Larry Polanksy, Philip Carlsen and Gitta Steiner, along with works of composers Eric Lyon, Shawn Onsgard, Matt Frey, Dave Ruder, Amir Shpilman, Joe White, Ian Munro, and Nick Nelson.

Seaven Teares

Seaven Teares is a quartet making dark, romantic music rooted in post-industrial folk, early music, chamber music and pop. The songs, which can be at once tender and forbidding, accessible and damaged, are centered on the vocal pairing of songwriter Charlie Looker (Extra Life, Sculptress) and mezzo-soprano Amirtha Kidambi.

The intricate ensemble arrangements are the collaborative work of multi-instrumentalist and producer Robbie Lee (Heresy of the Free Spirit, Howling Hex) on the Renaissance portative organ as well as various guitars and woodwinds, and virtuoso percussionist Russell Greenberg (Yarn/Wire) on drums, glockenspiel, vibraphone and more. Seaven Teares is currently at work recording their first full-length Power Ballads.

Performers Forum

Performers Forum: a monthly event at Exapno in Brooklyn.

I serve on the advisory board for an open discussion forum regarding all things innovative and musical. The forum strives to create open and healthy dialogue to promote and foster community between musicians of varied disciplines.

The objective: Performers Forum will provide an inviting, engaging, and non-threatening environment for performers, composers, and music makers of any kind to present any musical works of any stylistic idiom in any stage of development. Participants are welcomed and encouraged to discuss their work to any length, while the audience is welcomed and encouraged to engage the performers in discussion with questions, feedback, or creative and constructive criticism. And if performers want to pose questions to the audience, well, that’s cool too.

Sweat Lodge

The Sweat Lodge is a contemporary music presentation organization in Brooklyn, NY. We happen to be composers, performers and improvisers, and our events involve the presentation of both our own music (performed mostly by ourselves) as well as other diverse endeavors. Our events usually involve donation-based admission, cheap booze and free eats!

The Sweat Lodge consists of Cory Bracken, Amirtha Kidambi, Ian Munro, Ellen O'Meara, Dave Ruder and Joe White. Dave, Joe and Ian are the general curators.

The Sweat Lodge aims to present monthly events at our home in Brooklyn--Exapno, a new music community center. These events consist of concerts, listening parties, and other good times with music. Our goal is to present music in a relaxed atmosphere and to have as much fun as possible for audience and presenter alike.