Music for Love and Venom

During January, students at Oberlin College's Conservatory of Music recorded an original score, by composer Ryan Lester ('11), for "Love and Venom": an upcoming episode of The Amerikans featuring Don Downs, an apitherapist from Wellington, Ohio. The musicians include: cellist Jennifer Carpenter, violist Rosalind Soltow, violinist Rachel Iba, and clarinetist Jarret Hoffman. The session was conducted by Oscar Thorp and recorded by Charles Glanders, who will also be doing sound design for the episode. "Love and Venom" is one of three episodes funded by a grant from the Lorain County Community Foundation.

Click photo to see gallery

Walter

On location for an upcoming episode of The Amerikans, assistant director Jackson Bierfeldt sits with Walter Frey, owner of the Walter A. Frey Funeral Home, in Lorain, Ohio. Walter is a licensed funeral director, psychologist, cosmetician, and owner of over a thousand neckties. He is also the subject of episode #12 of The Amerikans, which will premier early this year. Aside from assistant directing, Jackson shoots video, records sound, and provides web engineering and PR for Art+Practice. At seventeen, he is an essential team member, as well as the youngest collaborator. Watch for the premier of Walter's episode, simply titled Walter.

Visit with Parnell Necklace

Jeffrey Pence & Parnell Necklace

On Sunday, March 25th, Art+Practice met with Parnell Necklace (Wanapin Gagà Hoksina) of the Ihanktonwan Nakota (Yankton Sioux). Parnell is a drum maker and the founder of Iron Necklace: a group of musicians and artists who tour the US, entertaining audiences and educating people about traditional Nakota culture. Art+Practice has asked Iron Necklace to drum and sing on an audio track for AMERIKA: a notebook in three parts, which is being scored by Ryan Lester. Parnell grew up in Yankton, South Dakota. He now lives in Peebles, Ohio.