1+1=3: Musical Artists Operating In Genuineness Beyond Fixed Outcomes

INTRODUCTION

“The real genuine stories are about one and one equaling three…We live in a rational world. We're absolutely certain that one and one equals two. And it does. But the things that matter most to us, some people call it love, some people call it God, some people call it reason, is that other thing where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And that's the three.”

“All story is manipulation. Is there acceptable manipulation? You bet.  People say, oh, boy, I was so moved to tears in your film. That's a good thing. That was because I manipulated that. That's part of storytelling. I didn't do it dis-genuinely. I did it sincerely. I am moved by that, too. That's manipulation. Truth is we hope, a by-product of the best of our stories. And yet there are many, many different kinds of truths. And an emotional truth is something that you have to build.”

- Ken Burns: On Story

“A bad story is one where you are sure of it and you go there with your intentionality fixed in place.”     

"And for me, the process of sitting down to write a story is to keep your eyes open all the time, to keep yourself mystified and to say, this thing defies systemization."

- George Saunders: On Story

GALLERY

“1+1=3: Musical Artists Operating In Genuineness Beyond Fixed Outcomes is a contemporary music exhibition inspired by critical reflections from filmmaker Ken Burns & writer George Saunders on the compelling nature of storytelling. Their wisdom is considered by four musical artists who share personal & autobiographical stories stemming from their musical lives of genuineness that intersect with unfixed life  outcomes. This exhibition invites the general public to engage these stories and give careful consideration to their related musical compositions both independently and as a cohort. This exhibition also offers the general public an opportunity to explore contemporary music listening more actively towards a renewed reverence for its musical artists. Exhibiting musical artists are Cecil Vineet Abhishek, Bryan Murray, Mother Nevada, and Dylan Viola.”

- Jeffrey Cobbold (curator)

Cecil Vineet Abhishek (musical artist)

Cecil Vineet Abhishek is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, engineer and teacher. Twice nominated at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Abhishek started playing the piano at the age of three, and has since gone on to perform other instruments, notably the bansuri. He is a five-time recipient of the Global Music Awards, and has worked as a score-producer for various Indian films, as well as written two books for piano students – One, a piano nocturne titled ‘December’, and the other titled ‘Play Your Songs’ that welcomes the beginner student to a hands-on course into performing the piano in the pop genre.

‘Traveller’ is an ambient piece based on Psalm 23, written and performed by Cecil Abhishek. Picture a nomad yearning to figure out a course through the wilderness, and all he has got are his wits, his grit, and an unseen force propelling him to keep going forward. He knows not where he is headed towards (George Saunders would probably be proud of the nomad’s lack of intentionality towards a specific direction), but all the nomad knows is he must keep going; for he knows that goodness and mercy shall follow him and guide him to his destination, wherever that may be – and once beyond the wilderness after being beaten into the dust, he knows he shall be a force for good for the rest of his days.

On a personal note, ‘Traveller’ invites you to witness the nomad’s journey in space and time. The piece was written in December 2020, and completed by Christmas week, against the pandemic’s backdrop, making it no doubt the bleakest known Christmas to many of us. The piece involved channelizing much of the unpredictability of life in general, and of day-to-day running of the home against an unhealthy financial backdrop that has impacted millions –including this very composer into something positive and transformative – culminating into a musical piece that one could listen to at times of peace, at times of strife and anxiety, at work, or even at sleep. No matter what one may feel in the moment, may the aura of 'Traveller’ fill you with hope and peace.

Mother Nevada (musical artist)

Mother Nevada started writing songs in 1999 because it made him feel good to play in bands, see friends, and simply create because he believes humans need to create. He doesn't prefer to watch TV when he has free time because songwriting is what makes him feel productive and expressive. Songwriting is what he thinks about during his spare moments but he doesn't consider himself an “artist” by trade. He feels that he is just intrinsically motivated to write songs more than anything else.

Mother Nevada's other projects are Trash Island, The Planet Earth BDM Band and CR and the Nones. Past projects include Hollywood Ave, Policemen In Pickups, Bad Case of Big Mouth, Kage Bunshin and more!

“During the summer of 2015, I found myself not working and spending days on end at my girlfriend’s condo which was a short walk away from the beach. While she was bringing home the bacon I would go to a bar that overlooked a large section of the beach and spend the afternoons into the evenings putting a dent into their supply of Miller Lites, people watching and writing lyrics and song ideas into my phone. Comfortable and content, just living life as it comes and doing what I love.

A new band and a bunch of songs came out of that summer but the one that sticks out to me is a tune called, “The Makeout Blanket.” For twenty years I’ve written songs that are fast and loud with piles of lyrics crammed into each measure. It’s my style. While I’ve stuffed a million words into a million melodies over the course of that time I feel like I said as much in that song as in any other.  Probably said more than I even intended to.

Maybe I’m losing some energy in my old age, perhaps a bit more confidence, but whatever the cause happens to be, I’ve become comfortable with the concept of “show don’t tell.” I’ve learned to trust whatever listener happens to stumble across one of my songs. I don’t have to beat them over the head.  They’ll get it. Summer isn’t over if you don’t want it to be.  Spring break forever.”

Bryan Murray (musical artist)

After 20 years of living, studying and performing in the NY music scene, Bryan Murray has recently relocated to Apple Valley, Minnesota with his family.  Driven by a strong urge to create and evolve, Bryan has continually embraced new and different mediums of expression.

With an established background and education in jazz, Bryan soon took to pushing boundaries and led an “avant country” band focusing on the songwriting of country music legend Merle Haggard.  He has also been a regular sideman on other projects including Unspeakable Garbage and Jon Lundbom’s Big Five Chord, and had the opportunity to join the “Love This Giant” tour with David Byrne and St. Vincent.  His latest musical projects utilize a “modified saxophone” of his own creation and are recorded under the pseudonym “Balto Exclamationpoint”

During the course of his musical endeavors, Bryan started visually documenting the world around him, first with photography and later with painting.  He was awarded his first solo show in 2018 at the Watchung, NJ Arts Center and his work has appeared in a number of publications including Downbeat magazine and the NY Times.

“My composition "Cooke and Pauley" refers to a funeral home in my hometown Nitro, West Virginia.  My dad's uncle Kellas Pauley owned and lived at the funeral home.  Occasionally my dad would drop me there for some free babysitting and to spend time with Kellas (who I called uncle Kale) and I would roam the funeral home fascinated by the many rooms and caskets.  Sometimes a room would be roped off and dark inside and there would be a body ready for viewing.  I would walk fast by that room afraid something might jump out and get me.  That building seemed huge to me back then compared to where we lived.  This composition takes you through some of the feelings I had being there.” 

Bryan Murray

Cooke and Pauley

Sheet Music (2 pages)

2007

Bryan Murray

Cooke and Pauley Funeral Home (Images 1 & 2)

Courtesy of Cooke and Pauley Funeral Home

Photography

2007

Dylan Viola (musical artist)

Dylan Viola is a for hire web developer, perennial musician, addicted runner, excited traveler, amateur builder, and Katie's boyfriend. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

“Sour Breath is a collection of impressionistic phrases quilting a year steeped in infamy and wasted on hope.  The many stories possibly contained within this song only serve to show me how many more didn't fit.  One such story concerns a neighborhood cat who visited my backyard every day when I used to be in an office.  We slowly became friends over the summer before he vanished one night in a thunderstorm.”

Dylan Viola

Sour Breath Lyrics & Guitar Tablature

Text & Sheet Music

2023

Virtual Listening Room

Closing Tasks & Questions

• Describe the impact of the sonic elements in the exhibition playing together in the virtual listening room. Does the sound approach an equation of "1+1=3" in any sense that you can articulate?

• Which exhibition elements affect your emotions the most and establish a genuine connection with you?

• Which exhibition elements seem particularly unfixed or beyond your ability to categorize?

• What uniqueness do you notice in music's ability to tell meaningful personal stories that are not represented in other arts disciplines?