NWEAMO
Encyclopedia
Founded by composer Joseph Waters
in Portland, Oregon
, U.S. in 1998, the New West Electro-Acoustic Music Organization (NWEAMO) produces an annual international festival of electro-acoustic music. The mission of NWEAMO is to forge connections between the composers, performers and lovers of avant garde
classical music
and the DJs, MCs, guitar-gods, troubadours and gourmets of experimental popular music. When there is no connection, both suffer: When classical music does not connect with popular culture
, it becomes a music of experts, unable to reflect and contribute meaningfully in the broad marketplace of developing ideas and cultural experimentation. When popular music
has no connection and communication with the classical it becomes naive and superficial, untethered to its historical roots and broad cultural underpinnings. A healthy cultural milieu celebrates both.
NWEAMO is an all volunteer, non-profit 501-c-3 organization dedicated to the promotion of music that involves the creative use of computers and electronics, and to building a diverse community among electro-acoustic composers throughout the world. NWEAMO supports all styles of electronic music including those utilizing synthesis programs such as Max/MSP, Super Collider, and Csound; rock and pop music; Music Concrete and sound collage; performance art and multimedia events; ambient music and sound installations; and improvised and process music.
to the fringes of the abstract avant garde.
In 2002 the festival branched out, adding San Diego, California
to its locations. In 2005 the festival expanded further, with an additional night added in Mexico City
. New York City
and Venice, Italy
were added 2006. The 2007 festival included a summer component in Europe (Berlin, May 18-19; and Venice, May 25-26) in addition to the main autumn festival: San Diego (Oct 5 & 6, 2007); Boulder, Colorado (Oct. 13, 2007); Morelia, Mexico (Oct. 19, 2007) & New York City (Oct. 26 & 27, 2007).
Each year the festival supports the work of approximately 30 composers/performers.
Each year the festival focuses on a theme:
Joseph Waters
Joseph Waters is an American classical composer. He also mounts experimental electronic music festivals attempting to bridge the gap between contemporary popular genres and the avant-garde Western classical tradition.-Creative Projects:...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, U.S. in 1998, the New West Electro-Acoustic Music Organization (NWEAMO) produces an annual international festival of electro-acoustic music. The mission of NWEAMO is to forge connections between the composers, performers and lovers of avant garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and the DJs, MCs, guitar-gods, troubadours and gourmets of experimental popular music. When there is no connection, both suffer: When classical music does not connect with popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, it becomes a music of experts, unable to reflect and contribute meaningfully in the broad marketplace of developing ideas and cultural experimentation. When popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
has no connection and communication with the classical it becomes naive and superficial, untethered to its historical roots and broad cultural underpinnings. A healthy cultural milieu celebrates both.
NWEAMO is an all volunteer, non-profit 501-c-3 organization dedicated to the promotion of music that involves the creative use of computers and electronics, and to building a diverse community among electro-acoustic composers throughout the world. NWEAMO supports all styles of electronic music including those utilizing synthesis programs such as Max/MSP, Super Collider, and Csound; rock and pop music; Music Concrete and sound collage; performance art and multimedia events; ambient music and sound installations; and improvised and process music.
Festivals
NWEAMO concerts typically feature a broad and eclectic spectrum of electro-acoustic styles and genres, ranging from Intelligent dance musicIntelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
to the fringes of the abstract avant garde.
In 2002 the festival branched out, adding San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
to its locations. In 2005 the festival expanded further, with an additional night added in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Venice, Italy
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
were added 2006. The 2007 festival included a summer component in Europe (Berlin, May 18-19; and Venice, May 25-26) in addition to the main autumn festival: San Diego (Oct 5 & 6, 2007); Boulder, Colorado (Oct. 13, 2007); Morelia, Mexico (Oct. 19, 2007) & New York City (Oct. 26 & 27, 2007).
Each year the festival supports the work of approximately 30 composers/performers.
Each year the festival focuses on a theme:
- 2011 East Meets West (San Diego)
- 2010 Around the Corner...Art is Made (San Diego, Venice Italy)
- 2009 What Is A Machine (San Diego, Venice Italy)
- 2008 Can Art Be About Sex? (San Diego, Miami, Stonybrook, New York City)
- 2007 SynesthesiaSynesthesiaSynesthesia , from the ancient Greek , "together," and , "sensation," is a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway...
: The Mixing of Senses (San Diego, Boulder, Morelia (Mexico), New York City) - 2006 Pulse: The Influence of Africa (Portland, OR; San Diego, CA; New York City, NY, Venice, Italy)
- 2005 Connection to the Ancients (Portland, OR; San Diego, CA; Mexico City)
- 2004 Invented Instruments (In Memory of the 30th anniversary of the death of Harry PartchHarry PartchHarry Partch was an American composer and instrument creator. He was one of the first twentieth-century composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custom-made instruments that he built himself, tuned in 11-limit just intonation.-Early...
)(Portland, OR; San Diego,) - 2003 The Plastic Fantastic Interactive(Portland, OR; San Diego,)
- 2002 To Beat Or Not To Beat, That Is The Question (Portland, OR; San Diego,)