{"title":"Nebula Ensemble and Kin of the Moon","intro":"","donations":"
These gifts allow us to continue creating thrilling, inspiring new music for the greater Denver community through concerts and educational outreach. Thank you for your support!<\/p>\r\n
If you are interested in donating to Nebula Ensemble or have questions or concerns about a donor listing, please contact us at nebulaensemble@gmail.com.<\/p>","afterward":"","programNotes":[{"title":"A Lack of Anchors","content":"
<\/p>\n
Composed for Seattle-based trio Kin of the Moon (KOTM), A Lack of Anchors<\/em> is a song cycle about the frequently mild, occasionally devastating, and always relentless existential crises of being a 30-something in the 2020s. It consists of a sea shanty, a twelve-tone lullaby, a lament, and a folk song, not necessarily in that order (the performers have the freedom to change the order of the songs from what is printed in your program). Everything you could possibly want to know about the four songs \u2013 Moorings,<\/em> 2^{nd<\/sup> Viennese Lullaby<\/em>, Panic<\/em>, and Anxiety, my old friend<\/em> \u2013 is explained in each song\u2019s lyrics, so please examine them if they are (as I hope they will be) printed in your program. I hope you enjoy listening to these songs as much as I enjoyed writing them. May you find your moorings.<\/p>\n}
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Moorings<\/strong>

\u201cThere is a ship and she sails the sea\u201d:
I\u2019m strong and tall and I\u2019m seaworthy.
I cut myself loose and I set no course
I threw out my maps and trusted the source
Of my likes and longings. Some warned 
I\u2019d run aground
They were wrong: for a halt is the one thing 
I\u2019ve not found.

I\u2019ve lost my moorings
I am turned
By the whims of every wind.
I\u2019ve lost my moorings
I\u2019m adrift
Yet I find that I am pinned
down by my 
lack of anchors.
Every storm that comes
Pours waves over my bow
I\u2019d like to bail out,
But I find I don\u2019t know how.
Since I jettisoned all cargo
In fair weather far away,
There\u2019s no life vest and no pail to save the day.
 
I\u2019ve lost my moorings
I am turned
By the whims of every wind.
I\u2019ve lost my moorings
I\u2019m adrift
Yet I find that I am pinned
down by my 
lack of anchors.
 
Long time ago I walked on solid ground
I knew who I was, and I knew where I was bound.
I felt a sense of home, and thought my life made sense
But that feeling is long gone, and the void it leaves intense-
-ly aching to be filled, 
The warning bell alarms,
Rigging snaps and flails like grasping, empty arms.
 
I\u2019ve lost my moorings
I am turned
By the whims of every wind.
I\u2019ve lost my moorings
I\u2019m adrift
Yet I find that I am pinned
down by my 
lack of anchors.
 


2nd Viennese Lullaby<\/strong>
 
Hush my child and close your eyes.
Arnold Schoenberg will sing you to sleep.
Count the tone rows instead of sheep.
 
The night is dark, the night is long,
Filled with black moths that devour the sun;
Their velvet wings with eerie calm
Spread vague unease until the dawn.
 
Hush my child, and close your eyes.
Arnold Schoenberg will sing you to sleep.
Count the tone rows instead of sheep.
 
There is no center, no resolution;
We create our reality, evolution
Of perfect pitch equality
Dissolving tonal hierarchy.
 
Hush my child and close your eyes.
Arnold Schoenberg will sing you to sleep.
Count the tone rows instead of sheep.
 
Hush, and sleep.
Hush, and sleep.
Sleep.
Sleep!
SLEEP!



Panic<\/strong>

I feel the heat of panic
Pouring red fire through my brain
I feel my breath come shorter
Pounding of blood whispers
All the worst you can imagine
Catastrophic last conclusion
All your agency is torn away
 
Is there no safe place left?
We ran til the ground fell out from underneath
of a world bereft
Cradle the soul that\u2019s ripped asunder
Grief is a feeble word
When your grief goes unheard
 
I feel my lack of power
Strangle my fast-pulsing veins
I feel my urge to fight back
Hobbled by patterns unchanged
Negativity is waiting
All powers that be are baiting
You and I to dwell in mindless rage
 
Is there no safe place left?
We ran til the ground fell out from underneath
of a world bereft
Cradle the soul that\u2019s ripped asunder
Grief is a feeble word
When your grief goes unheard
 
I feel a grey horizon 
Sapping my strength for the day
I never seem to get started
Stumbling inertia of
All my many good intentions
Still unrealized inventions
Will I watch my dreams fade and decay?
 
Is there no safe place left?
I ran til the ground fell out from underneath
of my world bereft
Cradle the soul that\u2019s ripped asunder
Grief is a feeble word
If my grief goes unheard
 
 

Anxiety, my old friend<\/strong>

 Anxiety, my old friend
You were the remedy for my ADHD
On you I did depend
To get ahead
And without you my artificial confidence
Is dead.
 
Anxiety, now that you\u2019re nearly gone
I see that you were most of my energy,
My virtue and my strength
To carry on
But now without you I\u2019m more real
If not as strong.
 
[Humming]
 
Anxiety, you were always there
I guess you fade with age and apathy
You\u2019re thinning with my hair,
Slipping down the drain.
Seems your insanity for years
Has kept me sane.
 
[Humming]
 
Anxiety, it\u2019s time to let you go
You were the remedy for my ADHD,
My focus, and the flow
Pushing me beyond.
But without you,
Now I\u2019ll find where I belong.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n","composers":["Sarah Perske"],"instrumentation":"","movements":["Moorings","2nd Viennese Lullaby","Panic","Anxiety, my old friend"],"bullet_style":"roman"},{"title":"isochronit2me","content":"
<\/p>\n
This composition explores a temporal paradox through a device known as Risset rhythm<\/em>, in which the tempo seems to be continuously increasing (or decreasing), but the fading in and out of different rhythmic layers creates the impression of repeatedly arriving back at the starting tempo. A visual analog would be the classic barber pole illusion, in which a spiraled stripe around a cylinder appears to be continuously moving up or down as it rotates, yet returns to an identical starting position with each complete rotation.<\/p>\n
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The melodic materials used are examples of autosimilar melody<\/em>, in which melodic lines contain copies of themselves every two or three notes, such that two copies of a melody played at different speeds align in pitch whenever they rhythmically coincide. A visual analog here would be a fractal such as the Koch curve <\/em>or Sierpi\u0144ski triangle<\/em>, in which any part of the figure contains a copy of the whole, and through iteration, infinite copies of the whole. (More accurately, the musical analog here only represents several iterations of this self-similar structure at any given time, but is potentially <\/em>infinite.)<\/p>\n
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When these two techniques are combined, they symbiotically work together to create something like a continuous zoom in (or out) on one of these fractal structures. As the music continually accelerates (or decelerates) listeners will find themselves paradoxically arriving back at the original material in the original tempo, again and again. To grasp this intuitively, I recommend that the listener silently tap along with the perceived beat and observe what happens....<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","composers":["Kevin McFarland"],"instrumentation":"","movements":[],"bullet_style":"none"},{"title":"Built to Last","content":"
<\/p>\n
Planned Obsolescence<\/em> <\/strong>is defined as \u201ca strategy of shortening the product lifetime before it is released onto the market, by designing it to deteriorate quickly\u201d, or \u201ca product becoming obsolete through continuous development of the system in which it is used in such a way as to make continued use of the original product difficult.\u201d It has also been described as \u201cthe systematic attempt of business to make us wasteful, debt-ridden, permanently discontented individuals\u201d.<\/p>\n
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This three-movement work is an investigation into the system as it stands, as well as how it could be. There is a real and necessary movement towards sustainability and renewable resources, while at the same time, many major players on the global scale continue to push fast-economy and systemic obsolescence in order to perpetuate capitalism. The work as a result is mildly psychotic, and oftentimes comical as it highlights the disease which is simultaneously claiming to make our lives better as it does precisely the opposite. <\/p>\n
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Terms and conditions may apply\t<\/strong>\t

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Planned Obsolescence <\/strong>

A little newer, a little better, a little sooner than necessary
A little newer, a little better, this one is prettier, don\u2019t wait

The castle they build for us
Defective by design
Is washed away in the sand

It\u2019s not wasteful
It is not to give you debt
Of a nation

It is not to fill you with discontent
It\u2019s necessary
By design

Go act now and don\u2019t delay
Wheels keep turning

It\u2019s not wasteful
Don\u2019t delay
It is simply necessary 

Defective by design
A little newer, a little better, a little sooner than necessary
A little newer, a little better, this one is prettier, don\u2019t wait
Over, over, and over again
over, over, and over, over, over, over, over



Built to Last<\/strong>

don\u2019t you wish our world was made with tenderness
ancestral tending of the flock
we too can nurture the seeds
cherish, repair, renew
mycelium network, branching, reaching down and out
can\u2019t they see that we were built to last<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n","composers":["Leanna Keith"],"instrumentation":"","movements":["Terms and conditions may apply","Planned Obsolescence","Built to last"],"bullet_style":"roman"},{"title":"Improvisation","content":"
<\/p>\n
Performed by Kin of the Moon and Nebula Ensemble.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","composers":[],"instrumentation":"","movements":[],"bullet_style":"none"}],"additionalContent":[{"title":"About Kin of the Moon","content":"
About Kin of the Moon<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
\u201cIn a world where classical music programs are still dominated by dead white men, Kin of the Moon represents a collective of living, breathing, women who think, dream, and create beyond the confines of the Western classical tradition.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\u2013 Maggie Molloy, Second Inversion Radio<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n
Kin of the Moon is an improvisation-centric, technology-friendly experimental chamber troupe incubated in Seattle's rich musical scene. Headed by a trio of composer\/improvisers: violist Heather Bentley, vocalist Kaley Lane Eaton, and flutist Leanna Keith - Kin of the Moon explores sonic rituals, promotes cross-pollination of genres, emphasizes the communicative power of specific performance locales and celebrates the creativity that multiplies itself through the collaboration of performers and composers. The artists of Kin of the Moon devote their lives to reaching higher vibrational levels through sound creation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"title":"About Nebula Ensemble","content":"About Nebula Ensemble<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
Nebula Ensemble is an award-winning experimental music group pushing genre boundaries, advocating for living creators, and connecting with our community through immersive, multidisciplinary concert experiences. Described as \u201cweird, fresh, and novel\u201d and \u201can immersive experience unlike anything the crowd had ever experienced before,\" Nebula Ensemble\u2019s band-like approach to crafting fun, visually striking shows often projects a game atmosphere in which audience members actively participate in content creation. Since the group\u2019s founding in 2014, Nebula Ensemble has presented programs at Colorado venues including the Newman Center, the Denver Art Museum, Syntax Physic Opera, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, and Regis University. To date, the group has received three awards for outstanding performance including Westword\u2019s Best of Denver 2019, and has commissioned new works by up-and-coming composers residing in the US, Spain, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, France, and the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n"}],"members":[{"name":"Alec Larner","title":"Percussionist","bio":"
Alec Larner is a classically trained percussionist and musicologist originally from Fort Collins, Colorado. He received a Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Percussion Performance with a Music History Emphasis from Butler University in Indianapolis. He is currently pursuing Master\u2019s Degrees in both Percussion Performance and Musicology at the University of Denver, studying with percussionist John Kinzie. Alec is passionate about performing contemporary music, with a particular focus on chamber music.<\/p>\n","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/65760074_2267014246896935_7632757634952593408_n.jpg"},{"name":"Arlo Adams","title":"Violinist
Brand Manager","bio":"
Arlo Adams is a classically trained violinist, performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player in Denver and throughout the Colorado area. Along with performing in the Fort Collins Symphony, he has performed with the Greeley Philharmonic, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, and many Colorado based chamber groups including the Lyric Ensemble, Playground Ensemble, Sphere Ensemble, Con Brio Trio, and Nexus Strings.<\/p>\n
Mr. Adams began his studies in Flagstaff Arizona at the age of 9 under the Suzuki method. From there, he moved to the Tucson area to study with Professor Mark Rush at the University of Arizona for two years before coming to Colorado to continue his studies at the University of Denver, where he received a Bachelor\u2019s of Music in Violin Performance, and a Performance Certificate.<\/p>\n
During his studies, he became very interested in modern music, and since then has premiered orchestral works by Shafer Mahoney and Glenn Stallcop, the chamber work Deux pas de Deux for violin and piano by Charles Zoll, winner of the 2013 \u201cRapido!\u201d composition contest, and was the violin soloist with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra in the premier performance of Sarah Perske\u2018s Therese\u2019s Elevator.<\/p>\n
In addition to classical music, Mr. Adams enjoys other genres including pop and jazz, and performing with a looper to create unique music. He also performs in musical theatre pits around the country, and as a session violinist in recording studios.<\/p>\n
He has held a studio of ~15 students in the Denver area since 2014, and works with Manifest String Studio and City Strings to bring the joy and excitement of music to kids and adults alike throughout Denver. When he is not performing or teaching, he is likely enjoying what Colorado has to offer and building small electronics projects.<\/p>\n","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/arlo.png"},{"name":"Catherine Flinchum","title":"Composer, Flutist
Social Media Manager","bio":"
Known to be a versatile musician, flutist Catherine Flinchum has been able to create music through her instrument and with her pen. As an active performer in the Denver area, Ms. Flinchum performs with the Arapahoe Philharmonic. Other performances include the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra and the Stratus Chamber Orchestra, as well as Atlanta performances with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra and American Patriot Winds.<\/p>\n
Ms. Flinchum\u2019s avid interest for contemporary music has led her to become a member of Nebula Ensemble, the Flinchum\/Herring Guitar and Flute Duo, and the HPF Project (harp, percussion and flute). Highlights include the U.S. premiere of Song Without Words: for flute and guitar by Japanese composer Noriyasu Tanaka, and the winnings of the Bronze Medal for the Global Music Awards and First Prize with The Music of the 20th Century (Great Composers Competition) with Robert Paterson\u2019s, The Book of Goddesses.<\/p>\n
As a soloist, Ms. Flinchum performed Andr\u00e9 Jolivet\u2019s Suite en concert for solo flute and percussion with the Lamont Percussion Ensemble in May 2018. Other solo achievements include the selection as a concerto competition finalist for both the KSU School of Music (performing, Georges Hue\u2019s Fantasie in 2013) and the Lamont School of Music (Jacques Ibert\u2019s Flute Concerto in 2016).<\/p>\n
As a composer, Ms. Flinchum\u2019s music presents a unique voice, reflecting elements of nature (A Sparrow\u2019s Rain Song, for flute, cello and marimba), improvisation (The Cereal Diaries: OPERATION COCOA PUFFS, for solo percussion), mixtures of repetition and funk (Hiccup-pated Groove for flute, clarinet and bassoon), and imitation between players (Shadowplay for bass flute and guitar).<\/p>\n
Ms. Flinchum completed a performance certificate and master\u2019s degree at the Lamont School of Music, studying under Julie Thornton of the Colorado Symphony and bachelor\u2019s degree at Kennesaw State University, under Christina Smith of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Other teachers include Cecilia Piehl Price and Anna Hobgood. Her instrumental performances include flute, piccolo, alto and bass flute.<\/p>\n","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/catherine.jpg"},{"name":"Josh Goo","title":"Clarinetist
Artistic Director","bio":"
Since he began taking performance seriously in 2012, Josh Goo has always been drawn to the music of now rather than the music of the past. Though he loves the beauty and expression of Brahms and the like, he feels there is so much more potential in modern music. That is why ever since earning his Master's in Clarinet Performance from Northwestern University, he has focused his career path on performing new music with Nebula Ensemble, the Docl\u00e9 Reed Quintet, and any group that likes to create something that is truly unique.<\/p>\n
In addition to performing new music, Josh greatly enjoys creating new music. Having composed pieces for Nebula Ensemble and the Docl\u00e9 Reed Quintet in the past, he is looking forward to exploring what music is and means in the 21st century. How can live performances be meaningful when recordings are so readily available? As a performer first and foremost, how can performers, or even audience members, contribute to the creation of music? How can we create \"classical\" music that is relevant to and inclusive of underrepresented populations? These are the questions that Josh tries to tackle in his compositions.<\/p>\n
Beyond performing and writing music, Josh is also fascinated by teaching and marketing. These passions combine, in his online clarinet teaching business, QuickStart Clarinet, where he has created a method book, weekly video content, and more in an effort to help clarinetists of all ages and ability levels learn to play right, now, as well as, in his role as Nebula Ensemble's Digital Marketing Director.<\/p>\n
And of course, none of the fun things he does now would be possible without the support, guidance, and knowledge from his teachers, mentors, and role models including Steve Cohen, Leslie Grimm, Lawrie Bloom, Dr. Jeremy W. Reynolds, Michael Rusinek, Mallory Thompson, Seth Godin, and Marie Forleo.<\/p>\n","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/josh.jpg"},{"name":"Kevin McFarland","title":"Cellist","bio":"
<\/p>\n
Kevin McFarland is best known as the founding cellist of the world-renowned JACK Quartet, with whom he traveled across five continents, collaborated with hundreds of composers, and performed up to seventy concerts a year. After a dozen whirlwind years with the cutting-edge foursome and a decade in New York City, Kevin departed for Colorado in 2016 to be full time with his dogs (and human partner too.) He frequently performs with Denver-area collective Wild Beautiful Orchestra and recently joined Nebula Ensemble, an award-winning Colorado-based experimental music group. He has made numerous guest appearances with prominent champions of contemporary music such as Alarm Will Sound, Ensemble Signal, International Contemporary Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, and Wordless Music Orchestra.<\/p>\n
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Kevin's composition works have been premiered by vocalist Abigail Fischer, Hutchins Consort East, the Deviant Septet, and DU students and faculty as part of the Lamont Composers Concert Series (LCCS). His essay published in Performing Xenakis<\/em> from Pendragon Press received a shout out on Alex Ross\u2019s The Rest is Noise<\/em> blog in 2011. A bit of a multi-hyphenate, his current musical practices include performance, composition, improvisation, electronic music, and speculative music theory.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Kevin is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver \u2013 Lamont School of Music, where he teaches music theory and coaches modern chamber music. He completed his master\u2019s degree at Lamont in 2024, where he studied composition with Sean Friar and Nathan Hall. Kevin holds a bachelor\u2019s degree from the Eastman School of Music where he studied composition with Robert Morris, David Liptak, Steven Stucky, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and cello with Steven Doane.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kevin-McFarland-1-1.jpg"},{"name":"Sarah Perske","title":"Composer, Vocalist
Executive Director","bio":"
Sarah Perske is a modern-day troubadour with a mystic bent whose haunting works blend elements of avant-garde classical, early music, folk, rock, and electronic music. Classically trained as a composer, guitarist, and vocalist, Perske is active in the Denver area as a founding member of Nebula Ensemble. As a solo artist, she is currently working on her debut singer-songwriter album Ancient Dreams and Visions, which she describes as \u201cwhat would happen if Hildegard von Bingen played guitar, listened to both G\u00e9rard Grisey and Joni Mitchell, and knew her way around a DAW.\u201d<\/p>\n
A prolific and versatile composer, Perske is frequently sought out by performers who share her interests in expanding the boundaries of classical music-making through the integration of performance art and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She has been commissioned to write music for such groups and individuals as Playground Ensemble, the Keith\/Larson Duo, classical guitarist Laura Husbands, percussionist Kyle Hughes, and virtuoso saw player Caroline McCaskey, among many others. Perske is the recipient of several awards and recognitions for her work, including first prize in the Colorado Clarinet Days Composition Competition (2014) and The Playground Anne Culver Commission Prize (2013).<\/p>\n
Perske holds a Bachelor of Music degree in guitar performance and a Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Denver\u2019s Lamont School of Music, and is currently pursuing private studies in classical voice. When not composing or performing, Perske can be found hunting down obscure music scores in her role as a music librarian, transcribing Renaissance lute tablature for the fun of it, and blogging about new music at DeformingPrisms.<\/p>\nTo learn more about her music, visit http:\/\/www.sarahperske.com<\/a><\/p>\n","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sarah.jpg"}],"guests":[{"name":"Leanna Keith","title":"","bio":"
<\/p>\n
A freelance flutist, artist, improviser, and composer in the Seattle area, Leanna Keith (she\/they) delights in creating sound experiences that make audiences laugh, cry, and say: \u201cI didn\u2019t know the flute could do that!\u201d  She also teaches as the flute professor at Cornish College of the Arts. Their works focus on spontaneous sound creation, timbre-shifting, the mixed-race experience, queer theory, and the breaking of performer\/audience boundaries. She is dedicated to playing music by composers who are still living, and advocates for the usage of music as social activism. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As a composer, Leanna is interested in cross-genre collaboration, playful exploration, extended techniques for flute, and diaspora storytelling. She has written and premiered countless works for flute and looper pedal, often performed as a part of the Bushwick Book Club - creating pieces about various books of fiction and poetry. In their solo performances, they often improvises new works on the spot, generated from audience prompts to create new soundscapes. When not performing or composing, Leanna can be found practicing taiko with her friends, climbing up 20 feet in the air tangled in aerial silks, and playing an infinite amount of fetch with her corgi. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","image":false}],"event":{"value":"post:event:245165","type":"post","subtype":"event","id":"245165"},"date":"March 1, 2025","time":"7:30 PM","image":"https:\/\/www.nebulaensemble.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/KOTMatCornish2019-08-2116.35.34ShayaLyonphoto.jpg","isAdmin":false,"socketServerURL":"https:\/\/nebula-program-server-7266643eca10.herokuapp.com"}