Succulent Rust

August 12th 2021 7-8pm, The Ramble, Central Park NYC, Performed by JACK Quartet (all photos Julia Bumke)

I created a performance-based score, where musicians play based on what they hear, see, smell, or feel in the environment. The list of “triggers” is the same for each performer but because their locations are different, no two responses are identical. I chose The Central Park Ramble because of its fame as a birdwatching and gay cruising hotspot. Over the hour duration for the work, the public “cruises” using their ears and other visitors, to find each musician hidden in a different part of The Ramble. Its impossible to completely view two players at once, meaning each experience of the composition is unique.

The musicians were staged with stands, sequined backdrops, and a single pink spotlight adding a second layer of suspended reality to the performance.

- very special thanks to Chris, Austin, Jay and John.