TONK is a multinational, multi-disciplinary collaborative arts
ensemble created by artistic directors Derek Bermel, Wiek Hijmans, and
Wendy S. Walters, as a bold experiment in the fusion of contemporary
music, improvisation, theater, and dance. The results of this
experiment are as remarkable as they are indescribable.
With members hailing from New York, Detroit and Amsterdam, TONK
incorporates a wide variety of musical worlds, both culturally and
historically, into its performances. In an era of multi-media, TONK
addresses not only the issue of music as it relates to other arts but
also the place of contemporary music in our cultures.
THE FENCES SHOW
What if the place we lived reflected what we did to each other?., the
first line of The Fences Show, sets in motion the metaphoric universe
explored over the course of the CD's thirteen tracks.
Conceived as a multi-disciplinary evening length performance, and
presented at the Gaudeamus Festival in Amsterdam and the MATA festival
in New York, The Fences Show features music by composers Derek Bermel,
Lisa Bielawa, Wiek Hijmans, Toek Numan, Aaron Stewart, and Daniel
Worley, written around a scenario by writer Wendy S. Walters.
Through its symbolic story emphasizing the tensions between change and
nostalgia, community and independence, renovation and demolition, and
love and self-love, The Fences Show provides a truly unique musical
and dramatic experience that is both humorous and deeply moving.
Throughout the profound wit and humor of Manifest Destiny, the drama
and energy of Song of the Blues Bird, the darkly comic twists of Good
Neighbors, the primal improvisations of Paradijs and the timeless
transcendence of Here, The Fences Show shines as triumph of artistic
collaboration and musical diversity.
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