Thollem McDonas

Thollem McDonas
Thollem McDonas at PianoFort in Portland, Oregon, US
Background information
Born February 23, 1967
Origin Palo Alto, California, USA
Genres Classical
Avant-garde jazz
Experimental
Punk
Occupation(s) Pianist, composer, improviser, educator
Instruments Piano
Years active 2002 – Present
Labels Porter, Edgetone Records, ESP-disk', Pax, Creative Sources, Amirani, Saravah, Die Schachtel, Post-Consumer, Dromos, Wild Silence, Thick Syrup Records, Setola di Maiale, New Atlantis Records, Union Pole Tapes, Relative Pitch Records, Leo Records
Associated acts Estamos Project, Picoas Project, Thollem Electric, EnterSonicAction, Silver Ochre, Impulsive Machinations, Thollem/Chase, Tsigoti, Thollem/Scodanibbio, Thollem/Parker/Cline, Duos with Drummers, Soar Trio, Bloom, Magimc, 10,000 Tigers, The Hand To Man Band, Bad News From Houston, The Everywhere Quintet, Bitahkiz Ayeli
Website Official Site

Thollem McDonas is an American pianist, improviser, composer, singer-songwriter, touring performer, musical educator,[1][2] and social critic.[3] His musical compositions and performances have ranged from classical, and free jazz, to experimental and punk rock. He has toured North America and Europe since 2006, performing solo works and collaborating with an array of musicians, dancers, dance companies and filmmakers.[4]

Origins and Musical Developments

McDonas began studying piano at the age of 5. His mother was a piano teacher and this led him to study the instrument. At the age of 14, he began teaching and authoring his own compositions. Shortly after McDonas graduated with degrees in piano performance and composition from San Jose State University, the Gulf War began.[5] He abandoned the academy in his 20s to pursue direct political action. Eventually he merged these concerns, using music and performance at protests to draw attention to pertinent issues. Eventually he resumed his professional music career on [his] own terms, integrating his ... political ideologies into his compositions and performances.[6] He is constantly in motion, playing solo concerts, concerts with various groups—both established and ad hoc—and leading workshops and clinics.[7]

Recording Artist

Estamos Ensemble

McDonas is the founding director of Estamos Ensemble, an international musical group whose purpose is to promote more dialogue and collaboration across the U.S. - Mexican border. In 2011, Edgetone Records released a double disc album by Estamos Ensemble premiering original works by William Parker, Nels Cline, Pauline Oliveros, Joan Jeanrenaud, Vinny Golia, Ana Lara, Juan Felipe Waller and Jorge Torres Sáenz.[8]

Tsigoti

Tsigoti is Thollem McDonas’ most overtly political project. A freewheeling anarcho-punk group, Tsigoti serves as a literal mouthpiece for his activism. Thollem sings politically charged lyrics alongside his off-kilter piano playing. The group is rounded out by Italian musicians Andrea Caprara (drums), Matteo Bennici/Piero Spitilli (bass), and Jacopo Andreini (guitar).[9]

Debussy Project

In 2008, McDonas was invited by Musee Labenche to perform works by Claude Debussy on the last piano Debussy owned. He was accompanied by world renown contrabassist Stefano Scodanibbio. The resulting album, OnDebussy'sPianoAnd..., was released in 2010.[10][11]

Collaborations

10,000 Tigers: McDonas (right) playing with Arrington de Dionyso at the 19th Olympia Experimental Music Festival, June 2013

Composer, teacher, author, actor

As a composer, Thollem has received Meet the Composer: Creative Connections, 2007 and American Music Center: CAP (2010) 'Stirring Awake' debuted at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (Aug. 19, 2010)[12] He was awarded the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: USArtists (2010) as director of Estamos Ensemble[13] He is the composer for "Triumph of the Wild" (2011), a documentary short by film maker Martha Colburn.[14]

As a teacher, Thollem tours with his project The Everywhere Quintet. The musicians involved are entirely different at each performance, and they represent countless genres or styles of playing.[15]

As a writer, Thollem's essay "The Peripatetic Life of an Improvising Musician" was published in the Anthology of Essays on Deep Listening (Deep Listening Institute, 2012).[16] In 2013, he was a contributor to Full Moon, a Czech music magazine, based in Prague, covering mostly – not only – independent music scene and artists pushing the boundaries of music, one way or another.[17] He reviews music and art exhibits for First American Art Magazine, including the art show, "We Honor: The Art of Activism". [18]

As an actor, Thollem is known for "River of Fundament" (2014), a film by Matthew Barney.[19]

Discography

Solo

Tsigoti

Estamos Ensemble

Bloom Project with Rent Romus

The Hand to Man Band with Mike Watt, John Dieterich & Tim Barnes

Bad News From Houston with John Dieterich

10,000 Tigers with Arrington de Dionyso

Duos With Drummers

Other Collaborations

References

  1. McDonas, Thollem. "Workshops/Lessons". Thollem McDonas Official Website. Thollem McDonas. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  2. "Thollem Mcdonas at Conundrum". The USC Music Times. The USC Music Times. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  3. "Interview with Members of Tsigoti". ESP-Disk' Lounge. ESP-Disk'. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  4. Thollem McDonas, edgetonerecords.com, Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  5. McDermott, Ryan, Thollem McDonas : Medium Messaging, onefinalnote.com, 2005-08-29, Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  6. Bucko, Bob, Soldier of Ideas: Thollem McDonas, Tsigoti, and the Geo-Politics of Sound, ruixzine.com, 2013-02-21, Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  7. Wayne, Dave,Thollem McDonas: the Beauty Of Never Going Back Home, www.allaboutjazz.com, 2013-08-07, Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  8. Frandzel, Benjamin. "Estamos Ensemble: Improvise. Enjoy. Repeat.". News & Reviews. San Francisco Classical Voice. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  9. Bucko, Bob, Soldier of Ideas: Thollem McDonas, Tsigoti, and the Geo-Politics of Sound, ruixzine.com, 2013-02-21, Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  10. Singh, Gary. "Silicon Alleys:Key Witness, 9.24.2008". MetroActive. MetroActive. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  11. Djll, Tom (2011), "Gone Beyond Reason" Signal to Noise, Spring 2011.
  12. "StirringAwake". American Music Center Website. American Music Center. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  13. US Artists International Archive, midatlanticarts.org, Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  14. "Triumph Of The Wild". www.imdb.com, Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  15. "thollem mcdonas’ everywhere quintet :: an all-idiomatic ensemble". easylemon.wordpress.com, Retrieved 06 November 2012.
  16. "Anthology of Essays on Deep Listening - Monique Buzzarté & Tom Bickley, editors". www.deeplistening.org, Retrieved 06 November 2012.
  17. "Full Moon". www.fullmoonmagazine.cz, Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  18. "First American Art Magazine". http://firstamericanartmagazine.com, Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  19. "River Of Fundament". www.imdb.com, Retrieved 28 March 2015.

External links

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