Monday, March 30, 2015

Drawing Music :: Synaesthesia Social Workshop with Veronica Lawlor


Jamie Orfanella and Leo Schott

This past Sunday I had a fun opportunity to drive up to Scranton, PA, with my mentors & dear friends who founded Dalvero Academy, Veronica Lawlor and Margaret Hurst, to draw live music at a weekly happening called Synaesthesia Social, organized by a talented artist, teacher and delightfully rambunctious guy Ted Michalowski. 


Thumbnail of Jamie Orfanella playing didgeridoo
Veronica taught a drawing workshop for the first part of the day, setting pace for both, music and drawing. The 5 musician were incredible as individuals and as a band. It's worth noting the unorthodox mix of instruments: theremin vox, gong, upright bass, jazz drums, didgeridoos, flutes, trumpets and other wind instruments with mysterious origins and names, bagpipes, saxophone, and a plethora of digital gadgets. I felt right at home with such variety of instruments,  having myself brought a full bag of mixed media. We were kindred spirits with musicians in that regard.

Music
During the workshop, Veronica urged us to draw the auditory landscape, rather than render musicians' likenesses. She introduced the language of marks, lines, shapes and color, pacing, mood, proportion-all the things that make up Design. And since the music was more of a sublime stream of consciousness, it felt natural to let go...

Thumbnail of Leo Schott playing the bagpipe
Experiences like this are outside of time and space. I didn't notice how the day went by, in one breath. It was beautiful. 

Doug Smith

Jamie Orfanella on didgeridoo

Jamie Orfanella
Jamie Orfanella Doug Smith and Leo Schott

Jason Smeltzer on Theremin vox

Jamie Orfanella
Tyler Dempsey (drums)
Jason Smeltzer's hands on theremin vox and the band
Doug Smith (bass), Jamie Orfanella (trumpet), Leo Schott (sax), Tyler Dempsey (drums)

Jamie Orfanella


Jamie Orfanella's beautiful trumpet solo