[NewMusic] Call for works: NWEAMO Festival 2008

[Matt Davignon]

Hi everyone, I've been asked to forward this call for works (below)
for the NWEAMO Festival 2008. I played in the festival in 2003, had a
great time, and met lots of other musicians. That's when it was only a
west-coast festival. Now they're global. Since they're grassroots,
completely volunteer-run and without funding, there's a $15 submission
fee. To submit, please follow the 'call for works' link.

Some may not like the submission fee. Personally, I feel that it's
good to have a festival that is open to both 'established' artists,
and those doing great work who haven't built a reputation yet. The
submission fee not only helps to cover some of the expenses, but also
ensures that the submitting artists have a certain level of commitment
about their work.

I'll also mention that the festival organizers prefer to program music
with a visual element (live musicians, video, dancers or etc) over
audio recordings presented in a darkened room.

In addition, the NWEAMO is looking for someone who might help bring
the festival to the Bay Area. If you're interested, drop me a line and
I'll forward your information to them.

Matt Davignon

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  Call-For-Works:

  http://www.nweamo.org/Call_For_Works.html

  Submission Deadline: April 1, 2008

  Festival dates: NWEAMO takes place throughout October. Precise dates
  soon!

  Festival Cites (confirmed): San Diego, New York City, Stony Brook,
  Venice (Italy)
  (several other cites pending)

  NWEAMO 2008: Can Art Be About Sex?

  SEX SELLS!—is the cliche that is muttered sarcastically by
  "serious" artists, and is the time-honored sacred weapon
  of commercial marketeers. But can art be about sex, or the emotional
  swirl that surrounds it? Apparently Richard Strauss thought so,
  (Salome), and Wagner certainly steeped in it (Trisan & Isolde). So
  more recently did Robert Maplethorpe and Karen Finley. Susan McLary
  has written extensively about it, and in the vernacular world
  underground artists often tread there.

  Sex is used to market everything (EXCEPT avant-garde classical music
  these days) so it is hard to say that it is overused — that
  would be a magnificent understatement! But the point is that it is
  used so often because we seem to be a species that is perpetually
  intrigued (fascinated, embarrassed, outraged, attracted etc.) by that
  subject.

  For the 2008 Festival NWEAMO aims to wrestle (innuendo intended!) with
  the aesthetics, gender issues, politics, norms, history, rituals,
  taboos, propaganda, stereotypes, spirituality and physiology of this
  emotional and physical dance that preoccupies most of us for so much
  of our lives.

  We want to offer a forum that covers the spectrum. We do not want to
  be preachy or didactic (though some works might take those angles).
  Instead we want to pose questions and stimulate (sorry) debate!

  Is sex too private to be the subject of public spectacle? Can there be
  an avant-garde music festival that is steamy in 2008? We hope so!