Two ClimateMusic Project Concerts (one tonight)

A ClimateMusic Project performance at the Chabot Space & Science Center this past April (from the ClimateMusic Project Web site)

For those not yet aware of the ClimateMusic Project, its objective, as stated on its home page, is a straightforward one:

We communicate a sense of urgency about the climate crisis by combining climate science with the emotional power of music to drive meaningful action.

In other words every performance is organized around a scientific presentation, created and delivered with a lay audience in mind, whose content is then reinforced by the performance of music. Furthermore, the music itself is often composed for the event with some awareness of the content of the scientific presentation.

The next presentation in this series will be taking place tonight, but it is not too late to arrange to attend. The introductory talk will be given by Bill Collins, who is the Project’s lead science advisor. The title of the composition that will follow this talk is simply “Climate,” conceived by composer Erik Ian Walker as a musical journey across 450 years of the climate’s past, present, and two possible futures. Walker himself will play keyboards in the performance of this piece. He will be joined by Scott Brazieal, also on keyboards, Thomas Dimuzio on synthesizer (involving live sampling), Michele Walther on violin, and Bill Noertker on bass guitar. The performance will be followed by a panel discussion about low carbon transportation, which will include a Q&A session for the audience.

This will be the latest event in the After Dark Thursday Nights series co-presented by the Exploratorium and the San Francisco Cinematheque. Doors will open at 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, September 19. The Exploratorium is located at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero, across from the intersection with Green Street. Tickets are $19.95 for general admission and $14.95 for daytime Exploratorium members. There will be no charge for After Dark members. Admission is only for those age 18 or over. Tickets may be purchased in advance from a special Web page. After Dark members can use this page to reserve seats. Those interested in visiting the Tactile Dome will be required to pay an additional $10 at the door. The performance itself will take place in the Kanbar Forum, where seating is relatively limited (150 seats) and will be made available on a first-come-first-served basis. The doors to the Forum will open at 7:30 p.m., and the performance will begin at 8 p.m.

In addition, members of the ClimateMusic ensemble will also be participating in the annual Kick-Off Weekend at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM). They will be featured in the final event of the weekend, the Technology and Applied Composition Concert. While the emphasis in this performance will be on the music and how that music can be driven by scientific data through a process known as sonification, there will again be an open Q&A session after the music has been played, which will involve SFCM musicians and climate scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

This concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 29. The performance will take place in the Sol Joseph Recital Hall. There will be no charge for admission, but reservations are recommended. The event page for the concert includes a hyperlink for reserving tickets. For those who do not already know, the SFCM building is located at 50 Oak Street, between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street, a short walk from the Van Ness Muni Station.