double bass and juggling shadows

Brian Eckenrode, juggling; and Tyler Gibbons, double bass (3/14/07, ICA silence program).

Breathing Lessons: The Peculiar Pleasure of Earplugs

Here is an article posted today on Slate.com about earplugs.

"But I return to them now and then, and they never fail to provide a thrill. There's the pleasure of calming the world around you to the point where you can hear your own thoughts. And then there is the real treat to wearing earplugs: The moment when you have arrived at your destination—a quiet desk, a park, or maybe home, where a loved one waits—and you take them out, and the whole world comes rushing delightfully in, bright and somehow new."

Breathing Lessons: The Peculiar Pleasures of Earplugs
Thomas Bellar
http://www.slate.com/id/2162178/

ear plugs

An assortment of 27 repackaged ear plugs from THE EAR PLUG SUPER STORE for the No Silence Here, Enjoy the Silence program.

Nyepi: silence holiday in Bali

Bali welcomes silence for 'Nyepi' holiday

Items from Bali: The day of silence, Nyepi March 19th: on this very day, the island wakes up to a day of perfect stillness: no fires are to be lit, no food cooked, no activity carried out and nobody is allowed to be seen on the streets during this day of prayer and meditation. No paper: in observance of Nyepi (the Hindu Day of Silence) The Jakarta Post will not be published Monday (March 19). The paper will resume publication Tuesday.

-td

thoughts and feeling during silence

Silence golden! Eyes hazel.
Going to another place i want to be.
Feeling, touching again.
Nature.
Solitude.
I move with time always wondering what will be next. The hoot of an owl. The place i need to go. Friends lost.
I mst find a way to keep them all.
The news i told you it's depressing. Time and slence may heal all?
I love deep
I hurt deep
I feel deep
I sing to all you have done! I must show what good is in you. You touch! Your truth. Your pain.
You live and love simply

Notes from ...Silence

senses heightened and dissected
visual stimulants diluted without sound
differences noticed and acknowledged
..but not judged?

curiosity piqued
emotional freedom
civil struggle
domestic Inquiry
patient anxiety
movement study

fear of closedmindedness
privy to enjoyment
desire to create
no need for words

legs contorted
floor spins
slave to Gravity

instinct and intuition
silent noise
confusion alleviated
sexy people
clogged sound

-ldn

Overheard Afterward

"Her hands were exactly like mine. I'd never met anyone with hands like mine."

"I was confused by my gift. I didn't know if I should eat the beans. (I didn't.)"

"At the end, when we went back to the other room, the sounds seemed too loud. It hurt my ears."

"The first note on the bass reverberated through my body. It shocked me."

"Wearing earplugs made me even more aware of the sounds around me. I could still hear all kinds of ambient noises in the room."

"I didn't read the directions carefully enough and I sat up when I heard the balls start to drop."

how-to post

If you attended the No Silence Here, Enjoy the Silence performance at the ICA on March 14, 2007 please feel free to post pics, your silence journal entries, or anything you want connected to the piece here.

How-To Post:

Sign in to Blogger via the No Silence Here Google Account

ear plugs, espresso verino, lemon heads, cranberry beans, wasabi coated beans

end the silence

TEN
end the silence

look for the FOLLOW ME sign. follow the leader
back into the main gallery and form a circle

around the juggler. (you may speak, yell out,
or talk now)

silence journal

NINE
silence journal

take out silence journal, or scratch pad
and draw, sketch, or jot down any thoughts
about the program (one at a time, or altogether):
silent juggling; silent bass and juggling; at rest:
lying on the floor; 4’33;

looking at another person; silent movie stills;
smell & taste; ear plugs & sitting in the main gallery.

(duration: 5 minutes)

juggling and bass

EIGHT
juggling and bass

brian eckenrode (juggler),
tyler gibbons (double bass, from
red heart the ticker)

at rest

after the dance
take out the blue piece of material
from the plastic bag.

SEVEN
at rest

lie down on the floor on your back.
place the strip of material over your eyes.
close your eyes and rest.
someone will tap you on the shoulder
when the piece is complete.

(duration: 4 minutes)

4’33

4’33

devynn emory
tyler gibbons

please form a seated circle around
the dancer

looking at people

FIVE:
looking at people:
eye color & hands

directions: find the person you exchanged gifts with. Acknowledge that person: for this segment you will take turns: someone goes first, someone will go second. without speaking, communicate who will go first and second.

*

notice the color of the person’s EYES.
think about what that color it really is. what is distinct about it? what is familiar about it? next notice their HANDS: notice the patters (whorls, skin color). notice the color of the hair, if any. (duration: as long as it takes).

when you are both finished, make eye contact with the man standing, when you see him & he sees you, wave, hello.

(take out envelope from plastic bag
handwritten SIX. 4’33 printed.
do not open the envelope).

the gift of silence

FOUR

the gift of silence

take out container marked: gift

find a person in the room
(someone you know, or not)
and exchange gifts

with that person.

open your gift.

(after one minute has passed go to section FIVE)

smell, taste, sight

THREE
smell & taste

take out three items in plastic bag: taste, smell are labeled,
the other item is a small folded gold leaf paper.

1^st unwrap gold leaf paper.

take your time. smell the item.
spend almost a minute for each item.

smell the fresh eucalyptus leaves.

2^nd container marked: smell

chocolate espresso beans.

3nd: take a full minute break between smell and taste.

4^rd container marked: taste

taste and eat each item, consider the various layers
and tastes. take nearly a minute for each item:

lemon sour, wasabi, anise chocolate,

when you are finished clean up in front of you and simply wait.

wait until you see the man standing in front of you raise four fingers: go to section FOUR.

silent movie stills

TWO

silent movie stills

turn, or move to look
at the wall.

(when stills are complete turn section to THREE)

earplug keepsakes, part I

ONE

earplug keepsakes

find a place in the gallery (anywhere by yourself) and sit down. once sitting, take out the earplug packet. when you are ready, open earplug packet (notice the earplugs) then place them into each ear. listen to yourself; listen to the room; listen to your body in the space. do not read this while you sit—just sit. relax. in about five minutes (don’t worry about the time) you will notice a man with a FOLLOW ME sign walking around. when you see this man with this sign pass by please get up and follow. continue listening.

when you arrive at the next space find a spot to sit and sit (please do not open any other items in the plastic bag until directed). when you notice everyone is seated, slowly count to 20 (in your head); now take out the envelope labeled 2–3–4­–5.

(take out earplugs and read part 2)

No Silence Here, Enjoy the Silence at the ICA March 2007

NO SILENCE HERE, ENJOY THE SILENCE

in ten parts

(no talking please)