THE VLOG OF SINGING MASKS is a vehicle for the Singing Masks by Norman Lowrey to tell their stories. It will contain a variety of media, mostly video, wherein the Singing Masks, and a few of their offspring (automata and chatter boxes), may find an outlet for celebrating and ritualizing their experiences as well as commenting upon the strange world in which they find themselves. See more at norlowrey.net



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Spring Equinox 2024



No buds on trees yet, but a few black birds were having a glorious spring chirpathon, here accompanied by Slide Whistle Bird. March 20, 2024, Kingston, NY.

Deep Listening Quote



Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the composer, performer, humanitarian and founder of the practice of Deep Listening, Pauline Oliveros. This one is accompanied by my very first Singing Mask, Earth Singer. February 16, 2024.


Year of the Dragon



Happy Lunar New Year, February 10, 2024.



Quoting John Cage



I’m admitting here that I have been posting little videos to TikTok for awhile, most of which have provided a means for me to tap into my silliest self to provide some smiles in our dark time. A recent series consisted of renderings of silly children’s songs I composed years ago, presented by one of my VR personas, Foxie. I’ve now started a series of quotes. Some will be silly. Some serious. Who knows? This is the first. February 2, 2024. Oh, and here’s my TikTok link @normaskman.

Happy New Year



A gentle fireside song by Anima for a Happy New Year. January 1, 2024.

Let's Listen Together



Tunnituaruit singing for peace and joy throughout the holy days of the winter solstice. December 24, 2023.

Saturn Walk



Saturn Walk" by China Blue. Composition by China Blue (http://chinablueart.com) & Lance Massey. Norman Lowrey sounding with “Sheeoué Windhorse” at D.R.A.W. Kingston, NY, December 2, 2023.

This is a full video of my slow walk meditation. The collaborative sounding occurs at about 6'.

China Blue writes:

"In this sound walk experience performers are immersed in the acoustics generated from Saturn’s rings. Through mindful meditation and embodied listening participants explore our relationship with each other and the cosmos.

"The intent of this work is to foster compassion. As a public art work viewers are encouraged to also participate and experience the work.

"The composition is inspired by the sonics of Saturn’s rings that the artist discovered for NASA and composed with Lance Massey, creator of the T-Mobile ringtone."

Beginning Spring 2023



Out on walk on first day to hit 73°F in Kingston, NY. Of course, tomorrow high will be 48. April 1, 2023.

Fireside Chat #8



Fireplace Chat #8. Tunnituaruit has a say about our recent sub-zero weather, probably including some expletives regarding human-caused climate change.

(Tunnituaruit is an Inuit term meaning literally "little beings who only have tattooed faces" - magical half-bird and half-human creatures whose language of communication is "katadjait," throat singing). February 6, 2023.

The Witness by Pauline Oliveros

Pauline Oliveros had a long-standing interest in collaborative performance at a distance, which included her pioneering work in telematic performances over the internet as well as telepathic and imaginative participation. In her score to “The Witness” (1989), she writes that it “may be performed by a soloist as a duet with an imaginary partner or as an ensemble for two to a hundred or more performers.”

I was unable to be present in the flesh at a presentation of “The Witness” at Carnegie Hall on January 21, 2023. I was there however by way of telepathy, my imagination and by real-time editing of two videos which documented previous presentations. Feb. 4, 2023.

Fireside Chat #7


Fireside Chat #7. Basswood Bear rattles on with gratitude to everyone for the warm birthday wishes. He also scoffs at my turning 79 and challenges me to always stay young at heart. Thanks, Bear. Thanks, dear friends. Jan. 13, 2023.

Fireside Chat #6


Fireside Chat #6. New voice for Locust Seed Pod Singing Mask , a slide whistle also triggering sounds in the Animoog Z app. Jan. 6, 2023.

Fireside Chat #5


Fireside Chat #5. Fox says HAPPY NEW YEAR! Jan. 1, 2023.

Fireside Chat #4


May your Holy Days be peaceful and joyous. December 21, 2022.

Moons of Saturn


Ganesha Singing Mask sounds at table with a few of China Blue’s Moons of Saturn with their sounds from Saturn she created for NASA. December 14, 2022. https://chinablueart.com

Fireside Chat #3


Fireside Chat #3, with Ganesha Singing Mask sounding and triggering an Animoog Z synth patch, further controlled by hand gestures. December 12, 2022.

Fireside Chat #2


Fireside Chat #2, with RayBird experimenting with a wireless control ring randomizing delay lengths and pitch shifts. We like playing along with the unpredictable. December 3, 2022.

Celebrating Saturn


Earth Singer Singing Mask joins China Blue’s sonic installation art works with their sounds of Saturn she created for NASA. Lake Katrine, NY, November 26, 2022. http://chinablueart.com/

Autumn Song


A little pre-Autumn Equinox song. September 17, 2022, Kingston, NY

Tree Dreams


Brief montage from Tree Dreams presented at the Rail Trail Cafe on Larsen Family’s Stone Mountain Farm near New Paltz, NY, June 18, 2022. Norman Lowrey with Singing Masks, Theo Lowrey on Accordion, JL Simonson on Guitar and Found Instruments. Video footage and photos by Linda Law. Dedicated to listening to and dreaming with trees.

RayBird Dreams


RayBird Sings a Tiny Late Afternoon Dream for Ione's 27th Annual Dream Festival
April 21, 2022.

Slide Whistle Bird


Slide Whistle Bird: new species.
Mar. 18, 2022.


Pauline Dreams at Mills

Pauline Dreams: A Sonic Dream Mandala by IONE (December, 2021), presented on April 21, 2022 for Music in the Fault Zone, Experimental Music at Mills College (1939 to the present), Ione’s 27th Annual Dream Festival, and in celebration of Pauline Oliveros’ upcoming 90th birthday. Performers were Ione, Anne Hege, Brenda Hutchinson, and Jennifer Wilsey, with Video Montage by Norman Lowrey. What appears here is a mix of the montage together with video of the live performance.
April 21, 2022.

Duet

Interspecies communication? October 9, 2021, Kingston, NY.

Calling In

Calling in September, 2021, with Found Object Chatterbox #7, during a bit of rain and quite a few bird chirpings in Kingston, NY.

The Witness by Pauline Oliveros

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The Witness by Pauline Oliveros is “A solo duet with an imaginary partner, a duo or an ensemble” composed in 1989. The rendering here appears as a solo, but it was actually done as a simultaneous telepathic performance with an ensemble distributed in various locations around the Hudson Valley. The ensemble included the Talking Gong Trio (Claire Chase, Susie Ibarra, Alex Peh), Senem Pirler, Ione, Henry Lowengard, Peter Wetzler, Lisa B. Kelly, and Leaf Miller.

The presentation had been scheduled for outdoors at the Deep Listening Plaza in Kingston, New York as one of a series of events celebrating Oliveros’ and Ione’s birthdays. It had to be postponed because of inclement weather. For more information about both, see https://paulineoliveros.us/ and http://www.ionedreams.us/.

Dream Action Theater

A bit of Pop Up Dream Action Theater at Deep Listening Plaza, Kingston, NY, as part of Carole Ione’s 26th Annual Dream Festival, 12:00 noon, February 22, 2021. See ministryofmaat.org

New Year

Calling in the New Year, wishing everyone good health and always more love. January 1, 2021.

Masked Crater Inspector

Assuming the character of the Masked Crater Inspector, I participated along with a few hundred others in an extraordinary production over Zoom of:

FULL PINK MOON: Opera Povera from Quarantine

A Worldwide Fundraising Live Stream of Pauline Oliveros’s Open Form The Lunar Opera; Deep Listening For_Tunes

Tuesday, April 7th (the night of the Full Super Pink Moon) 2020

FULL PINK MOON is presented by the University of Chicago’s Richard & Mary L. Gray Center for Arts & Inquiry and California Institute of the Arts.

Buck

It’s been awhile for a new Singing Mask to join us. Not sure where this came from, but I think 2020 had something to do with it. September 14, 2020.

Chatterbox #4

Tabletop found object chatterbox with Spring green video inlay made March 27, 2020.

Unicorn

How about a little found object Unicorn Chatterbox, accompanied by some bells, to join in our solitudes on a somewhat snowy/rainy Spring day? March 23, 2020.

Chatterbox #2

Another found object critter. I think I should call these chatterboxes. March 18, 2020.

Moose

Shadows, found objects, variances of light controlling soundings, gestures... Moving on from crudely fashioned fish, birds, and dragons, here’s the first of an intended series incorporating found objects. This one was a birthday gift from a neighbor who knew I’d like it. She thought it looked like a headless person with arms raised. It reminded me of a moose. I’ve obviously gone for that interpretation in this video. March 12, 2020.

Dragonflies

A different kind of dragon. February 18, 2020.

Another Dragon

This one an automaton. February 1, 2020.

Bird/Dragon Confab

In such a crazy world with so much suffering and inequity, I know I am so very fortunate to be able to pursue my joy in making these little instruments things, evolved from my Singing Masks. It makes me happy if they can bring pleasure to anyone else. Bird and Dragon were commission/requests from a friend made after my making the decision to offer these things on some kind of sale basis. January 10, 2020.

Fish Meets Coyote

Fish meets up with Coyote and they have a glossolalia jam session. January 9, 2020.

Fish

Fish rendered in the form of a quasi beat box, with Arduino synthesizer controlled by light sensors. December 3, 2019.

Running Fox

Running fox automaton, with sound. November 30, 2019.

Coyote Duet

Two coyotes briefly/wildly celebrating interconnection/interdependence. March 17, 2019.

Ganesha Dreaming

Ganesha summer dreaming into winter, of sunlit eye while resting on his wall. February 10, 2019.

Wood Thrush Sings

Wood Thrush sings along with Sherrie Tucker's AUMI Dream Ensemble of Kansas during Ione's 24th Annual Dream Festival Event in the CRAIVE Lab of Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dec. 8, 2018. Original video by Lisa Barnard Kelley. Mirror editing by Norman Lowrey. December 11, 2018.

Companions

Companions of the Long Nose (Tiger & TreeSpirit Wolf). November 18, 2018.



Oak and Anima

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Basswood Fox Remembers/Dreams

As winter approaches, Basswood Fox remembers/dreams late summer morning glories.November 14, 2018.

What Basswood Fox Says

Another take on what Basswood Fox has to say about conditions in the US of A in these dark times. There is at least a tad bit of playful light. November 2, 2018



Shadow Play II

More morning shadow play, this time with Basswood Fox and Bear. The sound track is created with samples of those masks played on ReSlice and Animoog apps. October 21, 2018.

Morning Glory Transformation

Late summer Morning Glory Transformation, with Hummingbird. September 3, 16, October 14, 2018.

Bear and Amelia

Having more fun experimenting with wireless midi controllers, this time two of them on a small version of Bear. Oh, and there’s a cameo appearance of Amelia the Cat. October 5, 2018.


Duet

Rainy day duet. September 25, 2018.

Hummingbird Miniature

I’ve been thinking of the little videos I’ve been making with Singing Masks and improvised gesture controlled midi synth sounds as miniatures, mainly because of their brevity. Why not really go miniature? Here’s little Hummingbird, joined by some percussion and a raucous Jay who thought I should immediately get away from his bird feeder. September 3, 2018.

Coyote and Foxie

Coyote and Little Foxie sound off about the heat and climate change, even if it is usual fair for late August in NJ. August 29, 2018.

Little Tiger Meditation

A very brief peaceful little Tiger Meditation. August 19, 2018.

Ganesha and Foxie

Ganesha tries out a new concept: gestural control of electronic bells turned Foxie, a new kind of solo duet with masks. August 17, 2018.

Fox Drums

Fox has some fun with gestural control of some electronic percussion, accompanied by a full chorus of sparrows who couldn’t care less. August 12, 2018.

Earth Singer

A somewhat dark (for our troubled time?) duet with Earth Singer and his doppelgänger. This is a first rough attempt to control a synth with hand gestures using a wireless MIDI controller. August 5, 2018.

Heat Wave Song

Green Man sings a little song for all the lush growth as it endures end of June, beginning of July, 2018, days of 90+ F. weather in Mount Tabor, NJ. July 1, 2018

Coyote Bird Taqua Nut 3

Third take on the Coyote/Birds/Taqua Nut collaboration. June 3, 2018

Coyote Bird Taqua Nut 2

Having some fun making semi-canonic chaos with Coyote and Birds with Taqua Nut music box. May 31, 2018

Coyote Bird Taqua Nut 1

Coyote joins Birds with Taqua Nut music box for a little jam session out on the porch. You may be able to hear a mourning dove cooing in the distance very faintly. May 29, 2018.

Magnolia Sequence

Singing Masks celebrate the journey of a magnificent Magnolia Tree in Mount Tabor, NJ, in the Spring of 2018, from buds to full flowering in less then two weeks. Dates of filming were April 18, 26, 27, 29, with Singing Masks Greenman, Wood Thrush, Earth Singer, and Inua Yua, respectively.

Sounding the Long Dream

Sounding the Long Dream Winter into Spring, 2018. The full sequence of Singing Mask soundings from February through April, celebrating the Long Dream Journey in my new home with Liza in Mount Tabor, New Jersey. April 22, 2018

Being On This Earth: With Water

Finally getting outside as Spring slowly arrives in Northern New Jersey, Buddha BigEars and Greenman Singing Masks join the little pond in Mount Tabor, NJ, making their call for connection with the Earth. With Water is the second of a planned series of brief Singing Mask ceremonies celebrating our human connections with things of the earth with the intent of realizing a sense of the sacred in everything no matter how mundane. April 11, 2018

Dream of Reality

Dream of Reality / Reality of Dream. April 10, 2018.

Dreamtime Perspetives

Dreamtime Perspectives / Spirit Protectors. April 9, 2018.

Basswood Fox

Basswood Fox’s short story for today. April 5, 2018.

Fox Dreaming

Fox learning his dream of an April 2nd snow is not a dream. Or is it? Anyway, he’s content with his indoor home on the stairwell wall.

Ganesha Has His Say

Ganesha has his say about conditions in the world today. Perhaps not so happy, but wishing everyone peace and joy nonetheless. April 1, 2018.

Greenman Sings

Greenman sounding into Spring, and for whatever we might consider Holy and beautiful. March 30, 2018.

Quartet

Singing Mask Quartet has some fun with a simple video editing episode. Masks include Tunnituaruit, Buddha BigEars, Wood Thrush, and RayBird. March 18, 2018.

RayBird Meets Buddha BigEars

Singing Masks RayBird and Buddha BigEars meet up in dream. March 16, 2018.

Woodthrush

Woodthrush, calling for Spring? In any case, singing along with 2500-year-old Chinese bells https://www.freersackler.si.edu/exhibition/resound-ancient-bells-of-china/. March 15, 2018.

Buddha BigEars

Strange but true. Buddha BigEars has a different take on things. Tuesday, March 13, 2018.

Tunnituaruit Commentary

A minute’s worth of Tunnituaruit doppelgänger commentary. (Tunnituaruit: Inuit term meaning literally "little beings who only have tattooed faces" - magical half-bird and half-human creatures whose language of communication is "katadjait," throat singing). February 12, 2018.

Coyote

Coyote makes his appearance with the 2500-year-old Chinese Bells. He thinks his chortles make a good mix. November 18, 2017.

RayBird

RayBird wanted a turn singing with the Adaptive Use Musical Instruments (AUMI)-controlled samples of 2500-year-old Chinese bells. Coyote may have sneaked a few of his meaningless sounds into the mix. He’ll have to have his own turn sometime. November 17, 2017.

Sheeoué Windhorse

Sheeoué Windhorse sounds, with bells and Coyote’s unintelligible voice. November 16, 2017.

Tunnituaruit

Brief message from Tunnituaruit, experimenting with AUMI (Adaptive Use Musical Instrument - http://aumiapp.com/), using gesture to sound bells and whale songs. Tunnituaruit is an Inuit term meaning literally "little beings who only have tattooed faces" - magical half-bird and half-human creatures whose language of communication is "katadjait," throat singing. November 14, 2017.

Earth Singer Says

Finally getting around to exploring the marvelous Adaptive Use Musical Instrument (AUMI) app, developed under the guidance of Pauline Oliveros. Here Earth Singer has a bit to say while triggering samples of 2500-year-old Chinese bells. Information about AUMI can be found at http://aumiapp.com/aumi/. November 10, 2017.

Fox Responds

Responding to the baseboard heating air currents and probably other vibrations stirring around in our troubled times, Fox has a song he wants to share, as uncomfortable as it may make us. November 7, 2017.

The Cat

Shadow play music box, October, 2017.

Soundings Gallery Tour II

It's been a year since the retrospective show SOUNDINGS was held in the Korn Art Gallery at Drew University in Madison, NJ, October 20 - November 18, 2016. A more formal "tour" is presented here then was released then. This includes each item zoomed in on and a sample of their sounds included.

Giraffe, Lion, Elephant

Shadow play music box, September, 2017.

Butterfly Music Box for Ezra and Crysta

For the marriage of Ezra Lowrey and Crysta Watson (now Ezra and Crysta Bloom), September 3, 2017.

Butterflies for Ezra and Crysta

For the marriage of Ezra Lowrey and Crysta Watson (now Ezra and Crysta Bloom), September 3, 2017.

Celebrating Nämforsen Rock Carvings

"Nämforsen in Näsåker is one of the largest single rock carving sites in Northern Europe. It has around 2,600 rock art preserved, the oldest believed was 6000 years old." namforsen.com/. With Björn Eriksson (Salamander Singing Mask, Recorder, Bells), Floribel Eriksson (Fox Singing Mask, Voice), Norman Lowrey (Fox Singing Mask, Bells). Summer Solstice, June 21, 2017.

Mini Jaguar Beat Box

"Score" submitted as one of 85 for the late composer Pauline Oliveros' 85th birthday turned remembrance tribute at McGill University's Still Listening Conference.

Fox Variants

What fox really says, 2017.

Singing Mask Story #1

Very crude experimentation with new approach to "telling stories" with Singing Masks and a variety of gadgets, 2017.


   



Contact:
nlowrey@drew.edu

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