The Timucua White House is granted a Conditional Use Permit.

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Benoit Glazer and The Timucua Arts Foundation has been providing world class art and music to the Orlando community free of charge for a long while. In 2007 Benoit built a custom home that was built around an acoustically perfect music hall with two levels of balconies overlooking the stage. The living room concert venue is completely soundproof so that neighbors never hear the music. Dozens of performances happen each year, most of them free of charge. Guests bring wine and food to the venue for each concert which cultivates a true sense of a community potluck. The Timucua Arts Foundation, is a benefactor to cutting edge music organizations like the Accidental Music Festival and the Civic Minded 5. The White House has established itself as a culture beacon for the Central Florida Music scene.

The home is in an area zoned for residential use, so the Orlando Municipal Planning Board demanded that Benoit apply for a conditional use permit. That type of permit is typically issued when the city wants to allow an
activity beneficial to the community despite zoning restrictions. Without the permit, one of the
most enlightened cultural lights in Orlando
would be be extinguished. An online petition was established to try and save the White House. Over one hundred people signed it in the first hour. In all 832 people signed the petition.

At 8:30am on April 19th, Benoit and his wife Elaine Corrivev, sat in the City Counsel Chambers to hear the Planning Board’s verdict. The Chambers were packed full of supporters for this home spun cultural institution. Jeremy Seghers sat in the row in front of me and Diana Rodriguez Portillo sat next to me to chat. There were so many friends of the arts in the room. The chair, Jason Searl, said he had to abstain from the vote since his little daughter takes piano lessons at the Benoit’s house. He clearly couldn’t be impartial. With in a matter of minutes, the Conditional Use Permit was granted. There was an audible sigh of relief and then most of the people in the room got up to leave. Exited conversations began and the celebration continued just outside the chamber doors. The concerts will continue with some conditions: Glazer will have to
formalize a parking agreement with the city for use of nearby spaces at
Wadeview Park, limit attendance to 99 guests and guarantee events end by
10:30 p.m. In some small measure, the bureaucrats won, but music and art will continue to shine at the White House. 

This, we believe:

Art and music belong to everyone.

Art and music are the highest manifestation of our humanity.

Art and music should be enjoyed in the most intimate venue: the living room.

Every community is better when art and music are performed and nurtured within it.

Chris Belt

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Christopher Belt, the creator of the Accidental Music Festival, performed on classical guitar, with Nathan Selikoff showing his artwork on April 21st at the Timucua White House (2000 South Summerlin Avenue, Orlando FL). It was a very crowded concert, but I managed to find a front row seat. Prior to Christopher taking the stage, Benoit Glazer’s daughter performed on violin along with a first chair violinist whose name I didn’t catch. They performed one piece, so I knew that my time was limited to sketch them.

A large flat screen TV was set up behind the stage. As Chris performed, Nathan Selikoff sat with his hands suspended over a laptop. Nathan interacted with and manipulated an abstract pulsating form on the screen with the movement of his hands using a new motion capture device that was reminiscent of user interfaces as used in Science Fiction films like the Minority Report or Iron Man.

On piece Chris performed was by composer J.S. Adams who was in the audience. The piece was written for guitar and tape. Much of the music had a new age flair. Much of the music was so quiet and intimate that I could hear people breathing beside me. It was a pleasant way to sketch away a Sunday afternoon.

Eladio Sharron and Carrie Wiesinger

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On November 11th, as part of the Accidental Music Festival, Eladio Sharron and Carrie Wiesinger performed Latin American works for flute and guitar, including Cronicas Del Descrumbiento by Robert Sierra, Fantasia by Inocente Carreno and Histoire du Tango by Astor Piazolla at the Timucua White House (200 Summerlin Ave). There was no visual artist on stage that day.

I tend to like to sketch from the second or third floor balcony, so I climbed the spiral staircase and found a spot to sit. Wendy Wallenberg was busy setting  up the snack and wine table in the next room. She signaled me from the entry gesturing to let me know I didn’t greet her properly.  Paintings by Christie Miga were on display and a large painting with 3D objects sticking out of it was right next to me. I stood and leaned against the wall overlooking the railing as I sketched. I was afraid that I might nudge Christies painting as I struggled with my sketch, sending the painting toppling down hitting audience members below. I don’t know why I always imagine the worst. Nothing horrible happened. Instead I experienced beautiful music in an intimate setting.

Riker’s Ripoff

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Terry and I went to the premiere of a brand new venue on International drive. There were valet assistants roadside, but we had been here before and figured, we would find our own parking in back. Terry guided me to a spot right near the entrance. There were no other cars in this area of the parking lot.

The premiere was amazing and we lingered after the show. When we finally left, I got an uneasy feeling as we walked back to the parking lot. The lot was now full of cars that were backed into their spaces. I had parked nose first and my car was gone. I clicked the door remote several times to be sure. “Shit, someone stole my car.” What made it worse was that the tablet and projector were worth several thousand dollars combined and they were hidden below the back seats. The walk home might be about five miles.

There was a group of men in the parking lot and we walked over to them. Their car was gone as well. They pointed out a Tow Away Zone sign nailed to a tree. The sign was in a dark corner of the lot and we hadn’t seen it. Riker’s Roadside Service had their number on the sign and Terry called. She demanded to know what business was responsible for towing the car. She never got a straight answer. We were offered a ride to Riker’s by a volunteer from the venue. It was out in the middle of nowhere (1425 Taft Vineland Road). The place was a suburban tract house with cars parked on the front lawn and a large fenced in area in back. A sign on the front door said we had to go to a walk up window on the side of the house. The doorbell was broken and there were no lights on inside. Terry called, 407 855-7776, again, and she was told someone would get to us in half an hour. I started to sketch while Terry sat on the stoop making more calls.

After about forty five minutes Tow Trucks started bringing in more cars. About five vehicles were Towed behind the building and locked behind the fences in short order, and then the trucks roared off to go get more. It would cost $150 to retrieve the stolen vehicle so this place was raking in big bucks. I sighed relief when I found that nothing had been stolen from inside the car. Riker’s is an infamous prison right outside Manhattan so the name was appropriate for the lot full of stolen cars surrounded by fencing and razor wire. What is so infuriating is that Terry had looked around for signs when we parked and we didn’t see the dark corner in the dark shadow below a tree where the sign was nailed. If the parking lot owner, whoever that might be, wanted to keep people from parking in the lot, he would invest in lights to illuminate the tow away zone signs. Riker’s now is on my list of the most despised businesses in Orlando. Trespass towing seems to be a lucrative business and there are a small army of trucks on the prowl. Drivers ethics must wear down fast because a sign on the front door said, “Drivers wanted”. Should I ever need roadside service, I’ll be calling AAA not Riker’s.

Hippocrene Saxaphone Quartet

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On November 8th at 7PM The Accidental Music Festival kicked off with performances by the Hippocrene Saxophone Quartet at Urban ReThink (625 E Central Blvd, Orlando). The first pieces were solos titled, Calling and Cradle written by Jay Batzner and Alexis Bacon. George Weremchuk on soprano saxophone and Scott Devlin stood behind music stands on stage during their solos. I ended up sketching them again when they sat with the rest of the quartet.

Composer Stella Sung introduced her Tropicana Suite after a brief intermission. She explained that the piece was written for the Prism Quartet. She dedicated the piece to a friend and co-worker named Stephen Levinson who passed away. Stephen collected blue bottles which were quite beautiful in the way the refracted light. She wrote Blue Bottles Groove based on that collection.

The final piece, titled, We Are Star Stuff Harvesting Star Light featured a guest artist, Pandit Nandkishor Muley on the tabla drums. The music had an ephemeral peaceful quality. The Accidental Music Festival has one more performance featuring, Eladio Scharrón and Carrie Wiesinger performing Latin American works for flute and guitar including Cronicas Del Discubrimiento by Roberta Sierra, Fantasia by Inocente Carreño, and Histoire du Tango by Astor Piazzola. Concert begins today Sunday November 11th at 3pm @ The Timucua White House (200 South Summerlin) .

Sunday Afternoon Music Improv

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON MUSIC IMPROV featured musicians from Central FL, Jax, and Miami. The session was on August 18th from 3-7PM at Urban ReThink (625 E Central Blvd, Orlando). When I arrived, Dan Reaves and Lucy Bonk were performing on stage using electronics and a wide assortment of found objects. Lucy used several kitchen bowls, using them like gongs. Dan’s instruments were gathered on a sheet of corrugated steel. He used a foot pedal and a dial with his right hand to modulate the electric sounds which sounded like someone scanning a short wave radio for a signal. Several large nuts on a screw were turned and he had a cow bell, a brass bell which he would use for percussive effects. The performance was on the edge of absolute dissonance. At times the beat and rhythm was mesmerizing to sketch to. When they were done, the electronic sound persisted making it hard to know when, or if, to clap.

Four musicians set up on stage with more traditional instruments. They were Dan Kozak, Kris Gruda, Jim Ivy and A.S. Herring. They had a game show spinning wheel which could be spun to decide if the piece performed would be a solo, duo, or quartet. Large foam dice would be rolled just to pick which musician would spin the wheel. A laptop displayed a visual representation of the next performance but I never got a glance at the screen. Various sayings were used to inspire the performances. For instance one was, “Life is a lamp flickering in the wind” and another was “The fallen flower never returns to the tree.” It was a fun idea to help structure the improvisation adding chance and luck into each piece. Perhaps ten to fifteen people were in the audience with new arrivals all the time. As I was getting ready to go, Chris Belt who organizes the Accidental Music Festival ran into the room drenched head to toe from the rain. Nothing will stop people who want to experience something new, cutting edge and different in Orlando.

Accidental Fundraiser

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The Accidental Music Festival returned to Urban Rethink to present a performance of Terry Riley‘s seminal work In C, often cited as the first major minimalist work. The piece features a group of musicians (in our case a mixed ensemble of 12 players, many from UCF) performing a series of 53 musical ideas, each player moving through the sequence at their own pace. The melodies and rhythmic riffs flow in and out of sync according to the whims of the players, chance, and inspiration, so the piece can take anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours. The mood can become meditative, thrilling, and even ecstatic; it’s never the same twice.

In conjunction with the performance, there was also be a silent auction of prints and other small art pieces by local visual artists, with most items priced at $50 or less. The artists will donate a portion of the proceeds to presenting the 2nd annual Accidental Music Festival this November.

The Accidental Music Festival is a marathon festival of concerts and educational programming sponsored by the Timucua Arts Foundation. The festival is primarily dedicated to presenting modern and contemporary music of high artistic quality by living composers and engaging the community in a dialogue about the value of artistic, creative, and avant-garde music.

When I arrived, Mat Roberts was sitting alone on stage holding a potted cactus next to a microphone. He plucked the needles and the cactus sang like a harp. He used a bowl of nuts as an instrument as well. One nut thundered to the floor in an unexpected improvisation.  Yellow pencils poked into green Styrofoam balls stood topiary style in a pot beside him.

On the day of the fundraiser, Chris Belt the festival’s founder, was concerned that the performance at Urban ReThink didn’t generate the funds expected. I’m happy to see that the 2011 Kickstarter Campaign was a success. Hopefully this years fundraiser will also be a success. The Festival will take place November 8-18th at Urban ReThink and at the Timucua White House. I for one look forward to the new and unexpected. If anyone would like to bid on this sketch, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Accidental Music Festival. Consider the comment section on this post to be a silent bid sheet. Highest bid wins.

Free Jazz, Improvisation

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The thing that I find fascinating about the Accidental Music Festival is that each evening is truly unique. I never know what to expect when I walk into Urban ReThink. This evening was unique to say the least. As sound technicians scurried and adjusted mics, I started blocking in my sketch. I was impressed by the drum set which was covered with decals. In itself it was a visual treat. Kris Gruda performed on guitar. He wrestled with the instrument contorting his body to the sounds produced. He experimented with how to create music. A glass was pressed against the frets, a drum stick banged against the strings. The water bottle at his feet became an instrument as he twisted it creating sharp plastic sounds. I loved when he used a kazoo and played it in a cup of water. That was music any dentist could appreciate.

Jill Burton performed vocals. I can’t say she was singing since there were no lyrics. Her vocal chords were just an instrument to create experimental sounds. At one point she sounded like a whale at another like an Indian princess speaking in tongues. Part of me wanted to laugh and yet some passages were quite operatic. Lord knows I don’t understand opera, yet it is considered art. Her throat howled like the wind, filling the empty room.

My favorite performance came at the end of the evening with Michael Welch on drums and Daniel Jordon on saxophone playing a close approximation of Jazz. Drum Talk was a solo performed by Michael and it sounded very much like a beat generation mantra. The sets were long and uncharted. Daniel introduced himself slyly saying, “It has been a long time since I’ve been the corniest cat at a gig.” When the song ended, he thanked Urban ReThink for, “bringing real musical expression to Orlando in what is otherwise a f*cking wasteland. This evening allowed the artists to perform something new rather than reenacting what happened in the past.”

Contemporary Chamber Music

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The Accidental Music Festival hosted an evening of contemporary chamber music at Urban ReThink (625 E. Central Blvd). When I arrived, musicians were milling around and there was the usual mad rush to get everything in place and working by show time. Violinist Eric Smith introduced himself. He knew of my work since I had sketched a string quartet he played with in Winter Park last winter. He said someone shot video of the performance and there I was in the front row of some chairs set up in the street sketching away.

For the first piece Brandon Clinton played piano and Christopher Belt, the festival organizer, played guitar. I decided to sketch from halfway up a staircase. Each chamber music pieces was short and to the point. Eladio Sharron performed with Carrie Wiesinger on flute. Their piece elicited a standing ovation from the 30 or so attendees. On a trip to Germany, I discovered that a very distant relative, Cornelia Thorspecken, is a professional flute player in Wiesbadden. She gave me a CD and since then I’ve become infatuated with the pure sweet tone of the flute. Thad Anderson performed last doing a drum solo. He warned people sitting close that things were going to get loud. If people needed to shield their ears, he wasn’t going to be insulted. Bravely people stayed where they were. It was a stunning way to end the otherwise peaceful evening of music.

On the outer edge of each step of the staircase I was on, there were small candles in glass jars. I was careful to avoid them when I rooted around in by bag for art supplies. When the concert was over, an old man came down the steps cradling his empty dishes from the salad he ate during the concert. He had a cane and it dragged next to him as he walked down. The cane knocked over every candle on the way down. A sound technician followed him down, righting each candle as it tumbled. He turned to me and said, “Unbelievable.” Luckily they were not lit. It was hilarious simply because the guy had no clue about the havoc he was causing.

Accidental Music Rehearsal

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The Accidental Music festival held an open Rehearsal at Urban ReThink. I spoke to Christopher Belt the festival organizer, and he let me know the performers were being paid for their time. Juan Trigos composed and conducted “Ricercare VI” for guitar and chamber orchestra. There was no guitar player at the rehearsal. I recognized the flute player, Colleen Blagov, from the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Benoit Glazer’s son sat up front playing violin.

I can’t tell you much about the flow or overall structure to the music. The percussionists clapping out the beat reminded me of a Spanish Flamenco dancer. When the drums joined in, I was reminded of a scene from the Planet of the Apes as humans were hunted. The rehearsal was very staccato with short bursts of music followed by many conductors notes. The piece will have its Florida premiere on September 11th at the Timucua White House (2000 S. Summerlin Ave) at 7pm. The acoustics in the White house are perfect. Benoit Glazer designed the space from the ground up to make the perfect performance space. As always the concert is free. Bring your own bottle of wine if you care to sip a drink during the show. Arrive early this is going to be a big one!