Korg Electronic Music

I bought a brand new Korg electronic music device and it's called Kaossilator Pro. I have been playing around with the device for several weeks now and still learning how to play it as time goes on. The goal with this device is to use it when performing my poetry in ASL (American Sign Language). I still need to get a small memory card (SD Card) in order to be able to store the work in this device. I also would like to get a microphone and hook it to this device. The microphone into this device will enable me to speak my poems (in English) and create special vocal effects like robot voice and etc. Down the road, I would love to add a synthesizer and go beyond what this device can do. The idea is to play the device, push the buttons to save the sound effects I want, and speak the poems into the device with the microphone, then translate the spoken words in ASL on stage. It may appear as if I am a D.J. and performing artist/poet at the same time or back and forth. This enables me to go beyond just using GarageBand in my iMac laptop. It is also possible to play the device along the GarageBand in my iMac laptop simultaneously to add more soundscapes. This is truly an exciting experiment for me and I am looking forward to using this Korg Kaossilator Pro device on stage in the near future.

Performance with Dangerous Signs at MuCCC

On May 11th and 12th, I and the cast members performed poetry, songs, and storytelling in ASL (American Sign Language) as a group called Dangerous Signs at the Multi-unity Cultural Community Center (MuCCC). Also, glass pieces were laid out on the table and me and some Dangerous Signs cast members played the pieces into sweet sounds. That was a great and unique experience for me to do. Eastman School of Music students joined us to play a violin, cello, guitar, and other music instruments while we performed.

MuCCC presented the College Festival. Other colleges showed their theatrical productions. They were Monroe Community College, Eastman School of Music, Brockport University, Nazareth College, and few more. This event gave students' work a chance to be showcased in the community.

As for myself, I translated Annie Lennox's "Broken Glass" and Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence" songs into ASL. I also performed my original poem titled "Bones" with cast members that interacted along while I did the work. I also interacted along another cast who performed Ella Mae Lentz's "Eye Music" poem as well. Lastly, I played the glass pieces for one cast member's original poem. 

After the performances, we stayed to be interviewed by the audience and the interviewers. The questions and answers, feedback, and comments helped us see what needs to be worked on, what was successful, and the comments enabled us to see where to go. 

All in all, this experience was a tremendous learning opportunity and a great success for us, which I can only feel proud to be part of.

Here are photos of our performances.

Dangerous Signs at MuCCC for College Theatre Festival

I and the cast members in Dangerous Signs will perform our ASL signing-to-songs, poems, storytelling, and etc at Multi-use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC) for their College Theatre Festival this May 11th and 12th. We will present unique ASL translations of original poems like my "Bones" poem, well-known poems like Langston Huge's work, songs like Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass" and Simon/Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence", and several other skits. This Festival is a special showcase that enables the community to see college/university students/staff/faculty/etc's theatrical or performing arts skills. 

To look for the Festival, look at MuCCC web page to get the details: http://muccc.org/events/.

AMCE Recording Studio

I went to a recording studio called AMCE in Rochester, NY on April 23rd. I sat down with a person there to discuss the details of how to transfer my work into their devices in order to make it become better qualities. They have ProTool software that can take in my MP3 audio of my electronic music and electronic music with spoken word poems, then enhance them into higher qualities. They also have a special high-tech CD-recording machine that can burn my electronic music and insert them into good jewel cases. They also can accept artwork made by myself or anyone in JPEG or PDF files and insert the cover, back, and inside pages. 

It is my goal to submit this project to Kickstarter and reach a goal up to $1,250.00. If I do reach the goal, then the costs will be covered to do the recording and CD-making process. Once 100 CDs are all completed, then I would have them available for sale during my performances at venues in the near future. 

Henceforth, I will post this project into Kickstarter soon and will acknowledge you upon its availability online, then roll up my sleeves to get friends, family, colleagues, and others to help me reach the goal.

Here is a photo of AMCE's recording console. It's an awesome high-tech device and amazing.

Lori Nalasco and Eddie Swayze at Barnes and Nobles

On May 9th, a well-respected Spanish poet/singer, Lori Nolasco, will be reading her work in Spanish and English. She also has some poems that convey the message about deafness and the Deaf culture, which she will perform to the audience. She is also known to sing very well. Eddie Swayze (myself) will perform ASL poems and some spoken words with sign language at the same time. He will also play a few poems with his original electronic music.

This is an idea upon cultural languages: Spanish and the deaf/hard of hearing's ASL (America Sign Language). An interpreter will be there, who can interpret Spanish and ASL, both, which can become unique and rare for the audience to see. The interpreter will be Denise Herrera. She has interpreted for Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam 4 and 5 at Loving Cup. Henceforth, the Spanish poetry and ASL poetry shall entice the audience as this kind of approach is rare.

I thank the Just Poets for presenting this event and their support.

Here is the flyer for you all to see, which I created. Spread the word.

ASL Performance at Monroe Community College

On May 1st, I and three other deaf/hard of hearing performers will entertain the audience at Rochester's Monroe Community College. The event is sponsored by World Languages and Cultures Department, MCC ASL Club, and The Global Union International Student Organization. This free event will provide poems/stories/signing along songs performances that will be done in American Sign Language. Vicki Nordquist is known to create unique A, B, C stories or poems. Troy Chapman translates a lot of Langston Hughes poems. Matt Schwartz translates musicians' songs into ASL. I, Eddie Swayze, translates his original poems into ASL while playing his original composed electronic music. So, the four different approaches of ASL performances would give the audience great variety of tastes. 

I thank Grey Van Pelt for offering me this opportunity and I look forward to blowing the audience's minds as much as the other three performers will do as well.

Here is the flyer. You can click right on the flyer and it will become larger.

I realize that this flyer doesn't make it any easier to read the texts even clicked on to become larger. Here are what the texts say on the flyer:

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Room: Monroe A/B (Bldg. 3-205)

Doors open at 6:00 PM

Show starts at 6:30 PM

Monroe Community College

1000 East Henrietta Rd, Rochester, NY 

Performers:

Vicki Nordquist, Matt Schwartz,

Eddie Swayze, Troy Chapman

Interpreters will be provided

Sponsors: World Languages and Cultures Department,

MCC ASL Club,

The Global Union International Students Organization

Free Show

Parking is available for the general public in Lot N.

Deaf blind interpreters provided upon RSVP by April 22

Gvanpelt@student.monroe.edu

Photos of Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam 5

On Saturday, March 30th, John Roche and I (Eddie Swayze) coordinated a 3 hour poetry/storytelling/performance show at Loving Cup. The crowd was in good numbers. Dangerous Signs started their skits doing Langston Hughes' poems - translated into ASL, ABC sign language acts (I joined them for the word ROBOT, acting as a robot), one original poem of mine "Bones", and they ended their skits with John Lennon's "Imagine" song in ASL. Hearing poets Wanda Schubmehl, Kitty Jopse, Catherine Feurot, and John Roche read their English poetry. Hearing RIT students performed under a group The RIT Slam Team and RIT poetry magazine Signature with 2 Signature Award winners reading their work. Deaf and hard of hearing performers came on: Vicki Nordquist doing her ABC storytelling, Matt Schwartz doing 2 signing-to-songs skits, Jojo Oberholtzer doing one signing-to-song performance, and Eddie Swayze (myself) performing his "Joyful Canine" poem along original electronic music, acting as a dog, and translating Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" poem into ASL. At the very end of the whole show, Luane Davis Haggerty had the audience participate along Dangerous Signs, using a hand shape, breathing in and out technique (theatrical warm-up), and encouraging the audience to throw their names, which few cast members in Dangerous Signs used their name letters to perform into objects or little stories, and so forth in ASL. 

There were great interpreters that helped the audience have access to both English and ASL. They were Miriam Lerner, Denise Herrara, Nora Beckestein, and few others. This kind of show is unique because it was combined with the deaf world and hearing world together by using English (the hearing performers) and ASL (the deaf performers) back and forth in which the interpreters were doing all along. It is rare to have an event that gives this kind of two world approach. The interpreters did a fabulous job.

All in all, this was a great 5th year show. DEAAF (Deaf Education of the Arts for African Families) had their donation jar and information materials set up during the whole show for the audience to donate, ask questions, join them as members, and so forth. DEAAF is a non-for-profit organization that funds and supports deaf and hard of hearing children in Africa to receive the education and school supplies that they need.

Here are the photographs for you all to enjoy.