Text by Noa Guy
Line up:
Noa Guy – composer, piano, voice, movement
Thomas Buckner – voice
Antonio Pio Fini – movement
Saul Macwillians – sound environment design
” Drops of Consciousness is a series of concerts that are documenting my recovery from a severe brain injury, which happened 17 years ago when I had a brutal scuffle with a tree. The car I was in did not survive.
In part I and II I explored the long journey back from a world of darkness and pain, and the birth into a new reality.
Part III is not a linear continuation of the last two chapters. This performance is a celebration of acceptance, love of life and the realization that I am not my injury. With the support of my friends I explore the hidden possibilities that are embedded in the impossibilities imposed on me by my injury. I can not walk without crutches, but I can move without them. The piano revealed to me a whole new and mysterious sound world.
I composed the music, the poems, and the concept of the whole piece. But the piece grew and became a world of beauty through a close collaboration between all of us that perform tonight.
I thank Tom, Daniel and Saul for their bright ideas, insights, respect and love.”
About N0a Guy
courtesy of Noa Guy
Born in Israel in 1949, Noa Guy studied in the theory department of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and continued to evolve privately and compose original pieces along with composer Abel Ehrlich. In the early 70’s Noa studied composition and electronic music with Boris Blacher in the Hochscule fur Musik in West Berlin. She moved to Norway where she made two fantastic kids and continued her explorations. After returning to Israel in 1975 Noa worked with Karlheinz Stockhousen for three years, and took master classes with Luciano Berio and Milton Babbitt. After collaborating with Heinz Holiger, Noa received a scholarship from the Scola Cantorum in Basel to compose the electronic score that was later played with live performance by renowned English tenor John Potter in the Nettlefols Festival of Contemporary Music. She later became sound artist for Ward Swingle on his visit to Israel. From 1985 until 1993 Noa was the musical director at the Jerusalem Music Centre (JMC), where she headed the master class program, and acted as sound engineer and assistant director to all the television productions of JMC. Throughout all these years Noa continued to compose and perform with international accolades. In the early nineties Noa was invited to NY to work under the tutelage of Isaac Stern. In October of 1993, while driving her and a colleague to New York, Mr. Stern crashed their vehicle inflicting on Noa a severe head injury that changed her life. The resulting brain injury prevented Noa from traveling back to Israel and seeing her family. Worse yet for her, she was unable to play, listen to, or compose any new music. In the 13 years since the accident, Noa was consumed in her own rehabilitation process finding innovative ways to overcome her many physical and mental obstacles.
The November 30th, 2006 show at Roulette has marked the first time this unusual musician broke her long imposed silence.
More about Noa.
