- This event has passed.
A Musical Performance and Talk with Artists in Residence Summer Kodama
October 2, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
“Legible” A Musical Performance and Talk with Artists in Residence Summer Kodama is a presentation of solo performance pieces composed during the residency and inspired by literary projections of the Asian American/Pacific Islander experience. The performance will showcase multi-tracked double bass, spoken word and electronics. Through research of various literary works of East Asian and Asian-American authors, in addition to the exploration of the Asian diaspora and its influence in the framework of cultural assimilation, ‘Legible’ is an attempt to create an exhibit that showcases the various contributions of AAPI writers through the engagement of audiences in an interdisciplinary performance. With the recent rise in Anti-Asian sentiment in the United States, Summer hopes to inspire the audience to inquire about their internalization of systemic inequity, invisibility and to further humanize the experiences of people of color.
REGISTER HEREThis event is being held in-person at Bethany Arts Community. For your safety, and the safety of our artists and staff, attendance is being limited and you will be required to wear a mask while at Bethany irrespective of vaccination status. Please read our Covid-19 Safety Statement before your visit.
Bio
Summer Kodama is a Japanese-American upright/electric bassist, composer and educator. She passionately strives to understand, respect, and express as many different perspectives of the human experience through her compositions and collaborative efforts. She feels especially drawn towards improvised music and composition as a platform for her expression and her beliefs. Passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion awareness, Summer utilizes her creativity and musical community as a means for outreach. Her most recent venture entailed organizing a concert of AAPI composer-performers and diversity/inclusion initiatives through Nevada School of the Arts.
Summer’s most recent awards include a multi-disciplinary arts residency at Bethany Arts (2021) and the 2020 Downbeat Student Music award for Outstanding Composition for Large Ensemble. She also has won numerous awards and fellowships through the Jazz Education Network (2019), the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival (2017) and McGill University (2018-2020). She has participated in residencies at the Banff Centre, Marrowstone Music Festival, the Disneyland All-American College Band and the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. She is grateful to have performed alongside Tyshawn Sorey, Kenny Rampton, Jean-Michel Pilc, Claire Daly, Post- Modern Jukebox among many others. During her time as a graduate fellow at McGill University, she served as composer-in-residence for one of the premiere jazz ensembles, under the tutelage of honored Canadian composers: Jean-Nicolas Trottier and Joe Sullivan.
When not performing, Summer spends her time developing an already recognizable voice as both a composer and player. Her compositions showcase risk taking improvisations; to play with her requires embracing the unexpected. Foil to her fearlessness is a genuine desire to connect with audience members in terms they can relate to. Her compelling writing assures that listeners leave with lasting impressions of new sonic worlds.
In addition to her music career, Summer is a co-founder of Healing Hearts Cooperative, an organization dedicated to creating an inclusive community through virtual wellness events. Summer recently completed her master’s degree at McGill University for Jazz and Composition.
Artist’s social media:
website: summerkomusic.com
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/summerkobama/
soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/summer-kodama
bandcamp: https://summerkodama.bandcamp.com
Residencies and programs at Bethany Arts Community are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Westchester, and numerous individual donors.
