Bio

For 30 years I have worked as a performer and composer in modern chamber music, jazz, and electronic music. Since 2015 I have added interactive video, theater sound design, and teaching to my activity. Two basic ideas inform what I do, improvisation and eclecticism. These two ideas have governed not just my creative activity but the way that I live. Improvisation is an exploration of art and of who I am and represents a way of responding productively to events that are both inside and outside our control. Eclecticism means that resources are everywhere and there is no need to limit oneself to the conventions of as personal or cultural history. It is important to understand the grammar of a given language(Jazz) but also realize that the stories we tell are fundamentally the same, just told from a unique perspective and a particular context. Considering the question “how is what I do useful to other people?” has led to the idea that discussion, either formally or informally, of my process is at least as important as the finished work. This has taken the form of a Q&A after a concert performance, or simply explaining how the systems that I use work together during an informal bar gig. My hope is that by demystifying the work, more people are encouraged to participate in the arts..

Meditations on Perihelion

Tom Luther

Photo Credit - ESO/C. Malin
Courtesy of the European Southern Observatory
https://www.eso.org/public/images/

"Meditations on Perihelion" is a multi sensory live performance featuring original electronic music with full dome planetarium visuals. The piece explores the dark and cold of winter in Maine and the relationships between art and science.
Photo Credit - ESO/C. Malin
Courtesy of the European Southern Observatory
https://www.eso.org/public/images/

"Meditations on Perihelion" is a multi sensory live performance featuring original electronic music with full dome planetarium visuals. The piece explores the dark and cold of winter in Maine and the relationships between art and science.

The first performance was held on December 10, 2022 at the Versant Power Astronomy Center and Johnson Planetarium at the University of Maine at Orono. The visuals were curated by planetarium director Shawn Laatsch and that narrative in both literal and abstract ways.

The goal of this project is to explore the world of science through the world of sound in an immersive multi-media experience. The music is inspired and informed by the changes in the earth's orbit from equinox to solstice.

This recording was made "live" in my home studio and is representative of the what audiences experienced in performance. All the recordings are complete takes and only subject to mixing and equalization in post production.

The works feature strong structural points, but allow for creative improvisation in some substantive ways. The pieces are performed using Ableton Live 11 and Max 8. I created a number of tools Max For Live API that allow for a more free and organic development of ideas in performance. These were then mapped to my Arturia Keylab 88 controller to eliminate the need to use a mouse. The entire performance is controlled from the keyboard through the use of pedals, sliders and knobs. In some ways it is a 21st century theater organ.

"Meditations on Perihelion" is an ongoing project that will see expansion to other sites and include local artists to contribute visual material.
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