In collaboration with
Arts for Peace

For the Forest

An event of music and discourse in support of healthy forests.

Saturday, September 17
10:00am—10:00pm

Ten Mile River Scout Camp
Narrowsburg, New York

Events: $5
Dinner: $5
Events & Dinner: $10






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ABOUT THE EVENT

The United Nations has declared 2011 the Year of the Forest. In recognition, Arts for Peace, an official United Nations Peace Messenger, is hosting For the Forest, an afternoon of music, activities, food, and dialogue inspired by, and in support of, the United Nations' Year of the Forest.

For the Forest will take place on the historic Ten Mile River Scout Camp, established in 1927 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Amidst this vast woodland, two unique and powerful works composed specifically to be performed within natural environments will be presented: John Luther Adams' Inuksuit and Yoko Ono's Secret Piece. Each of these works immerses participants in a convergence of environmental and composed sounds. The compositions weave in vocalizations of wind, water, birds, insects, and animals, affording audiences the opportunity to forge new and dynamic relationships with their surroundings.

Presentations in support of goals outlined by the United Nations' Year of the Forest initiative will be made by representatives of the United Nations, Damascus Citizens Group, Riverkeeper, and other organizations. Later in the evening participants are invited to share in a meal of locally farmed and prepared foods with fireside performances by Sima Cunningham and the Phantoms.

Schedule of Events

10:00am
Learn to identify mushroom and other edible plant life in the forest with Nathaniel Whitmore.

12:00pm
Break.

2:00pm
Inuksuit by John Luther Adams

4:00pm
Presentations on the Year of the Forest featuring speakers from the United Nations, Damascus Citizens Group, and other organizations

6:00pm
Secret Piece by Yoko Ono

7:30pm
Dinner featuring locally farmed and prepared foods. The menue will include: herb roasted fowl, pork and autumn vegetables, garlic scape pesto fettuccine, parsley mashed potatoes and gravy, braised greens with lemon and capers, brownies, apple or peach tarts and ice cream.

9:00pm
Fireside songs with Sima Cunningham, Jordan Urbach and The Phantoms

RESERVATIONS

For the Forest is open to everyone, and we welcome your civic and creative engagement.

If you plan to come,
please contribute in advance so we know you are coming:

Events $5
Dinner $5
Events & Dinner $10

TRAVEL

If traveling by car, directions to Ten Mile River Scout Camp are available here. Convene at Camp Keowa, located here.

NOTE: It has just been brought to our attention that train service to Port Jervis has been suspended due to Hurricane Irene until further notice. We appologize for the inconvenience.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Cabin and camping options are available at Ten Mile River Scout Camp. For more information and reservations email 4theforest@gmail.com.

Other options available include:

Narrowsburg Inn

River Lights Bed and Breakfast

Beech Lake Inn and Hotel


If you have questions email 4theforest@gmail.com

ABOUT THE ARTISTS


John Luther Adams
John Luther Adams is a composer whose methods have included percussion ensembles, Alaska Native voices, orchestral residencies, sound and light installations, and elegant prose writing collected in his book Winter Music. His music has been performed by Bang on a Can, the California E.A.R. Unit, and Percussion Group Cincinnati, among others, and he has won awards from the NEA and Rockefeller Foundation.

Yoko Ono
Acclaimed musician, conceptual and performance artist, member of the Fluxus movement in the 1960s, Yoko Ono is known for her performance work Cut Piece, the book Grapefruit, and the film No. 4. She has worked with John Cage, David Tudor, Ornette Coleman, Jackson MacLow, Jonas Mekas, Yvonne Rainer, Andy Warhol, and other outstanding composers and artists. Photo by Chris Floyd©Yoko Ono

Sima Cunningham
Sima Cunningham is a singer, songwriter and musician currently studying music and cultural diplomacy at New York University. Sima recorded her first album, Squeeze, with producer Brian Deck, and Aliens and Friends with The Audians. The Chicago Sun-Times recognized her as one of three “Women to Watch Under 30” and music critic Jim Derogatis heralded her as “an incredibly powerful and self-assured performer, with a smoky, sexy voice.”

Jordan Urbach
Violinist Jordan Urbach has headlined sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, Inside Edition and MTV. An international social entrepreneur, Jourdan is the Founder of two humanitarian endeavors, Children Helping Children and the International Coalition of College Philanthropists.

The Phantoms
Arts for Peace 2011 Emerging Artists of the year, The Phantoms were formed in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti as the brainchild of Haitian/American artist Jordan Lorrius. A recent collaboration with Serbian band Darkwood Dub and Croatian singer Ida Prestor has led to a music video (organized by Thomas G. Ehr of MTV in the countries of former Yugoslavia) of Listen, a song in response to the events in Haiti, which is now bringing a message of hope to a new generation of Serbians and Croatians.The Phantoms have performed at venues as varied as: UNHQ, Yale, The Provenance Center, a former Gestapo prison in Frankfurt, and a concert sponsored by MTV Adria in Belgrade.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

A work for nine to ninety-nine percussionists and intended to be played outdoors, John Luther Adams' Inuksuit is designed to immerse us in a natural environment and heighten our awareness of the sights and sounds that surround us. Written for a wide variety of percussion instruments, including conch shell, airhorn, siren, gong, maracas, drums, cymbals, and glockenspiel, the piece was premiered in the forests of Banff, Canada. Performers for this event include: Ben Fraley, Mike Anderson, Owen Weaver, Mike Truesdell, Yumi Tamashiro, Jeff Eng, Ellery Trafford, Mark Boseman, Zihan Yi, Tyler Niemeyer, Matt Evans, Anthony DiBartola, Sidonie Wade, Chris Demetriou, Mika Godbole, Jeff Stern, Joey Van Hassel, Daniel Lyons, Amy Garapic, Shane Jones, Tim Feeney, Carson Moody, Tim Briones, Peter Ferry, Jacqueline Russo, Frank Tyl, Chris Jasinski, Sayun Chang, James Waterman, Krystina Marcoux, and Taylor Eddinger. And the list is growing!

Yoko Ono's Secret Piece is an early work that unfolded from a childhood homework assignment in which she was asked to translate daily sounds into notes. Later, while a student at Sarah Lawrence College, she attempted to notate the songs of birds. Finding it impossible, she composed Secret Piece instead. The score to Secret Piece is a page of music paper with a single note drawn on it with instructions to a performer to play the note in a secluded place between 5 and 8am. For this event, the piece will be performed at sunset, between the hours of 5 and 7pm.

ABOUT ARTS FOR PEACE

Arts for Peace, an official United Nations Peace Messenger, works to bring the arts community together to make practical contributions in support of the United Nation's peace-building efforts.

ABOUT THE FARMERS

Food for the event will be provided in part by Willow Wisp Farm, Lucky Dog Farm, Anthill Farm, Pepacton Natural Foods, Quails R Us, Java Love Roasting Company, Brandenburger Pastry Barn, Caulkins Creamery, and Diehl Farms.