- Playing
- Andrew Bird
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- Jonathan Menjivar
The Chicago violinist and songwriter Andrew Bird is a solo musician who has taken the solo act to the extreme. Live, Bird uses his violin along with octave and looping pedals to create a dense sonic framework for his songs complete with layers of pizzicato violin and sweeping cello sounds to which he then adds guitar and vocals. Andrew Bird has played music in a variety of situations, both as a classical musician and with bands, including his own band, the Bowl of Fire. Three years ago, he moved out to a family farm in Western Illinois and converted an old barn into a studio and living space. Isolated from people, his band, even the radio…he found his music developing into something he never expected.
Andrew Bird is on a U.S. tour throughout November and December. Dates below.
For the November dates Andrew will be accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh and supported by special guests Head of Femur
NOVEMBER 8: Grand Rapids, MI / Monroe Gallery for the Arts
NOVEMBER 9: Ann Arbor, MI / The Ark
NOVEMBER 11: Toronto, ONT / Revival Bar
NOVEMBER 12: Montreal, QUE / Petit Campus
NOVEMBER 13: New York, NY / Bowery Ballroom
NOVEMBER 14: Northampton, MA / Iron Horse Music Hall
NOVEMBER 15: Cambridge, MA / Middle East Downstairs
NOVEMBER 17: Washington, DC / Black Cat
NOVEMBER 18: Pittsburgh, PA / Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
at the University of Pittsburgh
NOVEMBER 19: Newport, KY / Southgate House
NOVEMBER 20: Columbus, OH / Wexner Center
NOVEMBER 22: Nashville, TN / Mercy Lounge
NOVEMBER 26: Chicago, IL / Logan Square Auditorium
During the December dates Andrew will be accompanied by longtime collaborator / percussionist Kevin O'Donnell and supporting bluegrass sensations Nickel Creek
DECEMBER 1: Denver, CO / Fillmore Auditorium
DECEMBER 2: Park City, UT / Eccles Center
DECEMBER 3: Spokane, WA / The Big Easy
DECEMBER 4: Seattle, WA / Paramount Theatre
DECEMBER 6 & 7: Portland, OR / Roseland Theater
DECEMBER 9: Eugene, OR / McDonald Theater
DECEMBER 10: San Francisco, CA / The Warfield
DECEMBER 11: Reno, NV / Hilton Theatre
DECEMBER 12: San Luis Obispo, CA / Cuesca College Auditorium
DECEMBER 14: Tempe, AZ / Marquee Theater
DECEMBER 15 & 16: San Diego, CA / House of Blues
DECEMBER 17: Los Angeles, CA /The Wiltern
This piece originally aired on Studio 360.
NOTE: The piece itself is 4:57. An additional 4:04 of music is included at the end and can be faded as desired.
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Piece Description
The Chicago violinist and songwriter Andrew Bird is a solo musician who has taken the solo act to the extreme. Live, Bird uses his violin along with octave and looping pedals to create a dense sonic framework for his songs complete with layers of pizzicato violin and sweeping cello sounds to which he then adds guitar and vocals. Andrew Bird has played music in a variety of situations, both as a classical musician and with bands, including his own band, the Bowl of Fire. Three years ago, he moved out to a family farm in Western Illinois and converted an old barn into a studio and living space. Isolated from people, his band, even the radio…he found his music developing into something he never expected. Andrew Bird is on a U.S. tour throughout November and December. Dates below. For the November dates Andrew will be accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh and supported by special guests Head of Femur NOVEMBER 8: Grand Rapids, MI / Monroe Gallery for the Arts NOVEMBER 9: Ann Arbor, MI / The Ark NOVEMBER 11: Toronto, ONT / Revival Bar NOVEMBER 12: Montreal, QUE / Petit Campus NOVEMBER 13: New York, NY / Bowery Ballroom NOVEMBER 14: Northampton, MA / Iron Horse Music Hall NOVEMBER 15: Cambridge, MA / Middle East Downstairs NOVEMBER 17: Washington, DC / Black Cat NOVEMBER 18: Pittsburgh, PA / Frick Fine Arts Auditorium at the University of Pittsburgh NOVEMBER 19: Newport, KY / Southgate House NOVEMBER 20: Columbus, OH / Wexner Center NOVEMBER 22: Nashville, TN / Mercy Lounge NOVEMBER 26: Chicago, IL / Logan Square Auditorium During the December dates Andrew will be accompanied by longtime collaborator / percussionist Kevin O'Donnell and supporting bluegrass sensations Nickel Creek DECEMBER 1: Denver, CO / Fillmore Auditorium DECEMBER 2: Park City, UT / Eccles Center DECEMBER 3: Spokane, WA / The Big Easy DECEMBER 4: Seattle, WA / Paramount Theatre DECEMBER 6 & 7: Portland, OR / Roseland Theater DECEMBER 9: Eugene, OR / McDonald Theater DECEMBER 10: San Francisco, CA / The Warfield DECEMBER 11: Reno, NV / Hilton Theatre DECEMBER 12: San Luis Obispo, CA / Cuesca College Auditorium DECEMBER 14: Tempe, AZ / Marquee Theater DECEMBER 15 & 16: San Diego, CA / House of Blues DECEMBER 17: Los Angeles, CA /The Wiltern This piece originally aired on Studio 360. NOTE: The piece itself is 4:57. An additional 4:04 of music is included at the end and can be faded as desired.
4 Comments
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Review of Andrew Birdlovely, etherial, and humble. somehow avoids pretension in pursuit of sincerity. |
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Review of Andrew BirdA quiet piece of first person narrative by Andrew Bird, violinist and songwriter, about spending a period of time by himself to find his voice. He, as well as his music, speaks of that time away and the person he has become as a result.
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Broadcast History
Originally aired on Studio 360 the weekend of April 15, 2005.
Transcript
HOST INTRO:
The Chicago violinist and songwriter Andrew Bird is a solo musician who has taken the solo act to the extreme. Live, Bird uses his violin along with looping and octave pedals to create a dense sonic framework for his songs complete with layers of pizzicato violin and sweeping cello sounds to which he then adds guitar and vocals. Andrew Bird has played music in a variety of situations, both as a classical musician and with bands, including his own band, the Bowl of Fire. Three years ago, he moved out to a family farm in Western Illinois and converted an old barn into a studio and living space. Isolated from people, his band, even the radio…he found his music developing into something he never expected.
==========
(whistling of “First Song”)
The barn is situated on 350 acres of rolling hills and limestone cliffs and springs and forests. It’s really close to the Miss...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
Piece Title: Andrew Bird
Piece Length: 4:57
Rundown:
00:00:00 (4:57) Piece
00:04:58 (4:04) End Music
Additional Files
- Andrew Bird Photo. Photo Credit: Cameron Wittig (bird1CameronWittig.jpg)
- Andrew Bird Script (AndrewBirdPRXScript.doc)
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Aaron Henkin
Posted on August 16, 2006 at 09:11 AM | Permalink
Review of Andrew Bird
This story about a reclusive musician comes to us from producer Jonathan Menjivar. Menjivar currently works at WHYY's Fresh Air, but he put together this 5-minute piece when he was working as an independent producer. He's given us a carefully designed story that not only suggests the sense of solitude that musician Andrew Bird must experience when he creates his music, but that sense of solitude is amplified as we hear from Bird only in his own words, without the mediation of a narrator.
This piece works well as a stew of unmitigated thoughts in a suspension of music, and it should serve as a ray of hope and to producers who struggle to put structure to un-narrated radio stories. Menjivar shows us that it can be done, if we keep our ears tuned to pacing and we can bear to pare our tape down to the bare essentials.