Lesson plan
Ghost Ensemble
Ghost Ensemble is a New York-based experimental new music ensemble composed of flute, oboe, accordion, percussion, harp, viola, cello, two contrabasses, and a conductor. The ensemble frequently commissions new works that merge classically notated music and improvisation with experimental sound practices. They follow an aesthetic that has been described as "music composed for a deep listening that fixes you in the present," that "uses sound to seek an altered consciousness, from a meditative awareness to a look, perhaps, into a different dimension". The ensemble is closely connected to the music of Pauline Oliveros, who introduced several members of the ensemble before its inception. The group frequently performs the work of Oliveros and advocates for her philosophy of Deep Listening. Ghost Ensemble's 2018 debut LP features work by Oliveros, ensemble director Ben Richter, and founding oboist Sky Macklay. The 2021 release Mountain Air features the Oliveros work of the same name and works by Marguerite Brown and Teodora Stepancic. Other composers commissioned by the ensemble include Catherine Lamb, Miya Masaoka, Sarah Davachi, ensemble bassist James Ilgenfritz, Elizabeth Adams, Kristina Wolfe, Andrew C. Smith, and Kyle Gann. Performance collaborators have included Carmina Escobar and David Rothenberg.…
Article summary
Ghost Ensemble is a New York-based experimental new music ensemble composed of flute, oboe, accordion, percussion, harp, viola, cello, two contrabasses, and a conductor. The ensemble frequently commissions new works that merge classically notated music and improvisation with experimental sound practices. They follow an aesthetic that has been described as "music composed for a deep listening that fixes you in the present," that "uses sound to seek an altered consciousness, from a meditative awareness to a look, perhaps, into a different dimension". The ensemble is closely connected to the music of Pauline Oliveros, who introduced several members of the ensemble before its inception. The group frequently performs the work of Oliveros and advocates for her philosophy of Deep Listening. Ghost Ensemble's 2018 debut LP features work by Oliveros, ensemble director Ben Richter, and founding oboist Sky Macklay. The 2021 release Mountain Air features the Oliveros work of the same name and works by Marguerite Brown and Teodora Stepancic. Other composers commissioned by the ensemble include Catherine Lamb, Miya Masaoka, Sarah Davachi, ensemble bassist James Ilgenfritz, Elizabeth Adams, Kristina Wolfe, Andrew C. Smith, and Kyle Gann. Performance collaborators have included Carmina Escobar and David Rothenberg.…
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.