Cartel Sessions: Silent G Album Release

“Among Other Things” is the culmination of creative partnerships Julia Lougheed has forged throughout the past five years. Most of these tracks were written and recorded during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic—when no one was vaccinated, and we had to depend on partnerships like these to keep connecting, keep creating, stay strong, stay sane, survive…

Meant as a musical expression of community, intense emotions, and playful cleverness, “Among Other Things” features a wide variety of musical styles, showcasing the breadth and full capacity of avant-garde clarinet music.

There is beauty in ugliness, hope in despair, closeness in loneliness –  always.

This album demonstrates this (among other things).

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About silent g

silent g is the stage name of Julia Lougheed, a Phoenix-based clarinetist and exploratory sound artist. silent g performs on both soprano and bass clarinet, often pairing the soulful tones of her reed instruments with electronic sounds to showcase just how vast of a soundscape one can create with this single instrument. Most of the music performed by silent g is created by living artists, and much of her music contains improvisational elements, with large sections generated on the spot. Through sharing sounds created by artists living through current times, silent g hopes to use her platform as a performer to draw attention to modern concerns and complex social issues and – presenting this work without comment and raising questions for listeners to work out later. Drawing from a wide range of stylistic influences from the realms of both classical and popular music, silent g’s work has been most aptly described as “what would happen if Laurie Anderson and Yoko Ono had a baby, and that baby took clarinet lessons”.

When she is not performing under the name silent g, Julia Lougheed works as a more traditional performer, educator, and arts administrator. She is dedicated to using her music to bring people together, with particular interest in uniting members of Phoenix artistic community. Julia holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Arizona State University, a strong affinity for small-batch bourbon, a fascination with the stars, and a special place in her heart for stray cats.

IG:@julialougheed

YouTube: @jlogsclarinet

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About Black Air

As Black Air, Josh Bennett blends electronic and acoustic sounds to create innovative, dynamic experiences for audiences. Sound will be heard, sound will be felt.

An active educator, freelance musician and arts administrator, Josh Bennett holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory of Music. His performance accolades include performing with various professional ensembles such as the Arizona Opera, Crossing 32nd Street, and Phoenix Theater. Dr. Bennett has also performed and presented at a variety of conferences including the OME Marathon Festival, ASU Contemporary Music Festival, Society for Ethnomusicology Southwest Chapter, and the ISIM Sixth Annual Festival/Conference.