Self_Less

Self_Less, a multipart series of musical works, examines our “sense of self” while questioning the uniformity of these perceived feelings.

Self_Less, a multipart series of musical works, examines our “sense of self” while questioning the uniformity of these perceived feelings. On an everyday level, a unified sense of self can be taken for granted. We wake up in the morning, feel comfortable and in full control of the physical body we are inside. We are able make our breakfast, and while doing so, recollect what we have done in the past and what we plan to do later that day and further on into the future. Yet, even within this sense of “linearity”, many people have experienced events that have taken them out of their normal state of mind. These experiences, whether lasting only seconds or for an extended period, have had profound effects on the people that have experienced them. Self_Less investigates these moments when we feel we have crossed over to glimpse an alternate state of being and uses abstract images, music and storytelling to reflect the emotions and experiences for the audience.

Incorporating live music, projected and pre-recorded audio of stories from people who have unique neuropsychological experiences, such as dementia, out-of-body experiences, epiphanies and body integrity identity disorders, Self_Less’ mission is to bring awareness of the connections among brain, body, mind, and self.

Self_Less is created in a cross-cultural collaborative group including:

• Edward Schocker (composer, director)

• Keith Evans (projected images)

• Erik Ehn (text arrangement)

• ensemble PHASE (performing group)

Excerpts