'Sound Come-Unity' all-star faculty and alumni concert April 18 in Knuth Hall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Matt Itelson, (415) 338-1442, matti@sfsu.edu

SF State World Music and Dance Program and Asian Improv aRts present
'Sound Come-Unity' all-star faculty and alumni concert April 18 in Knuth Hall

SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2008 -- San Francisco State University's School of Music and Dance teams up with Asian Improv aRts for "Sound Come-Unity," a one-of-a-kind World Music and Dance concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 18, featuring sound creations originating from cultures spanning five continents. The concert takes place in Knuth Hall in the SF State Creative Arts building.

The concert is dedicated to the timeless contributions of Dance faculty member Alicia Pierce, and honors the upcoming 40th anniversary of SF State's College of Ethnic Studies. Admission is $10 for general admission and free for students. Proceeds benefit the World Music and Dance program in the School of Music and Dance.

Faculty member Hafez Modirzadeh leads an ensemble of acclaimed SF State faculty from the University's colleges of Creative Arts and Ethnic Studies, along with Music alumni and guest artists. The ensemble combines traditional vocals and instruments from Africa, the West Indies, Mexico, Philippines, Japan, Iran, Palestine, Egypt, Europe, United States and Native America, creating a unique, improvised sound Modirzadeh calls "a rainforest of human creativity."

Guest artists include:

• Francis Wong, named "among the great saxophonists of his generation" by jazz critic Phil Elwood;
• and Avotcja, reciting her original poetry.

Performers from SF State's Music and Ethnic Studies faculty include:

• Modirzadeh on saxophone and reeds;
• Master Danongan Kalanduyan, the leading exponent on Filipino kulintang in the U.S.;
• Jose Cuellar, of Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeno Band, on accordion and reeds;
• Matthew Shenoda, reciting his own original poetry;
• Kevin Washington on percussion;
• Wesley Ueunten on Okinawan sanshin; and
• John Calloway on flute and percussion.

Music alumni performers include:

• John-Carlos Perea, a 2008 Grammy Award winner, on electric bass, cedar flute, pow-wow drum and Lakota vocals;
• Isabel Douglass on accordion;
• Saed Muhssin on Arabic oud; and
• Wayne Wallace on trombone.

School of Music and Dance student performers include:

• Tom Edler on bass,
• Nasim Gorgani on Persian daff,
• Evan Stuart on Bulgarian tambura,
• Ofir Uziel on piano,
• Micah Hayes on saxophone,
• Thomas III on drums,
• and members of University Dance Theater, under the direction of faculty Cathleen McCarthy.

The concert is the grand finale of the annual "ImprovisAsians," a week of workshops, performances and dialogues exploring the larger community influence of Asian American directions in the arts. This year's events, titled "Origins of Now," aim to augment curriculum in world music and dance, as well as to honor the upcoming 40th anniversary of SF State's College of Ethnic Studies. "Origins of Now" is funded in part by Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, Alliance for California Traditional Arts and Cultural Equity Grants/San Francisco Arts Commission.

Asian Improv aRts' (AIR) mission is to produce, present and document artistic works that represent the Asian American experience. With a unique and active network of professional and emerging musicians and artists, community organizations, and activists, AIR has consistently produced or facilitated cultural events of the highest quality that have brought international attention to the Asian American arts movement in the Chicago and San Francisco Bay Areas. In addition, AIR provides critical technical assistance, advocacy, production support, mentorship and networking to artists and arts organizations through its Community Arts Development Program and the California Asian and Pacific Islander Arts Network. Visit: www.asianimprov.org.

The SF State College of Creative Arts offers among the most prestigious and diverse artistic higher education among any Northern California academic institution. An internationally acclaimed faculty teaches more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students from around the world in Art, Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts, Cinema, Dance, Design and Industry, Music and Theatre Arts. Each semester, the college presents more than 100 performances, exhibits, screenings, broadcasts and special events featuring students, faculty and celebrated professional artists. Visit: http://creativearts.sfsu.edu or www.myspace.com/sfstatecreativearts.

Location and Parking
Knuth Hall is located in the Creative Arts building on the San Francisco State University campus, 1600 Holloway Avenue (at 19th Avenue), San Francisco. Public parking is available in Lot 20 on the SF State campus, accessed from Lake Merced Boulevard between Winston Drive and Font Boulevard. Parking is $1 per hour with a $5 daily maximum. For details, visit www.sfsu.edu/~parking.

Calendar Editors, Please Note:
"Sound Come-Unity"
7:30 p.m., Friday, April 18, 2008
Knuth Hall, Creative Arts building, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. (at 19th Avenue), San Francisco
Admission: $10 general/free for students
Tickets: 415/338-2467, www.ticketweb.com
Information: 415/338-1431, http://creativearts.sfsu.edu, www.asianimprov.org

Spanning musical traditions from five continents, "Sound Come-Unity" features an all-star ensemble of San Francisco State University faculty, alumni and guest artists led by Associate Professor Hafez Modirzadeh. The ensemble creates a unique, improvised sound with traditional vocals and instruments from Africa, the West Indies, Mexico, Philippines, Japan, Iran, Palestine, Egypt, Europe and the U.S. The concert is the grand finale of the annual "ImprovisAsians 2008! Origins of Now," a week of workshops, performances and dialogues exploring the artistic contributions of Asian Americans within a larger social context. This event is presented by the SF State World Music and Dance Program in collaboration with Asian Improv aRts.

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Photo: courtesy of Hafez Modirzadeh