Are members of the Black InscriptionTeam available for interviews?
Yes. You can send requests to info@rabbitrabbitradio.com
And you can check out other interviews we’ve done – print and radio – on our PRESS page.
FAQ by Members of the Press
Where can I see footage of the piece?
You can see a 14-minute excerpt of the first multi-media performance of Black Inscription at the Prototytpe Festival (2018) in NYC here.
Do you regularly collaborate with scientists?
Both individually, and as a group, we are really interested in the ways that the worlds of scientific study and expressive arts connect and overlap. We believe science and art can strengthen each other in their shared mission: to help us better understand ourselves, each other and the world we live in. Black Inscription is our most in-depth iteration of this kind of project to date, but we look forward to more!
FAQ by Presenters & Promoters
How can I host Black Inscription at my venue?
We are excited about bringing Black Inscription to other venues. If you are interested in presenting BI, send us an email at info@rabbitrabbitradio. We will get back to you and figure out together if we can make it work.
What does my venue need to have in order to host Black Inscription?
BI is a multi-media concert. It is readily suited to a wide variety of venue spaces with traditional theatrical infrastructure — lighting grid, a robust PA, and the capacity to hang 3 video projectors. A full technical rider and light plot is available for review, and our technical team can help fit the production to the specifics of your venue, even if it it is a non-traditional space.
Our team comprises 11 people: 7 musicians, 1 sound engineer for the band, 1 director/environmental designer, 1 sound designer/engineer, and 1 lighting director/stage manager. To install the show our technical team needs to be aided by sufficient in-house tech staff (variable per specs of venue—again, our tech staff will consult in to configure a smooth advance of the show). One venue board op/programmer will be needed for the tech rehearsals and running of the show.
With a pre-hang of projectors, speakers, and lights according to the venue-specific plot we advance, our show’s scenic elements, lighting focus, and projector mapping can be accomplished in one day. (Time needed by technical team will vary per theater specs. A second day (day of the first show) is needed by our full company for band and technical rehearsal.
FAQ by Educators & Community Organizers
Are there any guides to help me use Black Inscription in my classes?
What kinds of ways can you engage my school or community?
There are many ways that we, both as a team and individually, can help to engage your community or student body. We have posted a curriculum that we created for our work at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.
Our engagements at Holy Cross were with the biology, writing, design, visual and performing arts, mathematics and environmental departments, and took the forms of lecture/demonstrations, scientific presentations, talks and discussions, and hands-on workshops.
We created those class engagements specifically to fit the interests and priorities of classes at Holy Cross. While they are a great basis for other engagements in other communities, we are happy to work with community leaders and faculty to create specific frameworks for deep engagement that both explore the content and process of creating BI, and create direct experiences for the students and community members. Our team can also work with faculty to configure our class engagements to focus on topics relevant to the ideas that are currently your subject of study and interest.
Our collective and relevant areas of expertise include environmental science, marine biology, theater, poetry, music composition and performance, creative collaboration, digital sound and video, stage and lighting design, and translating data/research into compelling storytelling that communicates something larger than information and numbers.
FAQ by Fans
How does the album relate to the live performance of Black Inscription?
The album is a fairly direct reflection of the sonic elements of the live performance, and vice versa. The main differences are these:
The album was created by 4 primary musicians: Carla Kihlstedt, Matthias Bossi, Jeremy Flower, Jon Evans with Kristin Slipp as a guest vocalist on “Octopolis.” The live band is seven musicians: Carla, Matthias, Jeremy and Kristin, plus George Ban-Weiss, Michael Abraham and Ariel Parkington.
On the album, though you will here the songs, the spoken words and the sound design, you obviously won’t experience the visual elements of the piece (video, set, lighting… and the live-ness of the performance!)
Will you sign Black Inscription merch?
YES! Matthias and Carla will sign your BI LP or CD if you specify that in a note with your order from this website.
How do I find out about the next Black Inscription event?
Sign up on our Rabbit Rabbit Radio mailing list. If you don’t specify, then we will send you information both more generally about our band Rabbit Rabbit Radio, and more specifically about Black Inscription.
How does the Black Inscription show relate to real issues?
Most of the songs in BI are written about very specific marine characteristics and oceanographic issues. The songs are meant to convey some of those realities through the lens of visceral experience, using sound, image, words and texture. It is our hope that, in the wake of seeing/hearing BI, you will be motivated to learn more about our impact on the ocean’s health, and its impact on our lives.