The 10th annual Bang On A Can summer festival 2011 is in full swing. Here are some images from the daily recitals which take place inside our galleries (aside from Sunday) at 1:30 and 4:30! Admission to the museum allows you into the shows for free. Bang on a can will also be having a tribute to composer John Adams this Saturday, as well as a six hour marathon next Saturday the 30th, which will be their last day at MASS MoCA. Come and check them out!

So if you haven’t been yet… Bang On A Can is here at MASS MoCA preforming recitals inside the galleries twice a day until July 30th! Come check it out.

As members of Bang on a Can start up their daily recitals in our galleries, we would like to draw attention to a special performance  taking place today. Todd Reynolds, composer, conductor, arranger and violinist, as well as a seasoned member of Bang on a Can, is dedicating today’s recital in honor of the late Steven Bodner who left this community suddenly and at way too young an age in January. Since his arrival in 2000, Steve was a vital part of the Berkshires as a Williams College music department professor, musician, conductor and director of the Symphonic Winds ensemble. He was a dear friend to MASS MoCA, a tireless promoter of music, and a true inspiration to students. We miss him terribly and are  pleased that Todd Reynolds is honoring him this afternoon with the violin, in our gallery of Joseph Beuys and Jörg Immendorff’s artworks. Please join us for this emotional tribute,  Thursday, July 14 at 4:30.

It’s always surprising how fast the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival flies by. It seems like just yesterday we were sitting in the Bang on a Can/ MASS MoCA staff meet and greet. Over the past three weeks we have made a plethora of new friends, been stunned by the talent these musicians have to offer the world, and have throughly enjoyed every concert, recital, and community event we have had the chance to attend. Help us send these amazingly wonderful musicians off in style at the six hour Bang on a Can Marathon this Saturday.

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As always we are so delighted to have the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival faculty and staff on campus sharing their music, passion, and talent with the MASS MoCA staff and patrons. Below is a pictorial diary of a variety of events from the first week of Bang on a Can. We are also capturing the whole Festival on video so expect a week 1 video to follow soon! If you haven’t made it to a Bang on a Can event yet you still have two more weeks to experience the wonderful, crazy, and contemporary with these amazing musicians.

Gallery Recitals

Welcome Dinner

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Video Vortex = a weekly installment of our favorite videos from MASS MoCA artists and trailers for upcoming events, plus a few random viral creations as well.

Dave Hill

Dave Hill is a master of the Chihuahua Dance!

Bang on a Can

Wondering what the Bang on a Can Festival of Contemporary Music is all about? This video from PBS NewsHour does a great job explaining it all.

The Ukuladies

The ladies take on Ghost Riders in the Sky complete with ghost stick pony.

Happy Friday
Brittany