Steph Davis

Installation & Performance September 6-8, 2024 Goethe-Institut Boston An invitation to listen closely “‘Every Tongue Confes, is an evening-length performance inspired by Zora Neal Hurtson folktales. Layering poetry, marimba music, proverbs, and prayers, physical space becomes a container for memory and healing, and reflection about “how it feels to be here on earth or leaving, or about the sweet pain of hanging on between the coming and going.” (Hurston, 2001). Dzidzor’s ability to collage live poems and soundscapes from speakers, sermons, and nature, combined with Steph Davis’ ability to stir, evoke, and shape the complexity of humanity through the marimba, is a merge of artistic innovation and profound storytelling — a glitch, a disruptive tapestry of memory and confession. The audience is invited to participate as witnesses through the practice of listening closely (Hurston, 2001), call and response, and embodiment. The performance will weave themes of freedom, spirituality, healing, and pain through visuals, sound, and movement inspired by traditional African/African-American practices. The performance forges a space to manipulate time and disrupt the sonic environment of colonialism. We invite the audience to sit with the discomfort and wonder of the dead, the living, and beyond —as we honor traditions of possibility, resilience, collective care, liberation, and truth-telling.

We follow along with Tihda Vongkoth, President and Co-founder of Modern Marimba, and Steph Davis, Vice President and Co-founder, as they pursue an equitable musical ecosystem. Through performance and education, Modern Marimba focuses on amplifying and reclaiming the musical voices that have been unheard throughout western history. More at: wedu.org/greater #ModernMarimba #Marimba #MarimbaMusic #FourMallets #BlackComposers #BlackHistory #Sarasota #SarasotaMusic #SarasotaArts #SRQ

Steph Davis’ ACTivate Residency “Will To Adorn“ Shared through the ACTivate Residency at BCA, marimbist and composer Steph Davis will be investigating the role of art in the struggle for Black liberation. Their collaborative team of musicians and dancers will create a mixture of improvised and composed music and dance inspired by old Negro melodies and several African-American expressive characteristics noted by Zora Neale Hurston: Drama, the Will to Adorn, Angularity, Originality, and Imitation. Immersed in the revolutionary spirit of Black music and dance, performers and audiences might imagine creative ways to revolutionize our society; from one of widespread oppression to one of racial, gender, and economic justice. ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Steph Davis, Artistic Director/Producer/marimbist Daniel Pooley, Audio Engineer/percussionist Emma-Rose Bauman, flute Che Buford, violin Christian Gonzalez, dance Ashley Johnson, dance Sarah Nichols, cello Walter Yee, Bass clarinet