Constellation Theatre Remounts The Ramayana

What an exciting and busy summer this has been! I had such a great time with Constellation Theatre's production of The Green Bird! I'm delighted to report the fun will continue with a remount of The Ramayana. It is both exciting and humbling to take on this epic in Hindu history and tradition. This show was sold out almost every performance last spring and it is back by popular demand. This is the show I won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Sound Design last year. Not wanting to rest on my laurels, I'm creating some new music for this version. I'm incorporating the new Korg Wavedrum Oriental which is allowing me even greater expressivity with my electro-acoustic concept. Also the tabla, aquasonic and digital looping will return with several surprises. Please come early to catch some of my pre-show concert. As usual Kendra Rai's beautiful costumes, A.J. Gubin's amazing sets and lighting all come together under Allison Arkell's expert direction. There are several new actors involved in this version, which will certainly breath new life into this exciting production. I'm offering a special discount to the readers of my newsletter. Please go here Purchase Tickets Online or CALL 1-800-494-TIXS Use the password "Tom".

Here are a few quotes from last year's production about the music:

Ramayana is an extravaganza of artistic expression of all of this and more, filled with sights, sounds, colors, music and yes, the almighty drum beat. The Helen Hayes Award winning master percussionist Tom Teasley sets the tone during open seating. Enough cannot be said about Teasley's impact as part of the show with his vast array of instruments and omnipresent involvement enhancing the mood, creating the effects of rain, and even the ocean waves as part of his absolute genius on percussions.--Debbie Jackson, DC Theater Scene

With so many characters travelling through many worlds, it's vital to have a backbone and here Stockman has picked the best - live music composed and performed by percussionist Tom Teasley. From playing the doumbek to scat singing, he pulls the audience along as a kind of musical narrator, and it's easily the second most riveting performance of the evening, grounding time and place far more effectively than any set design. The actors are clearly invigorated by Teasley's musical support.--Jenn Larson, WE LOVE DC

Composer Tom Teasley sits on the side of the stage, intently performing his invaluable now-spooky, now pulse-quickening percussion-heavy score. -- Celia Wren, The Washington Post

Percussionist-composer Tom Teasley conjures a veritable universe of near-supernatural noises, all on his own.-- Tray Graham, WASHINGTON CITY PAPER

Percussion opens, closes, and leads the way in Peter Oswald's agile poetic adaptation of the Hindu sacred epic The Ramayana, which has been artfully produced by the Constellation Theatre Company and its artistic director Allison Arkell Stockman. Tom Teasley composed the percussion soundscape and delivers a standout performance as the only musical performer. The Dresser, who has acquired a growing interest in percussion composition since hearing Gérard Grisey's "Le Noir de L'Étoile," thinks that what made Teasley's concert of original sounds unusual was that he added scat singing to the mix of drums and odd keyboard instrument called the melodika.--Karren LaLonde Alenier, THE DRESSING

Visit Constellation Theatre for more information.

I'm also delighted to announce that I will be composing and recording in my newly renovated studio music for InterAct Story Theater's new production "VoyttoTech" a science fiction fable on bullying. I'll be posting some examples in future newsletters.

SOUNDSUIT INVASION: Nick Cave at the Taubman Bridges Dance, Music and Art

In September I will begin a new direction with music. I have been looking for ways to combine my original music with visual art since I collaborated with the Kreeger Museum several years ago. I am so excited that I will be part of the Nick Cave opening at The Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke. This is a multi-dimensional project combining Nick Cave's amazing "Soundsuits", original choreography by Pedro Szalay and Sandra Meythaler and my original music. This weekend will include the exhibition opening, a parade with music and dancers in the community as well as educational programs. Please stay tuned for more of these multi-media collaborations, as this is a new direction I'm very excited about!

Follow Works in Progress through Soundcloud and YouTube

Since I've had a little spare time I've been posting some musical works in progress on Soundcloud. It's free to join. You can follow all of my work there. If you would rather not please visit my facebook page where I will be posting new works in progress. This is a fun way to become involved in the creative process by offering your feedback as I go forward. Many of these works in progress will find themselves in my next CD, which will highlight my theater compositions over the past few years.

I'm also beginning to collect material from my clinics and master classes all over the world for an educational DVD and book. I have been posting some of this prototype footage to my facebook page and it's also archived on youtube. Here are a few examples and I look forward to your feedback. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwpP625O9FI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaIhTNsU-ow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw2zRKTnWPI

Please follow my Facebook page for recent updates and please feel free to comment and share as you see fit.

Adding More Information to the Web Site

During the next few months I will add more information to my web site making it easier to keep track of new projects, see and hear examples of them and have a complete listing of my offerings. This month I am featuring my educational offerings for university, professional levels as well as my school programs for general assembly programs. Click here to see new descriptions .

Don't forget that I offer private instruction in my home studio which is equipped with all manor of world percussion, drumset, mallets and the latest in cutting edge electronics.

My free offering this month is Dance of Sita from The Ramayana. It was recorded entirely in my home studio. I hope you enjoy it.

Until next time Peace, Salam, Shalom,

Tom