Books and Magazines


“During her creative career, Lauren Newton has explored multiple musical dimensions with a strong focus on improvisation, concomitantly searching out and developing myriad vocal techniques. In Vocal Adventures she takes the reader on a journey into her experience that is at once an introduction to deep listening, a series of master classes on voice (from consciousness of breath to the mysteries of multiphonics), and an account of both the social and spiritual dimensions that are engaged in a complete artistic practice. Remarkably, she also does this in a way that is inviting, lucid and eminently practical.” Stuart Broomer, author of Time and Anthony Braxton “Vocal Adventures by the grand master of improvising with the voice is finally here! The significance of Lauren Newton’s work as an artist, educator and author cannot be overstated: She is one of the creators and trailblazers of the art that moves in sound, space, spirit and song. Well worth the wait, this book offers everything and more to all those interested in vocal experimenting and exploring could wish for.” Susanne Abbuehl, singer, composer, educator “These Vocal Adventures chart a decades-long exploration of soundscapes – ones produced by the outside world but most prominently those created through free improvisation in music. The expedition into this realm of musical experience and expression has taken the author across oceans and continents, with diverse musical encounters providing invaluable sources of inspiration and a wealth of learning and teaching opportunities while enriching her own ideas and approaches along the way. This book aspires to guide others (not only singers) interested in exploring the many facets of free musical improvisation in terms of technique, practice and (solo and group) performance as well as to offer up her own reflections on its essence, its affinity to the human imagination and the multitude of soundscapes it is capable of evoking.” Susan Nurmi, literary scholar, educator, translator Lauren Newton, born in Oregon, USA, completed classical voice studies at the University of Oregon and the State University of Music in Stuttgart, Germany, where she has lived since 1974. She began expanding her range of voice techniques without using words, focusing primarily on vocal expression, and gained recognition in both the jazz and avant-garde music scenes. She performed solo and toured with various ensembles in the USA, South Korea, India, Japan and throughout Europe. In 1983, she received the annual German Critiques Award for Timbre, her first recording as bandleader. Concerts and recordings with: Vienna Art Orchestra (1979-90), Vocal Summit (1982-83), vocal quartet Timbre (1990-2007), Anthony Braxton, Fritz Hauser, Joëlle Léandre, Koichi Makigami, Phil Minton, Barre Phillips, Aki Takase, Vladimir Tarasov and the Austrian poet Ernst Jandl (among others). Her own projects have included compositions for music and theater productions, small and large ensembles, choirs and radio plays. She taught jazz vocals and free improvisation at universities in Graz (Austria), Essen (Germany) and Lucerne (Switzerland). She continues to perform and give Vocal Adventures workshops. Her discography to date encompasses over 85 recordings. In 2020 she received the Lifetime Achievement Jazz Award from the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

VOCAL Adventures

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‘Through their deep attention and engagement with ever-changing surfaces and the materiality of representations, the poems in Artifice open outwards into encounters with the mystical and divine. This startling debut collection offers the reader a set of compasses that orients us towards that which is veiled, the unspeakable and unknown – what more could we ask for?’ – Lucy MercerArtifice, the debut collection by Lavinia Singer, is an exploration of the art of making. Its poems celebrate the artistry of craftsmanship: how works relate to beauty, and how they might inspire or ensnare. They consider issues of artificiality and authenticity, ‘the man-made’ and ‘the natural’. They warn of artfulness, in the sense of cunning or deception. And they wonder at the mystery of art and language, that which resolutely remains unknown or ineffable. For Artifice is as much riddle as revelation, stirring delight and discomfort as it delves into the nature of aesthetics and the creative process. How are works made and how do they make us, in turn? What worlds can be built from words? This book dwells in possibility, presenting an ambiguous space for contemplation, connection and, ideally, hope. --- Lavinia Singer is the author of the pamphlet Ornaments: A Handbook (If a Leaf Falls/Glyph Press, 2020) and co-editor of Try To Be Better (Prototype, 2019), a creative-critical engagement with the work of W. S. Graham. Artifice is her first full collection of poetry.

Lavinia Singer – Artifice

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Beautifully designed diary and week-to-view planner filled with historically significant magical and sacred dates from around the world. Drawn from events such as the Buddha’s birthday, esoteric festivals and artistic and occult history, the diary touches on the lives of characters such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Ithell Colquhoun, Zora Neale Hurston, Carl Jung, Simone Weil, Leonora Carrington, Maya Deren, Aleister Crowley, George Bataille, Timothy Leary, Hilma af Klint, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, William Blake, W.B. Yeats and Octavia Butler.   The diary provides full astrological navigation for 2024 with an overview of the year by astrologer Gray Crawford, a birth chart template and guides to moon magic, houses, planets and symbols. A guide to key transits, retrogrades and lunar phases allows you to organise your life in alignment with the astrological weather. A global map showing sacred sites provides inspiration for transformative pilgrimages. Rituals by artists Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Bhanu Kapil, Nisha Ramayya and Himali Singh Soin, and tarot spreads by adrienne maree brown, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener and Pam Grossman, offer guidance and space for reflection throughout the year. Additional sources of inspiration include guides to sonic meditation by Pauline Oliveros, sacred spaces by Leila Sadeghee, mushrooms by Ellen Percival, and spellcraft by Bones Tan-Jones, weather by Jay Drinkall and soji cleaning by Zen monk Shoukei Matsumoto, author of the bestseller A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind. To support a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, an appendix contains guides to sacred spaces, healing herbs, acupressure, kriya yoga and daily practice. --- Acupressure by Maria Christofi, Astrology by Gray Crawford, Herbal Remedies by Paige Emery, Kriya Yoga by Rachel Okimo, Korean Ink Illustrations by Jungran Kim, Mushroom Guide by Ellen Percival Prayer Guide by K Allado-McDowell, Rituals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Bhanu Kapil, Nisha Ramayya and Himali Singh Soin, Ritual Spaces by Leila Sadeghee, Seed Bombs by Jenna Sutela, Sonic Meditations by Pauline Oliveros, Spellcraft by Bones Tan-Jones, Tarot by adrienne maree brown, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener and Pam Grossman, Weather by Jay Drinkall

IGNOTA DIARY 2024

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