Sonic Divide
Event Information
Event description
Description
SONIC DIVIDE - making music on the world's toughest bike route
NYC screening and performance of Payton MacDonald’s groundbreaking 'Sonic Divide New York' will feature percussionist-vocalist Payton MacDonald, who has commissioned over 30 composers, including NYC legends Michael Gordon, Eve Beglarian, Elliott Sharp, Jerome Kitzke, Dan Cooper, Gene Pritsker, and Milica Paranosic, to compose for his Sonic Divide project, combining creative music with ultra-distance mountain biking.
Sonic Divide is one of the most innovative performance-art pieces of the 21st century. Musician, athlete, and filmmaker Payton MacDonald rode his mountain bike 2,500 miles, from Mexico to Canada, along the world’s most rugged and difficult mountain bike route. Along the way he performed in the wilderness 30 new pieces, composed by 30 different composers, including NYC legends Michael Gordon, Eve Beglarian, Elliott Sharp, Jerome Kitzke, Dan Cooper, Gene Pritsker, Milica Paranosic, and Melissa Grey.
MacDonald will perform their pieces, followed by a screening of the film. MacDonald filmed all of the performances, and then combined that footage with interviews with the composers, other riders, trail angels, colorful locals, and a geographer. The Sonic Divide film tells a unique story of creativity, persistence, and ingenuity. MacDonald did the entire project himself, with no support vehicle or camera crew. He pedaled as much as 130 miles a day, from dawn to dusk, stopping only to perform music. He camped in grizzly country and struggled with extreme heat, cold, and storms. The Sonic Divide is a film and performance like nothing else NYC has ever seen.
As part of the Composers Concordance ‘New York // New Music’ festival
