CHAPTER NINETEEN
IGC MWC Musicians and Artists Festival, first-ever held on Earth
Sydney, Australia, August 15-22, 2022 Earth dates
The conditions of the Arts on Earth prior to my visits are these: the “Future of Music Coalition” (futureofmusic.org) nonprofit “works to ensure a diverse musical culture where artists flourish, are compensated fairly for their work and where fans can find the music they want.” The FMC has been operating in New York City, New York, since 2000. Their network includes musicians, artist advocates and related “technologists” who get together in conferences for discussions about issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law. They are egalitarian and wish to ensure access, inspiration and copyright protection in appropriate manners for all artists. The copyright protection is getting harder to do with the influx of hacking, digital recording devices, illegal downloading and file sharing.
As of 2012, there are several copyright violation lawsuits pending, but as soon as some music “sharing” sites are shut down, many more spring up. The problem is the same with videos (television and films of all types), photography, and other artist-made original work. This org has its work cut out for it, BPC [Before Public Contact].
Dancers in the 2000s on Earth have many organizations, but one stands out: DanceUSA (danceusa.org), headquartered in Washington, D.C., which also hosts conferences, provides discussion and sharing opportunities, and believes in the central importance of dance to every culture. Their mission includes this great statement: “[D]ance is essential to a healthy society, demonstrating the infinite possibilities for human expression and potential, and facilitating communication within and across cultures.” APC (After Public Contact) this is amended to read “…all species’ expression and potential, and facilitating communication within and communication across the multiverse.”
In May of 2020, I am Chief Communicator for almost 8 years and I feel like celebrating. As a musician (piano and voice; neither talent is stellar, but passable), wannabe dancer (bad leg, remember?), poet (albeit, not a very good one), artist (really bad graphic artist, but I love to use pastels, anyway), playwright (astonishingly, not mediocre), and film-lover, I think an artists and musicians gathering of some sort, with intergalaxy and interspecies sharing, here on Earth, would be AMAZING! I know many Earthers watch vids and upload/download cultural and artistic items from and to their own personal and even professional libraries. Perhaps many view gatherings like this elsewhere, but getting multiverse artists together on Earth would be a first.
I don’t even know how such a thing could happen. Interplanetary event planning is not my thing. I know events like this take a lot of time to plan, so it’s not too soon to start now for my 10th anniversary year, I think.
So, I do what I always do: I ask.
“Led?” I call, aloud, “Are you available?” I wait about two beats of my heart and there he is. “Are you the best one to ask about having an intergalactic artists and musicians conference on Earth in about two years?”
Immediately, the other four of them *POP* into my view. “What?” asks Ringo, sounding excited, I believe. “An arts conference? On Earth?”
“Yes,” I reply, “I want to celebrate my first ten years of being the CC in a big way. Since 'the arts are fundamental and fun' (there is a slogan like this, somewhere, I dimly remember), what about making the celebration a sharing of intergalactic arts and music, all forms? Is this possible? You have gatherings elsewhere, yes?”
Janis—Diana are practically shimmering, they’re moving so fast. Bright yellow-orange sparks seem to fly from their bodies.
Diana says, definitely excited, “Oh, yes! Very possible!” At the same moment Janis says, “Oh, no! Very difficult!”
I laugh. I turn to Mick, who is the “techie” among them, and wait for his more educated response.
Mick says, slowly, “It’s not been done, in the Milky Way, that is. But, we have many precedents for this type of gathering elsewhere."
We wait as he Accesses records and scans them for info.
“Yes, here we are. The largest one is three glicks ago [“Glicks” are a measure of time the MWC uses that I believe are about 23 Earth years, but it’s hard to be precise], on Kepler 22 b. Remember?”
Mick turns to Ringo, who has all 6 appendages out and is shaking them randomly to show assent and encouragement. “Of course,” Ringo enthusiastically replies, “My entire family attends! It is magnificent!”
“What is it like?” I ask Ringo.
Ringo continues to wave his arms.
I unconsciously move back, and then forward, again, to let his appendages move through me as they will. It’s so odd. I wish I could say I’m used to it but I am not. Holos.
“There are manxxers and flippets and, oh, the underwater ….. [I can’t make out what he’s saying, here, but everyone else seems to understand perfectly] … fabulous!”
Led is bouncing, now, and interrupts, “That is a group from Gliese 581d. I know some of them. Water is our medium. Gliese 581d originates that!” Led sounds proud.
“Well,” I say, emphatically, “It’s settled, then. We’re going to have a Festival of Arts and Music, then, here, in 2022. How do we make that happen? Who are the best ones to organize it? Who helps generate the list of performers and exhibitors?”
Janis pipes in, “Yes, and who gets to come? Only to watch, listen, you know, be there?”
“Well,” I say, “if a lot of off-Earthers come as holos, I don’t see that we have to limit attendance for audience members or even artists very much. In fact, only some of the performers and exhibitors are required to come and bring their art forms physically, right? The rest can do holo presentations or send vids, yes? For Earthers, we can have a ticket lottery, somehow, but it has to be better than the one they use for Burning Man in 2012; that fails miserably. Scalpers buy them all. Tragic. Better to have live streaming on Access.”
Mick offers, “The IGC has a Lottery process for all of these types of gatherings. And, Committees, with experience. I believe we simply make our request. Then, we all can have some participation while they handle most of the details and all of the logistics and invitations.”
“Excellent! How about on my birthday, then, which is….”
They all interrupt me, to chorus: “August 22!”
They are well-trained. They know, by now, how much I love birthdays. “Yes,” I agree, “2022. OK? How do we get it going?”
Led pauses one beat, then says, “Done.” And, so it is.
The First-Ever Earth (Milky Way/Sol) Artists and Musicians Festival, August 15- 22, 2022 Earth Dates, gives professionals from the dance, music, poetic, dramatic, graphic, multimedia and all forms of arts communities in the multiverse a unique opportunity to examine and eliminate the borders—real or imagined—that define all species.
With a plethora of renowned speakers, presenters, performers and exhibitors who lead sessions and perform live at the Festival, the gathering for both physical and holo attendance provides invaluable professional development, networking opportunities, intergalactic understanding and conversations, and appreciation of and for the arts for all participants and audience members.
Breakout sessions and performances in both plenary (headlining) and workshop settings, ongoing and live exhibits, full-length films, one- to four-act plays, mixed-genre poetry slams and readings, music recitals, dance shows, graphic and multimedia art, and water-based displays will fill the vids, online and Access libraries. Live performances occur at the Opera House in Sydney, former Australia, Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Getty Museums in both Los Angeles and New York City, The Louvre Museum in Paris as well as other Earth venues for eight Earth days with at least a few dozen main and several hundred smaller “stages” and exhibit halls.
Starting August 15 and culminating on August 22, this Festival is also a celebration of the first ten years of service by Earth’s Chief Communicator, Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, Ph.D.. She an
d her family, including musician, Zephyr Branon, whose band performs, and her husband, Epifanio Dang, who leads a few sessions of free-style dance, will attend the entire festival in person, moving from venue to venue each day.
Access the full report and agenda with a list of plenary (headlining) performers and exhibitors, a complete vids and music discography as well as hundreds of photos, at: mwcw.musiciansartistsfestivalEarthMWSolone.verse, Earth dates, August 15-22, 2022. Each individual artist has his/her/its/cos own site for Access to his/her/its/cos art. Access for the entire event at the above mwcw. address.
You may Access Zephyr Branon’s music, from the Festival and from all of his discs, at Zephyr's website, zephyrbranonmusic.