NEEMFest 2022 Set for September 9-11

You might recall NEEMFest was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. It looks like they are back this year.

via NEEMFest

"NEEMFest 2022 is happening!

We’re pleased to announce that NEEMFest 2022 will take place from September 9-11, at the Homer Center for the Arts. We all look forward to seeing everyone there – we’ve missed you. Our community of musicians and its spirit of collaboration and spontaneity have always made NEEM a very special event. And because your generosity made it possible, we will once again be able to hold NEEM without artist fees.

We’ve all learned a lot during the two years of the pandemic – about livestreaming, for sure, but even more about the value of getting together in one place. This year, we’re going to do everything we can to increase that value, shifting gradually from an emphasis on pre-rehearsed performances toward things that can help us all play better together, listen better together, and increase our pool of technical skills. This is not really a new direction – more of an effort to recapture some of the spontaneity and learning that took place in the old Huguenot days.

We’re going to make time for many more workshops and demonstrations than we’ve had in the past. The workshop planning depends on you – we need to know what you’d like to learn from others in the community, and what you’d like to offer as presenters. You’ll have an opportunity to tell us about that on the signup form. We’re also going to make some changes in the format of performances, and create opportunities for more spontaneous collaborations among people who decide on the spot that playing together would be fun.

This year, NEEMFest will have up to 9 performance brackets of two hours each. No more than four of the 9 brackets will be devoted to the standard half-hour sets we’ve done in the past. We know that we’ll have enough slack in the schedule for some spontaneous, self-selected collaborations and impromptu jams. We won’t be ping-ponging back and forth between spaces every half-hour – instead, every artist in a given bracket will set up simultaneously on one of the stages, allowing more setup time.

For the remainder of the brackets, we’ll take a new approach that combines longer performance time with structured Q&A. You’ll have 35-45 minutes total, broken down as a 20-30 minute group improvisation, a 10-minute solo showcase, and 5-10 minutes of Q&A about your approach, style, and equipment (not in that order).

Some of us have already had very positive experiences with this format. Back in 2018, it was used successfully for a number of “Bleep Salons” involving between 6 and 9 Ithaca artists, launching some collaborations that have lasted to this day. The ten-minute solo piece is, if anything, more demanding than a longer set – it needs strong choices and careful planning. And the group improv builds listening skills and musicianship – and gives everyone a lot more playing time (it also closely resembles some of the “improv orchestra” events done at NEEM in the past).

The signup form offers you a choice of formats. The old-school brackets will be passed out randomly, and once they’re full, we’ll add the remaining folks to the pool of artists for the Bleep-style slots. The final schedule will of course depend on both demand and room-juggling, but we think we’ll be able to put together an excellent selection of performances, improvs, and workshops that will be a real step forward for all of us.

We’re excited about these changes, and we hope you are too. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in Homer this year. You can take the first step by signing up on the web site here:
REGISTER NOW
We are concerned for the health of all members of our community. All persons attending NEEMFest will be required to provide proof of vaccination and at least one booster shot. We may also, at our sole discretion, impose masking requirements stricter than those in effect at the Homer Center or in New York State.

– Tom, Mike, Rebekkah, Rob, Chris, and Ken

PS: we have a particular need for visualists this year, in addition to sound engineers, petting-zoo minders, and others."