Mexico City Dispatch/Owl Sounds/Bird's Ear View: The April 2009 installment of Giant Ear))) features an Andrea Polli report and recording from the most recent World Forum for Acoustic Ecology held in Mexico City in March. Also, host, Jonny Farrow will be playing owl sounds, real and imitated as well as well as an interview and recordings with artist Rob Peterson concerning his collaborative project "Bird's Ear View."

A collage of sounds from Wave Farm and works created by artists at Wave Farm, including Tom Roe, Maria Papadomanolaki, Scanner, Stars Like Fleas, Evidence, and Feathers. Created by Tom Roe for Radia, network of international radio art stations.

"Radio For the People Spring Benefit Party" at Germantown Community Farm. Join us for a potluck lunch and afternoon workshops, live transmission performances, and an evening of music, dancing, dinner, and a benefit auction and raffle. Noon-midnight. Evening performances will include local hip-hop, folk music, DJs, and more! This year we are hosting a benefit for two community radio projects: WGXC, our new local community radio station for Columbia and Greene counties (www.wgxc.org); and Madre Tierra, a community radio station run by an indigenous farmworkers coalition in Chiapas, Mexico.

Events include a 2 p.m. workshop "Making Community Radio" with Kaya Weidman from WGXC and Germantown Community Farm, Maka from Palabra Radio Project, and Cory Fischer Hoffman from Prometheus Radio Project, and others. Other workshops include a "Food Security Roundtable." Performances from Grandma Shakes, Lady Moon (Ngounda Badila) and ensemble, and others. $5-$25 suggested donation. Noon-midnight. Camping in the orchard is welcome. bring tents, bedding and flashlights. Accommodations in the house are limited, let us know if you want them. Free childcare will be provided. E-mail us at germantownhouse@gmail.com to reserve camp site. 518-537-6139. 4872 State Rt 9G Germantown, NY 12526 Check www.germantowncommunityfarm.blogspot.com for details. Live webstream at www.wgxc.org.

Live radio show "WGXC Online Radio Night" hosted by M.A. Tarpinian from 4-8 p.m. The radio show will include a live broadcast at 5 p.m. from Union Mills (across Catskill's Main St.) from Hudson Talbott about his book "River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River." Young performers from Greene County schools will be singing songs from the show "River of Dreams," based on the book, which will open the following week end. Frank Cuthbert, the composer of the musical, will also sing some of the tunes as well. Participating students include: Dale Loughran (Cairo-Durham); Nick Paolino; Caitlin Pekrul; Michael Coyne (Cairo-Durham); Andrea Consoli (Cairo-Durham); Katherine Juliano (Cairo-Durham); Morgan Marinnia (Catskill); Katelyn Pekrul (Cairo-Durham); Lydia Pepple (Catskill); Joel Sanson (Catskill); Lorelei Smith (Coxsackie-Athens); and Rachel Wagman (Catskill). These student performers are being asked to come across the street for a WGXC interview after the show.

Tarpinian and other WGXC staff (Dharma Dailey, Tom Roe, and others) will also interview Catskill Village President Vincent Seeley, Greene County Legislator William Lawrence (R-Cairo), and others. Rob Hervey will play his didjeridoo. There will also be WGXC station identification audio announcements by Ron Truesdell of Cornwallville. Members of the public in attendance will be encouraged to ask questions, go on the air, and record a station identification for WGXC.

Local young people who want to help with the broadcast should contact Tom Roe at tom @ wgxc.org. Tune in at www.wgxc.org to listen, or stop by the Catskill Community Center during Catskill's Second Saturday events to be a part of the show. You can attend in person or by listening at home!

Watch a slideshow of photos by Dharma Dailey of the day here:
http://dharmadailey.com/2009/05/10/wgxc-online-launch-slideshow/

8 p.m.: Lucky Dragons with Ches Smith and Grey Gersten
Luke Fischbeck, Sarah Rara (instruments) Ches Smith (drums) Grey Gersten (guitar). Lucky Dragons are about the birthing of new and temporary creatures—equal-power situations in which audience members cooperate amongst themselves. "make a baby" is the name for an ongoing series of performances in which sounds are generated by touching on the skin—at the heart of it is playing together, re-engaging the wonder and impossibility of technology.
NOTE: This event will be available on free103point9's Online Archive and in circulation on free103point9 Online Radio following the event. Listen at www.free103point9.org.

New community radio station WGXC holds a meeting seeking public input for the area’s new non-commercial radio voice 6-7:30 p.m., Mon. May 11 in the community room at Crosswinds at Hudson. WGXC will cover most of Columbia and Greene Counties when it launches in June, 2010. In May, WGXC will launch on online radio station with a news blog, and live and archived recordings of performances, town meetings, lectures, and other events. WGXC will be a community-run media project, re-envisioning radio as an innovative platform for local participation. Our inclusive programming will connect diverse voices, and distribute information across the public spectrum in New York's Greene and Columbia Counties.

The station plans to offer youth programming, news for farmers, interviews with local leaders, and shows about the arts, environment, schools, hunting, gardening, local history, local authors, health, and other topics. There will be studios in Hudson and Catskill, and many broadcasts will originate from local theaters, town halls, book stores, schools, and community centers. Cairo-based non-profit arts organization free103point9 won a license to broadcast 3,300 watts on 90.7-FM last fall from the Federal Communications Commission. free103point9 is a 12-year-old non-profit arts organization that works with artists who use radio waves in their work.

Interested members of the public are urged to attend and tell organizers what you would like to hear on the radio. Many shows on WGXC will be hosted by local personalities and experts, and WGXC staff and Radio Council members will be present to listen to ideas for programs and hear how this community wants its radio station to sound. There will be applications available at the meeting for folks who want to host their own radio show. For more information e-mail Tom Roe at tom @ wgxc.org.

If you cannot make it in person you can listen live on WGXC Online Radio at www.wgxc.org.

8 p.m.: Grey Gersten, G.Lucas Crane, Ryan Sawyer
10 p.m.: Bill Nace

NOTE: This event will be available on free103point9's Online Archive and in circulation on free103point9 Online Radio following the event. Listen at www.free103point9.org.

Field recordings of 24-hour periods, weeks, months on Giant Ear))) the soundscape of the New York Society for Acoustic Ecology. How do you hear 24 hours? How does a soundscape change over time? Curated by Scott Sherk.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted

1-4 p.m.
Radio Lab Workshop
Pre-registration required $25 materials fee
free103point9 Radio Labs provides workshop participants with technical skills and contextual background to consider and utilize the transmission spectrum for creative expression. This workshop will address four main topics: the history of broadcasting; how transmitters work; online transmission tools; and transmission arts as a creative medium. Participants will join Max Goldfarb (free103point9), Andy Gunn (free103point9 & Prometheus Radio Project), and Tom Roe (free103point9) for a transmitter building workshop. Each participant will complete the workshop with a low-power FM radio transmitter of their own. This workshop is limited to 12 participants. Please contact transmitter@universityoftrash.org to secure your spot.

4-5 p.m.
Dinner break

5-7 p.m.
Panel
Join transmission artists neuroTransmitter, Tom Roe; engineer Andy Gunn and others for an informal discussion about their work and issues of free speech, free space, and the right to the airwaves.

7-9 p.m.
Event
Angel Nevarez (neuroTransmitter,) Radio Ruido, and Tom Roe broadcast DJ sets from Max Goldfarb’s M49 radio transmission truck to boomboxes setup around the university. Beer will be available.

About University of Trash
From April through July this year, New York based artist Michael Cataldi and London based artist Nils Norman will transform the Sculpture Center into The University of Trash, an exciting experiment in alternative city building and design. Working collaboratively and collectively with students, local organizations, activists, and academics, the artists will gather and investigate research material related to the activities of 1970s countercultural "Appropriate Technology" movement, adventure playgrounds, "Non-plan", emergency and low-impact design, and the vernacular of makeshift housing in 3D form. The result will be the creation of a crazy complex of interconnected architectural spaces, pavilions and walkways from readymade, recycled and found materials. On view May 10 - August 3, the exhibition will run parallel to an extensive series of related workshops, talks and film screenings. More information.