beyond/apex

by Anthony R. Green

Today's BIBA is about Beyond/Apex, a bi-weekly online radio program run by composer and trumpet player Forbes Graham. The title comes from a past project that did not come to fruition. However, the title spoke to Graham as a representation of the idea of "going beyond the limits, in something of a personal way; going beyond what you think you can do." Since it began in late March this year, it has featured music by over 100 artists. Graham runs this show by himself; it is, for him, "a small gesture of support" to artists who have been compromised during this period. 

                                                      photo by Lillian Graham

According to Graham: "The show primarily focuses on music from the last two decades. There are exceptions to that, however. I have played music from as far back as the 60s. I very much stick within 'avant-garde' or 'experimental' music, but that covers such a variety including noise, free jazz, new music, music concrete, non-idiomatic free improv, etc. And that's part of the philosophy, to bring these musics together in the show. I hope that listeners do discover music they didn't know about before. If someone likes Arthur Brooks, perhaps they haven't heard Nomi Epstein. I want the show to include artists from all kinds of backgrounds. All kinds of approaches to making music/sound, educational backgrounds, racial and ethnic identity, gender identity, and so on. Even though it's not vernacular music, I want to be welcoming and door opening.

"My future plans mainly involve deciding whether I want to do featured interviews with artists or theme-related shows. Besides that I'm also looking at how I can really stay true to the mission of having a show that has a diverse array of artists. It's really easy to slip into being lazy when picking things to play on the show. I want to make sure that I'm dedicating time and effort to discovering new artists, which is a lot of fun."

While Graham admits to frequently listening to music, Beyond/Apex has helped Graham get more engaged with current trends from contemporary artists. He has particularly enjoyed engaging with the music and artistry Eleanor Alberga, Jeffrey Mumford, and Lucia Dlugoszewski.

To listen to Beyond/Apex, visit: http://beyondapexshow.com

To learn more about Forbes Graham, visit: http://www.forbesgrahammusic.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram, @forbesgraham_
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