MARFA — Sonic Rodeo, a gathering dedicated to experimental sound, art and movement, will take place Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14, across multiple venues in Marfa. This year’s festival brings together artists from Texas and beyond for two days of performances, workshops and collective experiences at Rule Gallery, Maintenant, The Lumberyard and Do Right Hall. All Sonic Rodeo events are free and open to the public. Learn more at sonicrodeo.org and @sonic.rodeo on Instagram.
This Wednesday, Sept 10, 8-9 p.m. on Marfa Public Radio, Marfa Mystery Hour Sonic Rodeo curators Veronica Anne Salinas and Liv Mershon will share a live sonic meditation and performance, plus a preview of the weekend’s events.
A special highlight of the weekend will be a workshop and performance of Kitawîrisu’ (The Gambler), presented by artist-composers Warren Realrider and Nathan Young. Taking place Saturday, September 13, at 2:30 p.m at Maintenant Marfa, this new composition is a stochastic piece inspired by the chance operations of John Cage, the Fluxus artists, and John Zorn’s Cobra. Kitawîrisu’ incorporates extended compositional techniques — utilizing voice, phones, paper, and sticks — to generate sound through Asâru’, or games of chance.
Open to all, the workshop invites participants to explore chance-based composition, interact with sound-making objects, and contribute to the evolving structure of Kitawîrisu’. Through guided improvisation and collaborative exercises, attendees will gain insight into the intersection of Pawnee traditions and contemporary experimental music, fostering a deeper understanding of stochastic composition and Indigenous approaches to sound.