A Sonic Encounter: Tamiko Kawata's Together II (Waterfall)

Join us for a special listening event featuring Unity Song, a multi-hour composition by Samuel Clay Birmaher written to accompany Tamiko Kawata’s Together II (Waterfall). Echoing Kawata’s use of safety pins, the music is built from a simple musical unit that can connect with itself in different ways, forming communities of notes that coalesce and disperse as the music breathes. In tandem with the artwork, at a pace far below that of daily life, the music invites the listeners into a shared space of unfractured attention.

Samuel Clay Birmaher (rhymes with “here and there”) is a composer living and working in New York City. His recent projects include a collaboration with Terry Riley on his open-ended work The Holy Liftoff for flutist Claire Chase, premiered by her with the JACK Quartet and featured in the 2025 Ojai Music Festival; and How to Become an Idea, a concert-length diptych of perceptual solos for violinist Christopher Otto. In 2026, Mode Records will release his first album, Bleeding Heart Transformation, performed by guitarist David Nadal.

The listening event will unfold over the course of one week in the gallery. Seating will be available throughout the space, and visitors are invited to sign up for one-hour listening slots, allowing time to settle in and experience the music in relation to the artwork. Guests may come and go during their reserved hour, encouraging focused, unhurried listening within the gallery setting.