The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many of us to the comforts of streaming concerts at home, while some of us had already been experiencing concerts this way. As a performer I was thrilled to participate in a handful of streaming events while the pandemic had shuttered venues and driven us indoors. Although by no means over, the recent decline in cases has allowed many music venues to reopen, while others have had to close permanently. I have had the good fortune of performing live several times since cases have begun to decline and I hope that trend continues (both cases declining and performance inclines). However, not since I started performing in my late teens have I played so infrequently, which feels wrong somehow, and makes it more time consuming to prepare for performances when they do arise.

Yet I have resisted organizing and performing my own streaming events. I have several unjustified rationalizations for this; fear of low attendance, fear of technical issues impacting the quality, and a reluctance to get started and learn everything necessary to broadcast. So I have put a date on the calendar to stream a solo concert on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7:30pm. There is a long list of pros and cons for live streaming. The biggest con being no in-person contact with the audience and community. But it is not my intent to replace in-person live shows. My hope is at minimum to increase my opportunities for performing, expand my studio practice, and entertain some people. The streams will be free and open to the public.

Projects on this blog, like One Sound Everyday, One Synthesizer Sound Every Day, and Sound / Simulacra have motivated me to keep making music. I see streaming performances as a vehicle for keeping up with my performance routine. Perhaps it will evolve into a monthly event with guests. I expect brief discussions after each performance, answering questions from the stream chat, sharing my setups, and covering topics within music technology, sound design, electronic music, and improvisation. Stay informed about these events by subscribing to AudioCookbook, or by following AudiocookbookBook on Twitch.TV. The events will always be free with donation to The Link encouraged. The For in-person events (mostly in Minneapolis) I have a separate email list you can join by emailing me directly at keston [ at ] audiocookbook [ dot ] org.