Los Angeles-based sound artist-artist-musician Chris Kallmyer talks about:
Living in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles, where he and his wife just bought a house, with the objective of becoming neighborhood citizens rather than investors; how and why an artist like Chris is able to buy a house (a partner with a more stable job situation than an artist helps), and why they chose El Sereno; the freedom of being alternately a sound artist, a musician or an artist, depending on the context; the importance of hierarchy in his collaborative projects, because ultimately there needs to be a final-decision-maker in order for everyone to feel safe; his musical performances, including Paradise Choir at SF MoMA, and a cheese-tasting with musical accompaniment; some of the reactions to his experimental music/performance work, which he describes as abstract but also often involves the public; how he’s gotten his pieces performed in venues such as SF MoMA and LACMA relatively early in his career; and his side gigs to supplement his limited paid sound art gigs, including video editing for friends and playing guitar for a local touring chamber orchestra.