Artist-in-Residence

ZRL

ZRL (pronounced “zurl”) is a experimental music trio whose work focuses on the nuances of timbre, and sonic landscape. ZRL is comprised of clarinetist, Zachary Good; percussionist and electronic musician, Ryan Packard; and cellist, Lia Kohl. Not adhering to any specific genre, the trio draws material from both free and structured improvisation, exploring the balance point where their sound-worlds tangle and collide. Each member of the group practices a variety of different musical styles, from free jazz to indie rock to Baroque, all of which are folded to their collective improvisatory work. The group created and recorded an album, entitled Our Savings, in January 2020 at the Glasner studio, and then presented a series of improvisational works to the public on January 26, 2020.

ZRL’s unique sonic aesthetic comes from the fact that through their performance, they are not committed to any specific genre or style; playing lush harmonies and harsh noises, rhythmic and mechanistic, sweet and silly, and incorporating long periods of stasis, as well as rapid change. As individual performers, the group openly listens, responds, and leaves space for astonishment and intimate creativity, allowing for the possibility of any sound.

Video Credits:
Music Composition, Arrangement & Sound Production | ZRL - Zachary Good, Ryan Packard & Lia Kohl
Cinematography & Direction | Mark Pallman
Editing I Jeff Kruse

ZRL developed a practice in the Glasner Studio over a period of several months, first by recording an album in the space and then spending several weeks developing new work. This enabled them to create a relationship with the space and be inspired by Miller’s work, both the visible work surrounding us as we worked, and his writings and letters, which they found in the Edgar Miller Legacy archives. ZRL’s live performance was a combination of new improvisations inspired by the space, and an arrangement of Guillame de Machaut’s “Tres douce dame que j’aour” for cello, clarinet, and sine tones. The latter aspect of tonal harmonizations was in response to the performers feeling of the studio as a new sacred space, and Miller’s medieval influences.

The uppermost room of the Glasner Studio, where we have spent the most of our time, melds influences of medieval art, Americana, native design, and folk art, creating a sacred space that is ultimately uniquely midwestern, as though he is creating a new history. With its vaulted ceilings and stained glass, the Garden of Paradise Room mirrors or creates a kind of sacred space, which we were deeply influenced by in our creative process. For their project, ZRL actively drew on musical influences such as medieval organum and microtonality and creating an improvised form which honors imperfection and curiosity above all. The group found a kind of sonic home which relates intuitively but very directly to this space. Our Savings, the record we recorded in the space, comes out in July of 2021 on American Dreams records.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ZRL HERE

Reflecting on Their Time at the Glasner Studio

“Edgar Miller was a true polymath, where his skills are responsive to his many interests, and his attention to detail is manifested in every possible kind of artistry. His influences and interests, as seemingly disparate as they are, create a unique and singular voice that is wholeheartedly grounded in expert craftmanship and imagination. Miller created from the union of many forms and was influenced by a myriad of artistic traditions, following his own imagination towards a unique vision.

“We also draw on a number of musical traditions which blend into a collective voice. Miller’s work is organic and intuitive, which makes it feel like a malleable and living art form more related to improvisation than traditional architecture. In this way we relate to and were inspired by Miller’s aesthetic, both in its relationship to multiple practices and in its intuitive quality.”

Interested in becoming an Artist-in-Residence? Learn more & apply here: edgarmiller.org/residency-program/