Gustavo Dudamel to conduct Nina Shekhar’s New York premiere of “The Mother is Standing”

“The Mother Is Standing,” written by Maggie Dave remix artist Nina Shekhar, will kick off the New York Philharmonic’s Spring Gala next week, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Also joining in that evening’s celebration will be actor, author, and activist Common, soprano Hera Hyesang Park, and guitarist and former New York Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams – taking turns in the spotlight while NY Phil musicians perform several works side-by-side with student musicians from communities across New York City.

Celebrating the past, present, and future of music education, this Spring Gala marks the New York premiere of Shekhar’s composition, inspired by (in her words) “…my mom and the many strong women in my life who guide me with their resilience – women who have weathered grief and loss in a deeply patriarchal world. And through it all, they always carry themselves with a quiet grace – soft but never silent.”

“The Mother Is Standing” was originally commissioned by the NY Phil along with the Bravo! Vail Music Festival).

“This Is a Story Without a Plan” by Cassie Shao at 65th ZINEBI International Festival of Documentary and Short Film

Animator and music video director Cassie Shao screened her latest film This Is a Story Without a Plan at the prestigious 65th ZINEBI International Festival of Documentary and Short Film this month. Recognized by the European Film Academy, the Oscars, BAFTA Film Awards and the Goya Awards as a nomination qualifying festival, ZINEBI recognizes superior filmmaking in several categories including Best International Short Film.

Shao’s inimitable style depicts a story of “…two people and an explosion. This film envisions two characters witnessing a constant explosion in different fragments of their lives.” Shao is the director of the Maggie Dave music videos “Old You” and “I’m Not Ready,” which garnered her a Vimeo Staff Pick in 2019.

"Change Your Mind (Single Edit)" - Everywhere November 17th

Maggie Dave announced the release of their upcoming single “Change Your Mind,” slated for Friday, November 17th. Currently working on their debut album, lead singer Sean David Christensen describes the new song as “…an anthem that speaks to the human struggle of deciding whether to let somebody go or hold onto them even tighter than before.” Co-written by Grammy Award-nominated choral arranger and songwriter Tehillah Alphonso, “Change Your Mind” signals a bold new sound for the band—one they’ll continue exploring next year. “Mark & I [Maggie Dave] are learning to expand our sound with each new collaboration. On this record that involved so many creative souls, I could feel a sense of community protecting us. I’m so grateful for that. We’re all moving forward together and it’s very exciting.”

Pre-save the single on Spotify via DistroKid – HyperFollow.

Nina Shekhar premieres “The Mother is Standing” with the New York Philharmonic

Nina Shekhar, Maggie Dave remixer & collaborator, premiered her latest symphonic work with the New York Philharmonic on Wednesday, July 19th at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. An original composition co-commissioned by the festival and the NY Phil, Shekhar’s “The Mother is Standing” examines the love between mother and child.

Nina: “As I navigate my own womanhood, I am guided by the strong women in my life. My mom’s side of the family had a unique matrilineal structure, in which the mother’s name was passed down to her children rather than the father’s. I am blessed to have been surrounded by many brilliant, beautiful, and resilient women— women who have weathered grief and loss in a deeply patriarchal world. And through it all, they always carry themselves with a quiet grace—soft but never silent. The Mother is Standing draws inspiration from the Stabat Mater Christian hymn to Mary, which describes her suffering as Jesus’s mother during his crucifixion. While based off the hymn’s traditional chant melody, this piece examines the love between mother and child in a wider context. This piece is dedicated to my mom, who constantly teaches me through her example what womanhood and motherhood truly means.”

Shekhar’s “The Mother is Standing” shared the bill with Chick Corea’s Trombone Concerto and Dvořák’s beloved New World symphony, led by guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero.

The New York Philharmonic performs at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. (Photo credit: B. Cohen)

“Underwater” by DREAM RADiO featuring Maggie Dave

The DREAM RADiO writing / producing duo (Devin Gáti and Russell Cloder) has featured Maggie Dave on their latest single, “Underwater.” As composers and producers the pair has collaborated on many film and television projects and have been featured in campaigns for Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre and others.

Maggie Dave photographed by Nicole Neri

From the evening peaks of Arizona’s South Mountains overlooking downtown Tempe, longtime Maggie Dave photographer & artistic collaborator Nicole Neri captures the band with her signature use of expressive color and exposure.

 A freelance photographer based in Minneapolis, Neri focuses on social justice issues, immigration, and the role of community art. A contributor to Bloomberg, HuffPost, Politico & The Wall Street Journal, more of her work can be discovered here.

Ricky Berger wins “Best Song” at Songwriters at Play: The Finale

Maggie Dave producer & singer/songwriter Ricky Berger took home the “Best Song” award this Sunday at Songwriters at Play: The Finale, presented by Cambria Center for the Arts. The live concert featured ten finalists from the previous year’s showcases performing two original songs each. Berger’s “Novocaine” earned top marks and the grand prize for songwriting from the panel of judges, with Fort Vine and Walk the Whale winning “Best Performance” and “Best Overall” respectively. Will Breman, semifinalist from NBC’s The Voice, closed out the evening with selections from his upcoming opening set for Neil Young.

 Listen to more of Ricky Berger’s music on Spotify!

"Pulsar" by Tallac

DJ/producer and Maggie Dave collaborator Tallac has released his latest single, “Pulsar”, featuring guitarist John Schroeder. Released through Ritmo Fatale, a French record label, the track showcases a driving beat reminiscent of early-80s European dance music that has become part of Tallac’s signature nostalgic sound.

"Maggie Dave - Old You" wins Honorable Mention at Los Angeles Animation Festival

Maggie Dave - Old You, the official music video animated by Cassie Shao, was awarded Honorable Mention at the 2022 Los Angeles Animation Festival. This honor is given "to work of an exceptionally high standard and worthy of festival praise." Shao is an alum of LAAF, earning a nomination for her film There Were Four of Us as Best Student Experimental Short at the 2019 festival.

Ryan McDiarmid on tour with HAIM

Maggie Dave drummer Ryan McDiarmid just returned from “The One More HAIM Tour” with the celebrated, Grammy Award-nominated American rock band. Congratulations to our friend and musical collaborator on this amazing time on the road!

Fest Anča International Animation Festival: "Maggie Dave - Old You"

"Maggie Dave - Old You" recently competed in the International Competition of Music Videos at the Fest Anča International Animation Festival in Slovakia. Animated by Cassie Shao, her video shared the screen with a superb collection of films from around the world, featuring documentary to experimental works. The complete program to the 2022 festival can be found here.

"Moon Manor" featuring songs by Maggie Dave now playing on SHOWTIME

Moon Manor, the critically acclaimed film by writer/directors Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat is now playing on SHOWTIME. The film's soundtrack features two songs by Maggie Dave: "I'm Not Ready" and "Worry (Joe Berry Remix.)"

It's been inspiring to see how many have been touched by Jimmy's story about embracing death in all its complexity and wonder. We'll always honor the faith that Machete & Erin placed in our music to give it such a special home within their film.

Reshma Gajjar and James “Jimmy” Carrozo in Moon Manor (2021); Directed by Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat.

Old You (Nina Shekhar Remix) animated by Yoon Kyeong Yang

Composer, remixer & multi-instrumentalist Nina Shekhar explores the intersection of identity, vulnerability, love and laughter to create bold and intensely personal works. Her internationally celebrated music has been praised by the New York Times and performed by the LA Phil and New York Philharmonic.

When asked about what inspired her "Old You" remix, Shekhar answered: "I was trying to make it an eerie, slightly angry kind of nostalgia...It's playing this sort of this manipulation sort of thing, and how that affects our memory and who we are now versus who we were earlier. I think even the way that I broke apart the song a little bit in picking this one section, this one little clip, I kept reiterating that, 'Can't we just get together.' I also love how open-ended it is. It could be so many different kinds of relationships that apply with this, so I think it invites the listener in this really special way."

Maggie Dave is honored to collaborate with such a visionary artist, whose remix was ingeniously visualized by Royal College of Art animation student Yoon Kyeong Yang, who implemented hand-painted floral and geometric patterns that transform with each flourish of Shekhar's beguiling soundscape. Together, they create this hypnotic loop and a unique viewing experience.

Animator Yoon Kyeong Yang. (Photo by @7iming)

"Moon Manor" theatrical premiere

Producer/instrumentalist Ricky Berger & lead singer Sean David Christensen take to the red carpet in their finest blues to celebrate the theatrical premiere of Moon Manor. A tender, kaleidoscopic portrait of dying with dignity, the film's soundtrack features two songs by Maggie Dave and was directed by friends of the band Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat. We're so proud of all the amazing folks who worked so hard to make this dream come true. Moon Manor is available to stream everywhere on demand March 11th, 2022.

The cast & crew of Moon Manor celebrates the theatrical premiere, February 25th-26th, 2022. 1) From left to right: Writer/director Machete Bang Bang, actor Jimmy Carrozo and writer/director Erin Granat. 2) From left to right; Back row: Actors Reshma Gajjar, Galen Howard, Roz Hernandez, Jimmy Carrozo, writer/director Erin Granat; Front row: Writer/director Machete Bang Bang, actor Miles Crawford. 3) The cast and crew at a post-screening Q&A, February 26th. From left to right: Writer/Directors Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat, actors Jimmy Carrozo, Lou Taylor Pucci & Reshma Gajjar. 4) Writer/Directors Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat present their film to a sold-out auditorium at Cinelounge Cinemas Hollywood, Los Angeles. (Photos by Lynora Valdez.)

Ethan Chilton +4 plays Sam First

Maggie Dave trumpeter and composer Ethan Chilton played an electrifying night of jazz at Sam First in Los Angeles with his +4 combo. An evening of rarely-played standards, free improvisation and original compositions took center stage with Jeremy Stein (tenor sax), Logan Kane (bass), Adam Hersh (piano) and Ben Ring (drums). Chilton most recently released his first full-length album, The Planets, exploring the solar system through colorful harmonies and inventive textures. "Resonance," recorded entirely remotely with members of the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra and USC Thornton Symphony, played together virtually with an urgency emphasizing the core theme of the record - Earth's climate crisis. "The craziest part about the universe is that it doesn’t care if we’re not here," says Chilton. "Humans need to become a multi-planetary species one day soon, and hopefully not so we can destroy another world like we’re doing to the Earth, but so that our species can live on in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster."

When Chilton isn’t writing and recording his own music, he can frequently be found as a sideman in the LA bands of John Beasley, Remy LeBoeuf, Clare Fischer, and more. He’s performed with Terri Lyne Carrington, SAJE, Patrice Rushen, Geoff Keezer, Louis Cole/Genevieve Artadi, and Bob Mintzer, among others.

Exploring narrative with composer Nina Shekhar

On the eve of her live performance debut of “Dear Abby” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on January 11th, composer and Maggie Dave collaborator Nina Shekhar discusses her process of exploring and challenging narrative form in her symphonic work.

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Nina: It's a piece that's really personal for me. It's called “Dear Abby” because it's based off the Dear Abby newspaper advice columns created in the 1950s by Pauline Phillips, who wrote under the pseudonym “Abby.” People would write in, especially housewives, asking for advice about their lives. A lot of the answers that were given re-enforced a lot of stereotypes about gender roles and heteronormativity. A lot of times people would write in asking, "My husband says I shouldn't work. What should I do?" And then Abby might respond with, "Oh, don't work," or something like that. For me, it was beyond even just these gender stereotypes. I was thinking a lot about my own questioning of gender, my own intersection of race and gender, me being brown and having a really different sense of femininity and what that means for me, and how that's defined, especially in Western society. So this performance is really special to me because it's being done by the LA Phil (The Los Angeles Philharmonic), of course, which is amazing. I consider them my home orchestra because it was really the first orchestra that I ever really went to. Even when I was living elsewhere, I never really got to see an orchestra.

“Dear Abby” performed by Albany Symphony.

Nina: I wrote “Dear Abby” in many iterations. Initially I wrote it for a much smaller group, like a little quartet, only four people. There was this group, Front Porch, which is a group based in Ann Arbor where I went to school for my undergrad, and they are game for a lot of really different things. So, I wrote this whole piece that was involving them singing and playing and it was really hard. Then for this other commission I had with this group Albany Symphony, they have a smaller orchestra that does a lot more contemporary music and more genre-bending stuff. They had asked me to do a project for them. I thought about arranging that previous piece, so it became this new version for two singers and a symphony, like a small orchestra. It was during the pandemic, so they did everything remotely with video performances. So for this upcoming concert with the LA Phil, this is actually the first time it's going to be performed live. 

Photos: Josué Azor, courtesy of nathaliejoachim.com; Andres Gonzalez for The New York Times.

Nina: The two soloists are Nathalie Joachim and Pamela Z. Nathalie is a dear friend and mentor of mine. Both of them have been such trailblazers in terms of identity. Nathalie is Haitian American and Pamela Z. has done so much work exploring her own concepts of femininity and black identity. So, for me to have these two really powerful women of color, who've really explored their own gender identity and racial identity, and all these questions that I've been thinking about, and to choose to perform my piece with LA Phil, it’s really special to me. 

Sean: Can you tell me more about this evening of work that Nathalie and Pamela Z. have curated? 

Nina: LA Phil has these regular concerts of new music and contemporary youth performances called Green Umbrella. This season, they asked a few different groups of curators. I think this year was a little different because they had people curating in pairs. It's beautiful, these women of color sharing these values of exploring our identity and reclaiming our sense of self and not really letting anybody define what that is for us, unless it's us who are defining it for ourselves. This concert is just super badass. Every single work is so personal in exploring the identity of these composers, these women. It's really special when it's people that we love like Nathalie and Pamela singing our work that is so personal already. There's this trust that's already there. So yeah, it's a really special concert.

Sean: I'm curious, on that concept of trust and entering a collaborative space where you already know how your work is going to land, does that help influence your process?

Nina: Definitely. I think in the traditional classical composer model, for centuries it was rooted in patronage. Some king or prince would say, "I want you to write me a piece. I'll pay you." Honestly, that hasn't fully gone away. But sometimes the commissioned orchestra will say, "Write a piece for us that we can try to make into something different and really explore something more personal.” Sometimes I'll do this. I'll interview people that I'm writing for, just so that I know who they are as people and I can understand where they're coming from.

Members of the L.A. Bass Quintet perform Veronika Krausas’ music for “Porcupine,” a collaboration with Ana Prvacki, who conceived and designed the tent. The program at Walt Disney Concert Hall was part of the new music marathon, “Noon to Midnight.” (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

Nina: It's so rare that we actually get that opportunity to have that kind of dialogue and build that trust, because there's a fixed amount of money or a fixed amount of time. It's really rigid, this model. I think in recent years, I've been reevaluating what I want to make and who I want to make it with. When it's something that's so personal, when people that I love like Nathalie and Pamela perform it, it just gives me an extra layer of comfort. Also, I know that it's going to add a new dimension to the piece because they are so brilliant and they have such a strong concept of identity and self and their own experiences. For me, it's really inspiring to have somebody bring that dimension because I know that they already are willing to contribute it, versus, somebody who's a total stranger that I never really got to build that trust with. It's a really a different experience.

Nina Shekhar · blush

Sean: To your point of a performer bringing their own personal dimension to a piece, I feel like you as a composer have the same capacity to wrap your own personal artistic statement within a larger theme. How do you find your own voice, as Nina, within these larger themes?

Nina: I think something that has always driven my work is this personal element of it. I think something that I've struggled with a lot in the art world is separating these kind of social statements and these social movements from the artist and the work itself. Sometimes I’ve gotten a little bit distrustful, almost, of a lot of artists who wanted to make this bold statement without ever really holding themselves accountable. If there's nothing to really ground the work in terms of experience or in terms of your own personal stakes, then I think sometimes I don't know if it's really as genuine as it could be. I'm still growing. I'm still learning a lot about myself and there's no way that I'm really going to know everything about the world. It's also just not possible for me to know about every other person's identity and every other thing that somebody else has faced. Even with a concept like anxiety, I have a really specific concept of anxiety based on my own experience and what I still deal with now. But that's going to be really individual to myself. It's not necessarily going to be the same as somebody else, but there might be these bridges between me and another person that maybe somebody can say, "Oh, I relate to that, or I find meaning in that, or this makes me feel something." Rather than me trying to speak for somebody else, I always want to root it to myself. Is this going to be something that I find empowering? Is this going to be something that I can use to help myself work through my own identity or my own kind of liberation, almost? I focus on myself first, and then if somebody finds meaning in that, if somebody finds some sort of intersection between themselves and me, then that's wonderful. That's what I want.

Nina Shekhar · [redact]

Sean: Right. On that same level, it doesn't have to be this bombastic statement. Sometimes it can be a singular voice within the piece that forms that bridge for the listener. For me, it was an element within “[redact].” There was this vocalized chittering sound that was so captivating. Could you talk about your own voice within that work, and how you also talked about allowing yourself to be open to self-interrogation and inviting critique within the composition?

Nina: Definitely. So with that piece “[redact],” that piece was about the way that the brain responds to trauma and the way that it burns certain memories, like really strongly, into memory…then other memories are just totally moved around, erased, all this kind of thing. But it does that in order to protect itself. It's like a coping mechanism. I used a really simple text that was always verb, pronoun, object. It was only four lines, and the whole point of it was that the way it's presented in the beginning isn't actually its true form. There are parts that are erased or redacted, and in the middle, all of the verbs and pronouns get changed, everything just keeps getting switched around. So I was trying to really concretely represent that sense of memory changing or never really being whole. In that middle section that you're describing, that's where everything really gets super fragmented and broken and then reassembled into this way that’s still not fully intact. I love what you were talking about in terms of self-critique, because that's really important to me in my work. I use my work as a way to really learn more about myself and then really...It's funny, because also works that I've written a few years ago, I will have a different reaction to right now. I've grown since then.

Vanguard Reed Quintet performs “red” by Nina Shekhar, its world premiere in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Vanguard Reed Quintet; YouTube.)

Sean: Going back to that word “dimensions,” I feel like the listener finds themselves in a dimension of sound where they may not be aware of the hidden narratives you write within your work, like jumbling the verbs and pronouns in “Redact” or the lives of these women in “Dear Abby.” You can find traces of narrative by allowing yourself to enter the work, almost like entering an environment. What role does narrative play in your work? 

Nina: Narrative is a big driving force in a lot of my work. As composers, something that we always struggle with is form. How does a piece begin? Where does it go? How does it end? I think what's interesting is that then relates to what you were talking about with more older, classical works, is that most of those pieces always had the same form and it was always like, it starts somewhere. There was a time where sonatas were a thing and there was a really rigid sonata form that we always learn in our music theory classes from the 18th century, this really strict form that everybody had to conform to. Then later on it was always, "Oh, here's a piece and then it rises. You have a climax and then it ends. And then it returns to the original theme." It's always the same arc. In a way, I think what people struggle with, in terms of an audience, is because we already have this expectation of where a piece is going to go, we don't really allow ourselves to enter that narrative, like you were saying. It's just given to us on a platter and something that we are expecting. So it doesn't really force us to pull ourselves in and really challenge what this is, and seize a totally different path. It's always the same path.

Timothy McAllister (alto saxophone) and Liz Ames (piano) perform “Careful Shouts,” their commission of Shekhar’s work in 2021. (Photo courtesy of Timothy McAllister; YouTube.)

Nina: But I think something that I've been trying to explore in my work is how can I break away from that to explore a different narrative? How can I do something that challenges those expectations and pulls a listener on a different journey? A lot of issues that I am exploring in my work don't really have an answer. With my OCD, it's not like I suddenly have no compulsions. I still have them, or like with trauma responses, you're never really fully whole. I think it's not accurate to say that somebody is just magically all better now. There's no answers. So I can't really explore that same form of like, "Oh, everything is resolved." Or it might be partially resolved in a different way, in a way that maybe brings it back to myself, but it's not ever going to be magically all better.

Sean: I love that idea. I think my favorite work is the kind that acknowledges the invisible. And by acknowledging it, audiences are given the opportunity to reflect upon themselves. You're allowing yourself to learn more about yourself through the act of listening.

Nina: Honestly, there are so many intersections involved in our art form. It's not even just me and a listener, it's me and the person performing my work…me and the performer and the listener…me in the space. Who is there? Like in that neighborhood, if something is performed live in a venue, the space itself…the building. There's so many of these intersections that are there, and also the element of time, like me in this moment of time versus me in five years, ten years, whatever, and how we all evolve with people. I think there's so many of these intersections that I'm always interested in exploring.

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Nina Shekhar’s remix of “Old You” can be heard on the upcoming Maggie Dave remix EP, to be released this spring.

Sean David Christensen featured on RISK!

Maggie Dave lead singer/songwriter Sean David Christensen was featured on RISK!, the celebrated storytelling podcast created and hosted by Kevin Allison (The State). A live show and weekly podcast “where people tell true stories they never thought they’d dare to share in public,” Christensen related a story from his childhood, describing his experiences as a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir.

Previously for RISK!, Christensen directed & produced The Duel, a film adaptation of a story told on the podcast by actress Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, The Conjuring). The short was named a “Vimeo Staff Pick” in 2018.

"Maggie Dave - I'm Not Ready" wins Best Animation/Mixed Media at 2021 Austin Music Video Festival

On December 4th, director & animator Cassie Shao took home her second award for Maggie Dave - I'm Not Ready at the 2021 Austin Music Video Festival. Praised for the video's dreamlike atmosphere and harmony between the song and the visuals, Shao was awarded the top prize for animation from a program featuring videos from celebrated artists such as Missy Elliot, The Shins and Mac DeMarco. Lead singer Sean David Christensen joined remotely from Los Angeles for a brief Q&A with the festival after the "Saturday Morning Cartoons" program, where the video was shown shortly before the live-streamed awards presentation. That same afternoon, Maggie Dave - Old You (also animated by Shao) made its theatrical screening premiere at the London International Animation Festival, capping off a week of festival screenings for the artist & the band.

Maggie Dave on NPO Radio 2 (Netherlands) with Giel

"Old You (Video Edit)" reaches the airwaves of the Netherlands by way of NPO Radio 2 with DJs Giel Beelen and Emil Landman. The single was featured on the Indie Gems portion of the broadcast on October 12th, 2021.

NPO Radio 2 DJ, Giel Beelen. Photo courtesy of Teller Report.

"I'll Be Home" animated visualizer by Richard Noble

A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Richard Noble is an animator who works in digitally painted landscapes and interpretive memories. His depiction of urban environments exist within a lucid yet “imagined” reality, where space is dramatically accented with expressive colors and a dreamlike glow. I first discovered his work through his film Wandaland (a Vimeo “Best of the Month” Staff Pick), a fantasia on American industry & obsession that utilized his skills as a scenic designer to great effect.

I had Noble’s work in mind when I imagined an animated visualizer for “I’ll Be Home,” our cover of the Randy Newman classic and a meditation on the new distances between family and friends in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. By offering the song as a gateway to whatever emotions/visuals were inspired by the arrangement and message of the lyrics, Richard crafted a deeply contemplative work of art that pairs with the lilting phrases of the saxophone and bittersweet instrumentation throughout.

As I put it in the liner notes, “…through performing his music and lyrics, I meditated on what the word “home” can mean. Even apart from one another, home can be something we build for others within our hearts, a sacred space that makes room for the burden or baggage that comes with loving someone. Newman's song spoke to a weary sadness I felt last year, but also to the grace of understanding we can offer each other when times are tough, and when we need it the most. This song speaks to that feeling for me, as if to say, "I'll leave the light on for you. I’ll be home."

“I’ll Be Home” music & lyrics by Randy Newman / Performed by Maggie Dave

Produced by Sean David Christensen and Mark Christopher / Mixed by Joey Messina-Doerning / Mastered by Trevor Case / Vocals - Sean David Christensen / Backing vocals & vocal arrangement - Tehillah Alphonso / Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin - John C. Schroeder / Keyboards - Magdalena Daniec / Saxophone - Daniel Weidlein / Bass - Adam Grab / Drums - Ryan McDiarmid

Artwork & animation by Richard Noble.