JULY 21, 2022
DOOS OPEN: 7P
PERFORMANCE: 8P
JOY GUIDRY: RADICAL ACCEPTANCE
TICKETS (DONATION)
Radical Acceptance is the title of Joy Guidry’s new album. It tells their story of processing trauma, self-care, self-love, and finding hope for the future. Drawing inspiration from the work of Sonya Renee Taylor, who has defined radical self-love as “its own entity, a lush and verdant island are offering safe harbor for self-esteem and self-confidence.” While Guidry’s musical offerings represent a range of musical idioms and methodologies from improvisation and graphic scores to multimedia and gospel, the uniting principle for Guidry is a focus on the importance of affirmation, validation, and self-care.
Guidry states, “Radical acceptance is a personal practice that has evolved in my life over the past year. This doesn't mean there aren't still tough times, but times of warmth and comfort are much more present these days. I will never be able to change my past, the things that hurt me, but I can live a peaceful and beautiful life of my own creation. The most important thing I've had to teach myself is that there is nothing wrong with my body or my brain. My body is fat and I struggle with my mental health daily, and neither of those things makes me any less of a human being. I know that my Black, Fat, Queer, and Non-binary body is valid in every way. Learning to love my whole self unconditionally will be a lifelong journey, but I am just so happy to be where I am today. This is my radical acceptance.”
The concert features Joy Guidry on bassoon, voice, electronics
Omọlólù Refilwe Bàbàtùndé
Milene Casado on trumpet and Fluglehorn
Alfredo Colon on saxophone and ewi
Marvin Carter on saxophone
Chris Williams on trumpet
Cleo Reed on Guitar
Khari Lucas on Bass Guitar
ABOUT JOY GUIDRY
Radical self-love, compassion, laughter, and the drive to amplify Black artmakers and noisemakers comprise the core of NYC-based bassoonist and composer Joy Guidry’s work. Their performances have been hailed by The San Diego Tribune as “lyrical and haunting…hair-raising and unsettling.” A versatile improviser and a composer of experimental, daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling, Guidry’s own music channels their inner child in honor of their ancestors and predecessors. Guidry seeks to support, hire, and promote Black artists in every aspect of their practice. To this end, Guidry has spearheaded Sounds of the African Diaspora, a competition and commissioning platform for composers from the African diaspora. This new initiative ensures that composers from the diaspora have access to the space, resources, and time necessary to foster new, innovative music.
Guidry holds a bachelor’s degree in Bassoon Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Mannes School of Music. They have performed with the Dance Centre Kenya Ballet Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, and have been a featured soloist in Yvette Jackson’s opera Fear is their Alibi that premiered at the 2021 PROTOTYPE festival. They have been commissioned by The National Sawdust, Long Beach Opera, JACK Quartet, and the I&I Foundation, and they have attended and been featured by prestigious festivals, including the Spoleto Festival USA and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Guidry is the winner for the 2021 Berlin Prize for Young Artists.
ASM PRESENTS
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.