Ben Siems
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Contact Information
contact name: Ben Siems
phone: 612-825-9952
email: WillieAugust@hotmail.com
location address:
3532 Aldrich Avenue South
Apt. 2
Minneapolis MN 55408
open to public: no
Related Organizations:
The Willie August Project
Experience
Graduate of Brown University (areas of study: literature, music history, folklore, mathematics)
Leader/Composer/Guitarist of The Willie August Project jazz trio, 1999-present
Composer/Performer (Guitar, Cello, Percussion, Keyboards) of new concert music and music for dance and film, 2001-present
Awards
Runner-Up Award, 2008 Song of the Year international songwriting contest
Honorable Mention, 2008 issa (International Singer-Songwriter Association) international music contest
Recipient of American Composers Forum project grant, 2007
Recipient of five grants from Meet the Composer, Inc. (NYC), including Creative Connections Awards in 2005, 2006, and 2007
#1 New Addition to XM Radio Real Jazz, last week of 2005
AllAboutJazz.com All-Time Top Fifty Daily Downloads list, continuously, 2005-2008
Minnesota On-Air Jazz Top Fifty, four months in 2004
Nominated for six Minnesota Music Awards since 2000
Selected for the American Composers Forum's Southern Minnesota Performance Series, 2002
Recipient of the American Composers Forum/Harriet Tubman Center Composer Fellowship and Commission, 2001
Exhibitions/Performance History
Concert Performances:
Southern Theater, 2005 and 2006
Bryant-Lake Bowl (presented by Meet the Composer, Inc.), 2006
Southern Theater, 2005 and 2006
KBEM-FM (Jazz 88 Twin Cities) Live at Lurcat radio concert series, 2004
Twin Cities Winter Jazz Fest main stage, 2004
Grand Marais Jazz Festival main stage, 2004
American Composers Forum 2002 Southern Minnesota Performance Series
Spooner Jazz Festival mainstage, 2001
Twin Cities Jazz Society Jazz from A to Z, 1999
Extensive performance history throughout Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, including the Dakota Jazz Club (Mpls.), The Kitty Cat Klub (Mpls.), Lurcat (Mpls.), The Gunflint Tavern (Grand Marais), The Sanctuary (Iowa City), and a variety of other venues and festivals.
Collaborations:
MAGGIE'S BRAIN, OUR PERFECTLY WONDERFUL LIVES, and BORDER CROSSING (coming April-May 2008) with performance company Off-Leash Area
ALL NORA'S DAUGHTERS CAN FLY featuring ONENESS, with Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan, Lindsay Anderson, Jeremy Hauer, Daniel Eikmeier, Stephen Roemer, Jennifer Mack, Sharon Picasso-Merrick, et. al.
1-SELF, with choreographer Cathy Wright
ONCE THERE, with Choreographer Danielle Robinson-Prater
FRACTAL SCAPES and FEMME FATALE, with choreographer Deborah Jinza Thayer
WAITING FOR YESTERDAY, with choreographer Jennifer Mack
PLAYING IN PLACE, with filmmaker John O'Brien
Collections
Compact Discs:
by Ben Siems
Empire at Twilight
(Find it on iTunes by CLICKING HERE!)
with The Willie August Project:
Surrender to the Wind, 2004
(Find it on iTunes by CLICKING HERE!)
Dream Truths, 2001
Transparent Sunrise, 1999
To hear a broad cross section of music my Ben Siems, visit the Ben Siems / Willie August Project MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/willieaugust. Scroll down a bit and look for the MP3 player on the right hand side!
Publications
CADENCE magazine
JazzReview.com
JAZZ IMPROV magazine
ALLABOUTJAZZ.com
ProGGnosis.com
CITY PAGES
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE
ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS
Biographical Information
Country of Citizenship:
United States
Birth Place:
Robbinsdale, Minnesota
Gender:
Male
Active Place:
Twin Cities
Minnesota County:
Hennepin
Artist Information
Roles
Composer