The Boat for Singing Together is docked at Marina 59, 5914 Beach Channel Drive, Far Rockaway, Queens. Please come visit. The next group singing event will take place on the boat on October 1, 2011 at 6pm. The boat is part of the Seaworthy show.
Being afloat disarms the visitor, creating a space for new experiences, especially in close proximity to the water’s surface. The substance of water, unlike land, is unowned and unregulated, while singing in groups creates a unique communal intimacy. The boat couples these experiences and hopes to evoke a sense of freedom in community. On late summer nights, we gather on the dock facing the bay and with our song draw the boat in. All are welcomed in small groups onto the boat to learn simple, resonant group song together over the water. I built the boat for singing together with friends. The vessel is built from old docks scavenged from Jamaica Bay, scrap wood from New York City, and trees from Mount Desert Island, Maine. Completely enclosed by a canopy of saplings and fabric, an opening in the craft’s center over the water creates an intimate space for sharing song over water. The bow is crowned with a figurehead made by Haley Hughes.
Impossibly enormous thanks to Porter Fox, Sara Reeske, Connie Hockaday, Greg Mihalko, Ian Oberholtzer, Laura Macmillian, Orien McNeill, Ian Curry, Mariko Tanaka, Jaime Iglehart, Jessica Spiegel, Sonia Alexander, Jaclyn Alexander, Kunji Rey, Aly Perry, Don Friedman, Emily Eagen, Mike O’Toole, Tracy Gilman, Emily + Tyler Drown, Lopi LaRoe, Jana Weaver, Caledonia Curry, Stephan von Muehlen, Garrett Olinger, Chess Venis, Georgia Muenster, Laurel Bell, Marina 59, Flux Factory, EFA Studios and Gowanus Studio Space.