Dear friends of Rova:Arts,

Well, here it is December 2006. It’s been an incredible year really for both Rova the band and Rova:Arts the producing organization. Locally there was the production of a special multi-media collaboration with inkBoat entitled “Glass Head;” the continuation of Improv:21 with provocative appearances by such luminaries as John Zorn, Miya Masaoka, Cheryl Leonard and Ben Goldberg, the initial postings of the Improv:21 informances in streaming video at RadiOM, the media site run by Other Minds; a complete revamping of the Rova website, including full page layouts on all the current collaborations for your viewing pleasure.

For Rova the band: a terrific tour in Europe that included performances of past collaborations first created in San Francisco; the ongoing success of Electric Ascension at international festivals, and a first concert in Nashville where seeds of a new collaboration may bear fruit in 2008; a critically acclaimed release of the CD Totally Spinning on the Black Saint label; and music of great beauty created collectively for the aforementioned “Glass Head.”

So yes: we are looking forward to 2007 and beyond. But as we’ve said many times before, we go nowhere without the support of all of you individual donors out there. We must reiterate that less than 25% of our operating expenses come from ticket sales, and the Rova band members still donate tons of their time to the organization to make all this activity possible. Thus, we can say that your contributions at whatever level are invaluable and fully appreciated.

2007 and beyond could include some of this:

For sure:

• February 10, 2007: Electric Ascension in Philadelphia;
• April 22 and June 10, 2007: Rovaté 2007 in San Francisco… We’ve been getting into graphic scores for the last few years and we’re excited about these concerts as a way to take them to the next level both in music and presentation. The April 22 concert will include a string trio plus electronics with Joan Jeanrenaud, Mark Dresser and others, while the June 10 concert will feature Fred Frith, Devin Hoff and Ches Smith. The graphic scores we’re playing will be projected simultaneously. We think this will be a fascinating night of exploring the creative process;
• Improv:21 events featuring Lawrence Butch Morris, Wadada Leo Smith, Chris Brown & Tim Perkis, and Bob Ostertag.

We’re hoping:

• June 2008: Rovaté 2008 is now being planned and should be another multi-media event including the music of Rova, special musicians from the USA and Europe, plus the sound and digital animation of England’s one and only Semiconductor: aka artists Ruth Jarman and Joseph Gerhardt;
• A documentary on Electric Ascension and the original Ascension by John Coltrane, including interviews with original players in that 1965 version;
• To see the release of Jon Raskin’s “Juke Box Suite” and Larry Ochs’ “The Mirror World,” the latter a live recording from Rovaté 2005;
• To produce with Ideas in Motion: an edited hour of composers talking and performing, taken from the video documentation of the Improv21 series;
• Collaborative performance in St Petersburg and Moscow with Russian musicians;
• Electric Ascension in Rome in 2008;
• To continue developing a collaboration with The Nels Cline Singers.

As a ROVA:ARTS member, you'll also enjoy a number of special benefits, like free Members’ Edition Rova CDs (unavailable in stores), advance notice of concerts and other events, and more. There are a number of membership levels to choose from; choose the level of membership that works best for you, and join us as we begin a new year of risk-taking music, innovative education, and more.

1. Soprano [$40-$74] entitles you to notice of all ROVA:ARTS and Rova-related events, plus one CD, not available anywhere else, of previously unreleased Rova tracks;

2. Alto [$75-$149] all Soprano benefits, plus a Rova CD of your choice (pending availability);

3. Tenor [$150-$249] all Alto benefits, plus admission to one ROVA:ARTS event in the coming year;

4. Baritone [$250-$499] all Tenor benefits, plus a listing in ROVA:ARTS program books;

5.  Rovatiste [$500 or more] all above-mentioned benefits, plus invitations to special events to be scheduled in conjunction with upcoming ROVA:ARTS shows.

If you would like to join ROVA:ARTS,

send a check to: ROVA:ARTS / 115 Central Avenue / San Francisco, CA 94117

or: donate online:

Indicate your level of support and include your address, e-mail address, and phone number, so we can let you know about upcoming events. Your personal information will not be shared with any third parties.

Best wishes to you all; keep up the pressure for peace.

Sincerely,

Larry Ochs