Desert Magic will be performing "The Valley Spirit," a new song cycle that primarily uses Ursula Le Guin's version of the Tao Te Ching as text.

Desert Magic is an ensemble that specializes in round writing, sonifications of cosmic and natural phenomena, and musical settings of ancient poetry. In 2015, the group released their debut album piecemeal on the solstices and equinoxes on www.a-round-the-sun.com and in 2019 they released an album of songs based on verses of the Tao Te Ching entitled In the Universe. Desert Magic has also created a theatrical solar system sonification entitled Dance of the Planets, which involves paper-mache planet hats and guitar patterns mapped to the orbital speeds of the planets. In addition to a live sound installation, they have released an interactive web app for the piece in collaboration with coder Luke Williams: danceoftheplanets.com/web. The group is currently working on a new album of Tao songs with an expanded line-up that includes Alex Wand (viola da gamba, resonator guitar, voice), Steven Van Betten (electric guitar, voice), Logan Hone (drums, saxophone, voice), Heather Lockie (viola), Stuart Wheeler (voice, organ), Mustafa Walker (hurdy gurdy, lute), Jessica Hemingway (dance, costume design), and Brock Stuessi (upright bass). For more information, visit www.desertmagic.org.

Cecyl Ruehlen (b. 1984) is an intermedia artist and saxophonist who grew up in the rural high plains of western Kansas. Many of his undertakings focus on collaborative efforts, chimeric instruments, prolonged projects and involvement with variable landscapes across the western United States. He melts feral actions and archives into a sonic ooze using an array of objects and recording processes. Whether working alone or collectively, relationships tend towards radical trust, technological nonchalance, exploded listening and improvisation.