Private Stash: A Musician's Eye

Private Stash: A Musician's Eye is a look at the varied
influences that have helped shape jazz musician Fred Hersch's life and
work to date. The exhibition is a highly personal immersion into the
music, artwork, and life experiences that have come together to inspire
his varied oeuvre. Visitors will gain insight into Hersch's artistic
process by looking at the diverse influences—including everything from
folk art and photography, to the music of artists as wide-ranging as
Thelonious Monk and Joni Mitchell—that shape his compositions. The
exhibition will present these items side by side with musical sketches
and final music for stage productions, allowing for visitors to see—and
hear—the evolution from inspiration to completion.
The objects include pieces from Hersch's collection of whimsical folk
art as well as fine art made by colleagues from his numerous residencies
at the MacDowell Colony. Music on paper will include his original
"scribble" sketches through various stages to the final pencil versions.
iPods will allow visitors to hear Hersch's compositions along with
selections of music that has inspired him in significant ways. A number
of compositions will be presented in this side-by-side see/hear fashion
including pieces from his new multimedia work My Coma Dreams, which will be shown on a video loop.