Kate Riegle - van West: Music

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HONK! Reclaiming the streets for bikes, horns, and feet...

"Many [HONK bands] were born in reaction to the fatalism and indifference that has gripped the advanced industrialized democracies. In response, honkers have been providing a heartfelt musical antidote, a soundtrack for anti-war rallies, political mobilizations, pride parades and joyous reclamations of public space. Every one of these bands has a unique sense of humor to complement their sound, as they mock and discredit the roots of hatred and injustice through the whimsical act of making music together. The result is a spectacle that is radical and subversive without being militant or sanctimonious." - honkfest.org

As a lifelong musician and inventor of The Orbitar, a musical instrument rooted in poi spinning, I believe heavily the power of music as a tool for hollistic healing and social change. Below are the radical acoustic HONK bands I have been involved with.

The Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band

2011 - present

Trombone, piccolo

Social media creaton and upkeep

The Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society is a New Orleans style band that combines music and social action, slamming out the sounds of the legendary Crescent City for peace rallies, street festivals, parades and benefits.

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Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band

2011 - present

Flute, occasional snare drum

Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band is an instrumental ensemble with an eclectic repertoire that combines the rich musical history of the circus and the vagabond peoples of Europe with the raw energy of free jazz and the irreverence and fun of today's vaudeville for a sound that is somehow familiar yet like no other.

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Environmental Encroachment

2008 - 2011

Flute, piccolo, snare drum

Graphic design, branding, social media creation and upkeep

Chicago performance art group Environmental Encroachment (EE) uses circus theatrics and an artist marching band to create unique entertainment environments. EE Marching Band's music uses North African, Latin, and traditional American rhythms, fused with electric bass and a brass section. Melodies are folkloric fusions, and creations inspired from New Orleans, Jazz and Rock. EE encourages participation, dance, and freeing the spirit.

Flute solo excerpt from "Bumper to Bumper"

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I also enjoy composing, and am just beginning to record and produce my own compositions. Here is a sample of what is soon to come...