Currently living in Berkeley, Winston Berger is a musician, baker, and artist exploring intriguing intersections of ritual, composition, performance, and installation. He is enrolled in the Transformative Arts MA program at John F. Kennedy University. Winston is thrilled to participate in SoundWalk, especially since Long Beach was the first place he lived after moving to California in the summer of 1996.
For many years, Winston’s sonic output came in the form of tasty acoustic & electric basslines for artists including John Tchicai, Regina Carter, Joe Craven, Anton Barbeau, 11:11, and The Pilgrims. A difficult yearlong gig in a hotel-bar piano trio led him to question his sideman status, and inspired him to begin writing his own music in 2006. His works range from boombastic beats and whimsical pop ditties to ambient electronica, pensive tone poems, musique concrete, and solo pieces for guitar and piano. Earlier this year he released his debut CD “Cosmic Opening” under the name Winstontaneous.
Winston is fascinated by the power of music and sound to heal, affect consciousness, and build community. While he loves to explore tools, theories, and techniques, his best work is often born of experimentation and improvisation. No matter what medium he works in, Winston strives to capture the unique energetic essence of special moments.
Winston’s SoundWalk piece “Faeries In Flight” is a freestanding sound/scent/sight installation. “Faeries” came into being when several samples & sinewaves suddenly synergized within his synthesizer, evoking a sparkly Otherworld peopled by laughing, singing, flying folk. To heighten the mood of elemental enchantment, Winston also created a luminous, colorful visual portion and a perfume from natural essential oils. Ambiophonic processing provides a wide soundfield from closely-spaced speakers.
Winston will provide music and sound design for performance artist Anthony Julius Williams’ show “Blood Is Mere Decoration: A Ritual for Liberation,” which plays in San Francisco this October. He is eager to collaborate with artists of every stripe. Enjoy!