The Stories We Tell Ourselves


 I'm a storyteller. I tell stories with percussion. I use different sounds that bring up memories, so the stories I tell, are your own stories. The stories you live. ~ MB 
I have a new album/live performance called, Stories We Tell Ourselves, that I debuted at a performance last night. It's a combination of everything I've ever experienced in my life, but mostly it's stories I've collected from performances, from people talking to me after Gong Meditations, and my own personal interactions with visual art.


Stories We Tell Ourselves: a book in 13 musical chapters

with a 30 minute bonus narration track.

 The idea was born out of my recent experiences playing in various art museums and galleries. I'm an extremely visual person, so visual media informs much of what I do. Playing in museums and galleries gave me an opportunity to 'see' my music differently. I looked for connections between the music and the art works surrounding me. It seemed important to make those connections and create a bridge between music and visual art. And people responded to my stories and connections. 

 The other part of this is stories told to me by people who were at my performances. People often tell me afterwards how certain sounds trigger memories they have. I've found this interesting, as music is a powerful trigger. Many of us can remember exactly when and where, and what we were doing when we first heard a certain song. How many couples have a special song? How many events have a theme song? Music is a strong connecting force and can easily conjure pictures in our minds.

 We can look back at theater, films, television, and radio, where before today's electronics, percussion was often used to recreate sound effects, or create various moods. Percussion was integral to the telling of the story. The sound of a Gong brings to mind Asia, or creates a dark mood. A snare drum brings up visions of a marching band or parade. A triangle or bell signals some sort of warning or announcement. I could list hundreds of different sounds and each one would bring up some sort of memory.

 Rather than just playing music and making sounds, think about the stories you are telling to your audience.


 ~ MB
Deconstruct Yourself™

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