#red | Punk & Pie Circus

How many ways can I use the word "play?" Play a game. Play a character. Play an instrument. Put on a play. Press "play." And how can I elegantly represent all those definitions in one creative idea? These questions weave themselves through an ongoing experiment I warmly call Drum Clown Chic. Here, I summon the circus performer, the actor, the musician, the writer, and the digital media enthusiast in me to play my way through the world.

Moving forward, the entries you see here will contain more of the following: Poetry - impulses that combine verbal and visual rhetoric to reflect on the times and places in which I find myself; Gratitude - themed tributes to the sources of hope all around me - my neighborhood, my playlist, my library, my body, and whatever else I can think of; Collaboration - playful projects with other movers and makers in my community.

The setting is my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which has a fierce, complicated legacy of strong people working hard to build strong things. Its past and present play a loud, curious rhythm in my blood that manifests in one of four characters: The Punk - intense, irreverent, bad ass; The Clown - silly, sweet, zany; The Lady - elegant, inspirational, feminine; The Chick - chic, casual, straightforward

This juggling percussionist promises nothing except more questions than answers. So try not to overthink it. Step inside and play!

Image of a female drummer in a NASA shirt providing percussion accomaniment for a pop singer onstage.