Bowerbird is pleased to present a morning birdwalk at Wissahickon Park with two performances by Paul Giess on trumpet and Marquise Lindsey-Bradley on clarinet.
Please take note of the weather and dress accordingly with appropriate footwear.
Meet at the Wissahickon Environmental Center – Tree House.
Estimated run time: 120 minutes
Distance: approx. one mile
Free admission – reservations are encouraged
ABOUT THE EVENT
Follow the Sound is a communal outdoor listening experience that combines a guided nature walk with live music. Each ambulatory program is attuned to the here and now of its site — birds, bugs, water, and wind — creating a moment of shared awareness and presence.
Follow the Sound events are free and have been hosted at various sites throughout the Philadelphia area including John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Stoneleigh: a natural garden, and more, each led by a naturalist with expertise of the local ecosystem.
Each ~90-minute program entails walking a distance of less than one mile, usually on flat, accessible terrain. A wide range of diverse musicians have participated on an array of flutes, electronics, violins, viola da gamba, and more, in solo and impromptu duo formats.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Paul Giess is a Philadelphia-based musician, producer, and educator whose versatile musicianship crosses traditional boundaries. Described by Downbeat Magazine as delivering “lyrical, highly expressive trumpet work,” Paul brings this quality to his performances with artists including Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Grant Calvin Weston, Yolanda Wisher, and Guthrie Ramsey.
2024 was a landmark year for Paul’s career. At the top of the year, Paul was featured on Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s album “The Lighthouse” alongside Odean Pope, Grant Calvin Weston and Marc Cary. Paul was also a featured composer for a WHYY podcast, Philadelphia Revealed, composing a variety of music in addition to the theme which he wrote with a long time collaborator Matthew Jernigan. Later that year, Paul joined Jamaaladeen Tacauma’s Groove Al a Moroc at the Timitar Festival in Agadir Morocco. That same summer, Paul joined Jamaaladeen again in his Solar System Boogie Band at the Lancaster Ave Jazz Festival in Philadelphia. Towards the end of the year, Paul was awarded a grant from Scribe Video to help fund an oral history project he has been pursuing with Chrisitiana Jackson, Director of African Studies at Rutgers University. By recording interviews with elders from the Philadelphia jazz scene such as Andy Aaron, Lovett Hines, and Cullen Knight they aim to document oral history while telling the stories of historic jazz clubs in the city.
His discography as leader includes “Hymns Vol. 1” (Ropeadope Records, 2021), featuring vocalist V. Shayne Frederick, and his debut “U Suite U” (2014). Most Recently, Paul has been releasing music from live performances of a new project, Untethered. This group explores the unknown through spontaneous creative composition using blends of sound design, funk, and energetic sonic interactions with veteran drummer Grant Calvin Weston alongside emerging Philadelphia talents, Lee Clarke and Timothy Ragsdale.
As a composer, Paul received the 2018 McKnight Visiting Composer Residency from the American Composers Forum. Paul held a two month residency at MSS collaborating with artists with developmental disabilities, which culminated in a concert featuring the artists from their program. Additionally “Prayer for Mimi” appears in the Philadelphia Real Book.
Paul’s work also ventures into the world of theatre. In December of 2015 Paul was the trumpet player in the critically acclaimed performance of the musical Black Nativity, hosted by Theater Horizon in Norristown. Black Nativity won a Barrymore award for Best Musical Ensemble. In January of 2015 Paul traveled to New Orleans Louisiana to be the musical director for an original theater work, “AMERICANA”. Most recently Paul produced performed and directed a two person show included in Urban Movements Arts’ offerings for the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Rubr Duki Dance Party, is a piece of immersive theatre which guides audiences through a surreal world to help them discover their inner rubber ducky by way of drawing, writing, dancing, quacking and playing with rubber duckies.
As an educator, Paul teaches through Artsmart, Mill Creek School, and The Concept School. He came to these positions following seven years at the Philadelphia Clef Club where he served as Education Coordinator under Lovett Hines, a prolific jazz educator. Concurrently Paul was also implementing a music program for adults with developmental disabilities at the Center for Creative Works, establishing Pop Pop Pop Records, and producing concerts that showcase their talents in the process.
Marquise Lindsey-Bradley is a clarinetist, arts administrator, and Philadelphia native who uses music as a foundation for leadership and community service. He joined PCMS as Marketing & Engagement Director in the 2023-24 season, where he oversees communications for its 50 annual concerts and fosters partnerships with young professionals, higher education institutions, corporations, and community groups.
Marquise also serves as the Creative Program Coordinator for the Olney Culture Lab, of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, where he curates the Live at Roots Garden concert series and the annual Jazz on the Green music festival.
A passionate advocate for musical literacy and diversity in the arts, Marquise has gained recognition for his work in the field. He has presented to local and national audiences through collaborations with organizations such as the LA Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Sphinx Organization, and World Cafe Live. He has also been featured on podcasts, including The Entrepreneurial Musician with Andrew Hitz, Audio Olney, and Tacet No More with Yumi Kendall and Joseph Conyers.
Marquise holds a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, with a Minor in Business Management from Case Western Reserve University. In 2023, he earned a certificate in Orchestra Management from The Juilliard School in collaboration with the League of American Orchestras.
In his free time, Marquise enjoys spending time in nature, exploring Philadelphia’s bar and restaurant scene, and roller skating with the Philly/Jersey-based crew, Great On Skates.
Organized in collaboration with World Askew and funded in part by PECO, Team Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Creative Industries
