Performing Artist

Kane Mathis

Traditionally trained. Lineage-reverent. Genre-defiant.

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Kane Mathis performs on the 21-string kora and Turkish oud, bridging West African tradition, Middle Eastern classical music, and jazz. Trained for decades under master musicians in The Gambia and Istanbul, he’s been praised by Songlines, Afropop Worldwide, and the Seattle Times.

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“Mathis’ virtuosity is beyond question, as is his ability to absorb the deepest traditions of Malian and Arabic music and augment them with his own harmonic pyrotechnics and rhythmic flair.”

— Songlines Magazine

Featured Release

Geminus

Routes Des Jardins

0:007:19

From the Journal

6 Critical Questions For Artists

6 Critical Questions For Artists

As generative AI produces convincing creative work, artists are confronting a question that once seemed abstract: As human creators what sets them apart? This piece organizes these questions into six distinct lines of reflection,on uniqueness, marketability, authenticity, style, effort, and the nature of influence itself separating them from the tangled, often conflated arguments that dominate public debate about AI (for instance, distinguishing artistic merit from the ethics of training-data compensation). Rather than offering answers, the article functions as a structured exercise: each question is paired with a specific prompt for self-examination, inviting artists to locate where their sense of creative worth actually comes from before deciding how to respond to AI's rise. It's the first installment of a two-part series, with proposed answers to follow.

Reassessing Theory

Reassessing Theory

Anti-theory rhetoric in the arts often mistakes the misuse of a framework for its essence. This piece traces distrust of theory to painful personal experiences and to guilt-by-association with oppressive institutions, then returns to the word's Greek root — theōria, "a way of seeing" — to recast theory as a descriptive, reflective tool rather than a prescriptive rulebook. Theory sharpens practice by deepening intentionality and pattern recognition, but claims no primacy over it. The real target of critiques linking theory to colonization or cultural domination is prescriptive misuse by people and institutions, not the framework itself. Properly understood, theory is a neutral toolkit with its meaning shaped entirely by how communities choose to use it.

What Are Somatic Exercises? Beginner’s Guide (2025)

What Are Somatic Exercises? Beginner’s Guide (2025)

Somatic exercises are mindful movement practices designed to enhance the mind-body connection, improve physical awareness, and regulate the nervous system. Rooted in the Greek term soma (body), these exercises integrate physical movement with mental focus to foster well-being, reduce stress, and refine motor control. This article explores somatic approaches such as "Horizonal Procession," which enhances creative focus through spatial awareness, and "Tracing the Path," a method that refines movement precision for musicians. With practical exercises for beginners and insights on integrating somatic practices into daily life, this guide offers a foundation for using movement as a tool for greater ease, creativity, and self-awareness.

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