Mikel Rouse

The 2002 performances of Failing Kansas at the New Zealand Festival created a scandal and ultimately a sensation. Credited with knocking Osama bin Laden off of the front page of the National newspaper and dominating TV and radio for days, the piece was ultimately a sold out triumph heralded as “A New Art Form." Now, almost twenty years later, Rouse has assembled the original footage and live recordings into a complete concert film.

The 2002 performances of Failing Kansas at the New Zealand Festival created a scandal and ultimately a sensation. Credited with knocking Osama bin Laden off of the front page of the National newspaper and dominating TV and radio for days, the piece was ultimately a sold out triumph heralded as “A New Art Form." Now, almost twenty years later, Rouse has assembled the original footage and live recordings into a complete concert film.

The 2002 performances of Failing Kansas at the New Zealand Festival created a scandal and ultimately a sensation. Credited with knocking Osama bin Laden off of the front page of the National newspaper and dominating TV and radio for days, the piece was ultimately a sold out triumph heralded as “A New Art Form." Now, almost twenty years later, Rouse has assembled the original footage and live recordings into a complete concert film.

The 2002 performances of Failing Kansas at the New Zealand Festival created a scandal and ultimately a sensation. Credited with knocking Osama bin Laden off of the front page of the National newspaper and dominating TV and radio for days, the piece was ultimately a sold out triumph heralded as “A New Art Form." Now, almost twenty years later, Rouse has assembled the original footage and live recordings into a complete concert film.

The 2002 performances of Failing Kansas at the New Zealand Festival created a scandal and ultimately a sensation. Credited with knocking Osama bin Laden off of the front page of the National newspaper and dominating TV and radio for days, the piece was ultimately a sold out triumph heralded as “A New Art Form." Now, almost twenty years later, Rouse has assembled the original footage and live recordings into a complete concert film.

The 2002 performances of Failing Kansas at the New Zealand Festival created a scandal and ultimately a sensation. Credited with knocking Osama bin Laden off of the front page of the National newspaper and dominating TV and radio for days, the piece was ultimately a sold out triumph heralded as “A New Art Form." Now, almost twenty years later, Rouse has assembled the original footage and live recordings into a complete concert film.

2014 performance of "The Demo," a music theater work written by composer/performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill based on Douglas Engelbart’s historic 1968 demonstration of early computer technology. Engelbart’s 1968 demo rolled out virtually everything that would define modern computing; videoconferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text editing, and something called a “mouse.” The Demo re-imagines Engelbart’s historic demonstration as a technologically-infused music theater piece, a new form of hybrid performance.

2014 performance of "The Demo," a music theater work written by composer/performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill based on Douglas Engelbart’s historic 1968 demonstration of early computer technology. Engelbart’s 1968 demo rolled out virtually everything that would define modern computing; videoconferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text editing, and something called a “mouse.” The Demo re-imagines Engelbart’s historic demonstration as a technologically-infused music theater piece, a new form of hybrid performance.

2014 performance of "The Demo," a music theater work written by composer/performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill based on Douglas Engelbart’s historic 1968 demonstration of early computer technology. Engelbart’s 1968 demo rolled out virtually everything that would define modern computing; videoconferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text editing, and something called a “mouse.” The Demo re-imagines Engelbart’s historic demonstration as a technologically-infused music theater piece, a new form of hybrid performance.

World premiere of "The Demo," a music theater work written by composer/performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill based on Douglas Engelbart’s historic 1968 demonstration of early computer technology. Engelbart’s 1968 demo rolled out virtually everything that would define modern computing; videoconferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text editing, and something called a “mouse.” The Demo re-imagines Engelbart’s historic demonstration as a technologically-infused music theater piece, a new form of hybrid performance.

World premiere of "The Demo," a music theater work written by composer/performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill based on Douglas Engelbart’s historic 1968 demonstration of early computer technology. Engelbart’s 1968 demo rolled out virtually everything that would define modern computing; videoconferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text editing, and something called a “mouse.” The Demo re-imagines Engelbart’s historic demonstration as a technologically-infused music theater piece, a new form of hybrid performance.

World premiere of "The Demo," a music theater work written by composer/performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill based on Douglas Engelbart’s historic 1968 demonstration of early computer technology. Engelbart’s 1968 demo rolled out virtually everything that would define modern computing; videoconferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text editing, and something called a “mouse.” The Demo re-imagines Engelbart’s historic demonstration as a technologically-infused music theater piece, a new form of hybrid performance.

A live performance of Mikel Rouse's song cycle Gravity Radio at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2010.

A live performance of Mikel Rouse's song cycle Gravity Radio at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2010.

A live performance of Mikel Rouse's song cycle Gravity Radio at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2010.

Retrospective concert with special guest Jeff McErlain at National Sawdust on April 29, 2017.

The Canadian premiere of Mikel Rouse's multimedia opera Dennis Cleveland at the 2008 Luminato Festival.

The Canadian premiere of Mikel Rouse's multimedia opera Dennis Cleveland at the 2008 Luminato Festival.

The Canadian premiere of Mikel Rouse's multimedia opera Dennis Cleveland at the 2008 Luminato Festival.

A 2002 live performance of Mikel Rouse's Dennis Cleveland, a multimedia opera set entirely on a television talk show in the late 20th century.

A 2002 live performance of Mikel Rouse's Dennis Cleveland, a multimedia opera set entirely on a television talk show in the late 20th century.

A 2002 live performance of Mikel Rouse's Dennis Cleveland, a multimedia opera set entirely on a television talk show in the late 20th century.

A short film music album hybrid for the Metronome project by Mikel Rouse.

A short film music album hybrid for the Metronome project by Mikel Rouse.

A short film music album hybrid for the Metronome project by Mikel Rouse.

A short film music album hybrid for the Metronome project by Mikel Rouse.

A short film music album hybrid for the Metronome project by Mikel Rouse.

Hemisphere is a site-specific video installation designed for The Townsend Austin. The installation was conceived after a number of preliminary visits to gauge the room atmosphere and décor. Images were chosen and adjusted to reflect various viewing positions within the space as well as the lighting environment in the room. The pictures consist of altered views offering a slightly skewed reflection of the common place. It is hoped that the effect will be one of 'moving paintings'.

Hemisphere is a site-specific video installation designed for The Townsend Austin. The installation was conceived after a number of preliminary visits to gauge the room atmosphere and décor. Images were chosen and adjusted to reflect various viewing positions within the space as well as the lighting environment in the room. The pictures consist of altered views offering a slightly skewed reflection of the common place. It is hoped that the effect will be one of 'moving paintings'.

Hemisphere is a site-specific video installation designed for The Townsend Austin. The installation was conceived after a number of preliminary visits to gauge the room atmosphere and décor. Images were chosen and adjusted to reflect various viewing positions within the space as well as the lighting environment in the room. The pictures consist of altered views offering a slightly skewed reflection of the common place. It is hoped that the effect will be one of 'moving paintings'.

A short film by Mikel Rouse.

A short film by Mikel Rouse.

A short film by Mikel Rouse.

A short film by Mikel Rouse.

A short film by Mikel Rouse.

In February 2013, the New World Symphony presented Making the Right Choices: A John Cage Centennial Celebration, a spectacular three-day festival dedicated to the music and ideas of John Cage. As part of the festival, NWS hosted a new video installation entitled NWS: 4’33″, created by New York-based composer, director, performer and recording artist Mikel Rouse; which consisted of video performances contributed by Cage fans via a special YouTube site set up by Rouse. The public was invited to record and submit their own video, and visit the installation during the festival to see their work in the SunTrust Pavilion at the New World Center. These videos will be included in an online Archive of the event, a lasting tribute to this defining and seminal artist.

Drawing on the richness of the good old days of cinema with live music and a thoroughly modern, “hyper-real” film experience with multiple screens and surround sound, The End of Cinematics examines the 21st-century phenomenon of viewing media content in fragmented form. From channel surfing to MTV to formulaic Hollywood films and sitcoms, we’re accustomed to—and adept at—filling in the details of storylines, of grasping an idea and determining its conclusion.

Drawing on the richness of the good old days of cinema with live music and a thoroughly modern, “hyper-real” film experience with multiple screens and surround sound, The End of Cinematics examines the 21st-century phenomenon of viewing media content in fragmented form. From channel surfing to MTV to formulaic Hollywood films and sitcoms, we’re accustomed to—and adept at—filling in the details of storylines, of grasping an idea and determining its conclusion.

Drawing on the richness of the good old days of cinema with live music and a thoroughly modern, “hyper-real” film experience with multiple screens and surround sound, The End of Cinematics examines the 21st-century phenomenon of viewing media content in fragmented form. From channel surfing to MTV to formulaic Hollywood films and sitcoms, we’re accustomed to—and adept at—filling in the details of storylines, of grasping an idea and determining its conclusion.

Drawing on the richness of the good old days of cinema with live music and a thoroughly modern, “hyper-real” film experience with multiple screens and surround sound, The End of Cinematics examines the 21st-century phenomenon of viewing media content in fragmented form. From channel surfing to MTV to formulaic Hollywood films and sitcoms, we’re accustomed to—and adept at—filling in the details of storylines, of grasping an idea and determining its conclusion.

Drawing on the richness of the good old days of cinema with live music and a thoroughly modern, “hyper-real” film experience with multiple screens and surround sound, The End of Cinematics examines the 21st-century phenomenon of viewing media content in fragmented form. From channel surfing to MTV to formulaic Hollywood films and sitcoms, we’re accustomed to—and adept at—filling in the details of storylines, of grasping an idea and determining its conclusion.

Drawing on the richness of the good old days of cinema with live music and a thoroughly modern, “hyper-real” film experience with multiple screens and surround sound, The End of Cinematics examines the 21st-century phenomenon of viewing media content in fragmented form. From channel surfing to MTV to formulaic Hollywood films and sitcoms, we’re accustomed to—and adept at—filling in the details of storylines, of grasping an idea and determining its conclusion.

This is the small feature film that formed the integrated backdrop for the live performance/music piece. As abstract images and sound combine with the various stories and insights of the subjects interviewed, an illustration of memory is created. Seemingly unrelated video images merge with the images of the storytellers to create a common thread: the views of the Silent Minority.

This is the small feature film that formed the integrated backdrop for the live performance/music piece. As abstract images and sound combine with the various stories and insights of the subjects interviewed, an illustration of memory is created. Seemingly unrelated video images merge with the images of the storytellers to create a common thread: the views of the Silent Minority.

This is the small feature film that formed the integrated backdrop for the live performance/music piece. As abstract images and sound combine with the various stories and insights of the subjects interviewed, an illustration of memory is created. Seemingly unrelated video images merge with the images of the storytellers to create a common thread: the views of the Silent Minority.

This is the small feature film that formed the integrated backdrop for the live performance/music piece. As abstract images and sound combine with the various stories and insights of the subjects interviewed, an illustration of memory is created. Seemingly unrelated video images merge with the images of the storytellers to create a common thread: the views of the Silent Minority.

Vivian, Roe, JJ, Ines and a mysterious French man through a 20 year musical memory of New York City. As people and places in their lives drift away, visual impressions meld with sound and narrative stories to reveal a complex yet moving tableau. As the characters recall their own personal histories, conflicting images reveal their past, present and future. Symbols of corporate America and its not so quiet invasion in our lives are distorted and abstracted into poetic blow ups that correspond to the ever shifting pulsations of the soundtrack. This unique juxtaposition of music, lyrics, images and narrative might rightly be called Opera Verite.

Vivian, Roe, JJ, Ines and a mysterious French man through a 20 year musical memory of New York City. As people and places in their lives drift away, visual impressions meld with sound and narrative stories to reveal a complex yet moving tableau. As the characters recall their own personal histories, conflicting images reveal their past, present and future. Symbols of corporate America and its not so quiet invasion in our lives are distorted and abstracted into poetic blow ups that correspond to the ever shifting pulsations of the soundtrack. This unique juxtaposition of music, lyrics, images and narrative might rightly be called Opera Verite.

Vivian, Roe, JJ, Ines and a mysterious French man through a 20 year musical memory of New York City. As people and places in their lives drift away, visual impressions meld with sound and narrative stories to reveal a complex yet moving tableau. As the characters recall their own personal histories, conflicting images reveal their past, present and future. Symbols of corporate America and its not so quiet invasion in our lives are distorted and abstracted into poetic blow ups that correspond to the ever shifting pulsations of the soundtrack. This unique juxtaposition of music, lyrics, images and narrative might rightly be called Opera Verite.

Vivian, Roe, JJ, Ines and a mysterious French man through a 20 year musical memory of New York City. As people and places in their lives drift away, visual impressions meld with sound and narrative stories to reveal a complex yet moving tableau. As the characters recall their own personal histories, conflicting images reveal their past, present and future. Symbols of corporate America and its not so quiet invasion in our lives are distorted and abstracted into poetic blow ups that correspond to the ever shifting pulsations of the soundtrack. This unique juxtaposition of music, lyrics, images and narrative might rightly be called Opera Verite.

Vivian, Roe, JJ, Ines and a mysterious French man through a 20 year musical memory of New York City. As people and places in their lives drift away, visual impressions meld with sound and narrative stories to reveal a complex yet moving tableau. As the characters recall their own personal histories, conflicting images reveal their past, present and future. Symbols of corporate America and its not so quiet invasion in our lives are distorted and abstracted into poetic blow ups that correspond to the ever shifting pulsations of the soundtrack. This unique juxtaposition of music, lyrics, images and narrative might rightly be called Opera Verite.

This is a documentary produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and directed by Kevin Firkins. This documentary coincided with the production of the talk show opera Dennis Cleveland at the Octagon Theatre as part of the 2001 Perth International Arts Festival.

Early student film by composer and director Mikel Rouse.