Melanie D. Dyer

Melanie D. Dyer
New York, NY
Grant amount: $13,930 

About the Artist

WeFreeStrings
WeFreeStrings is an improvising string/rhythm collective that began in 2011 with open rehearsals and underground public performances in Harlem at the home of Melanie Dyer. The ensemble personnel reconfigured in late 2017 with 2 original members -- Charles Burnham and Melanie Dyer -- and 4 new members. In the Northeast, WeFreeStrings has performed at Harlem Jazz Boxx, Lincoln Center Hearst Plaza, The Stone, Bennington College, NuBlu151, The Jazz Gallery, Museum of Art and Origins, One Breath Rising, Jazz@Atlas, Chicago Jazz String Summit (livestream/2020), Metropolitan Museum of Art Cafe/Balcony, Andrew Drury's Soup & Sound, Beacon Public Library, and at Arts for Art's Evolving Series. Four of the above performances were supported in part with a grant from New Music USA. With support from Chamber Music America, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Colorado Black Arts Movement, WeFreeStrings completed a Denver Community Residency project in partnership with the Denver Public Library to bring a series of free, new music performances to community libraries in distressed neighborhoods (Aug. 2019).

WeFreeStrings is Charles Burnham (violin); Gwen Laster (Violin); Alexander Waterman (cello), Melanie Dyer (viola); Ken Filiano (bass); MIchael Wimberly (percussion).

This will be our first tour.