David Watson is an experimental musician, composer and organizer. He most often performs with the guitar or the highland bagpipes. His work encompasses improvisation, composition, and he is the organizer of Striped Light, an avant-garde performance series in New York City, co-curated with guitarist Ian Douglas-Moore.

We discuss the formidable journey from New Zealand to New York City, arriving by bus in 1987. The complicated nuances of practicing a profoundly audible instrument, in a densely populated city and the impact of building artist-led initiatives as a way to explore performance and collaboration. David has made a life of bringing people together, continuing a dialogue around experimental music and methods for performance. He is part of trio Glacial - a collaboration of 25 years, with Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Tony Buck (The Necks). And, he has collaborated with choreographers, musicians and performers, including Chris Abrahams, Robert Ashley, Frisner Augustin, Marcia Bassett, Anthony Coleman, David First, Shelley Hirsch, Samara Lubelski, Ikue Mori, Yoshi Wada, Phil Niblock et. al. David was a core member of The Primitive Art Group, a music group formed in Wellington, New Zealand [1981-1986]. For 2025, The Foundation for Contemporary Arts has awarded David the Alvin Lucier Award for Music.

Links:

@davidwatsun

https://davidwatsonmusic.net

Bandcamp https://davidwatsonmusic.bandcamp.com

Striped Light https://www.instagram.com/striped_light

The Primitive Art Group

Glacial

Show notes:

The Knitting Factory

Foundation for Contemporary Arts

Alvin Lucier

Highland Bagpipe

Desperately Seeking Susan

Stranger Than Paradise

Gamalan

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Zuqqara Egyptian bagpipe

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