Better Together: Highlighting Long-Term Partnerships
Radical collaboration is core to who we are at Resonance Ensemble. This year marks 15 seasons, made possible in part by the deep partnerships we’ve cultivated across the years with organizations, educators, artists, and community leaders both in Portland and beyond. As part of our special anniversary season, we are highlighting collaborations with 15 of the amazing Portland-based organizations we are proud to call our arts allies. We encourage you to take the time to learn more about each of our partner organizations. As a community, we are better together.
Part Four - Long-Term Partnerships That Supports Radical Impacts
From before the downbeat of the first Resonance concert to this very day, many people have given their time and energy to support Resonance Ensemble’s mission.
This week we toast to two long-time collaborators who have worked with us since the beginning. Having trusted vendors who are able to bring our vision and message to life is a priceless treasure.
The talented work these two creative organizations bring to us—led by Rachel Hadiashar and Liz Bacon—is a gift that keeps on giving, and it is an added treasure that we can call each of them our friend. Their dedication, talent, and unwavering support have played a vital role in our growth and success. We're excited to continue this journey together, creating more memorable moments and sharing our passion for music and inclusivity with the world.
Missed the earlier segments? Click below to read more:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Rachel Hadiashar, Photographer
Rachel Hadiashar
Rachel Hadiashar is a masterful visual storyteller. Her work captures the essence of Resonance Ensemble and beautifully brings our performances and mission to life in the digital realm. Rachel has been with us since close to the beginning, documenting our journey, our triumphs, and our musical evolution. Through her photography, she has preserved countless moments that have allowed us to relive the magic and share it with our supporters and the world.
Rachel doesn't just capture images; she captures emotions and the very soul of our ensemble. Her work helps us reach new audiences and share the beauty of our music, all while conveying the deeper messages that underlie our performances. Her ability to weave a visual narrative that connects with people's hearts is truly remarkable.
oh! Creative productions
Behind the scenes of the My Requiem Story series (SOUL Restoration Center, provided by Oh! Creative)
Liz Bacon Brownson is a masterful visual storyteller. From our biggest dreams (such as the huge community and educational impact of the African American Requiem) to the smallest design details, Liz and her team at Oh! Creative have helped Resonance Ensemble to beautifully communicate our mission and programming, connect with partners, and share our work with our community. We’re extremely grateful to Liz, who serves on our board, and who has donated a portion of her time to Resonance every year as part of her service to, and belief in, Resonance’s mission.
When you attend a Resonance Ensemble performance, you see Oh! Creative’s work in action. When you read our program or watch the projected images which accompany each piece, that’s the work of Liz Bacon and her team. Here are just a few of our favorite collaborations with Oh! Creative.
AN AFRICAN AMERICAN REQUIEM
We cannot understate how much Oh! Creative has been a part of the process of ensuring the lasting impact of this groundbreaking work.
Helping us connect with leaders in our community, assisting with the development of the written curriculum and accompanying video components for students across the region, creating an original series to capture both written and video interviews with participants, to a fully-realized documentary, Oh! Creative helped memorialize this landmark work and deepen the experience of its performances for generations to come.
UNDER THE OVERPASS
Watch the whole series here
In 2020, Resonance knew that the way we showcased our work had to pivot. Working with Oh! Creative, we created one of our most memorable video series that garnered tens of thousands of views at the height of the pandemic.
Beginning in the early summer of that year, Under the Overpass was born. Singers and spoken word artists met in acoustic spaces around the city - six feet apart, masked, and yet together. The series celebrated the city of Portland and the space it provides for Resonance artists to continue to create. In addition to scouting locations, designing each shoot to capture the message of each piece featured, and organizing rehearsals leading into performance day, Oh! Creative professionally captured the beauty of each outdoor space–allowing us to share not only the talents of Resonance Ensemble performers, but the beauty in our community as well.
LISTEN
Learn more about our debut album here
In addition to their beautiful video work, Oh! Creative has designed and manages our website, and produces our printed and digital materials as well. If you’ve read a Resonance Ensemble program, received a flyer, explored our website, or followed us on social media, you’ve seen their stunning work. We were particularly proud to collaborate with Oh! on the design of our debut album, LISTEN—which was released just this past fall. The CD art, album jacket, and all of the internal material was carefully produced by Oh! for release this past year, and it’s an album we are proud to share with our national community of listeners.
See our collaborations in action | Learn more about Oh! Creative’s work in the community
Photographer Rachel Hadiashar and Resonance artistic advisor Shohei Kobayashi. Photo by Joe Cantrell.
Liz Bacon Brownson (right) at a volunteer expo with Dee McDuffey of Kingdom Sound (left) and Kiah Bacon (center).
Rachel Hadiashar Photography and Oh! Creative Productions are more than collaborators; they are friends who have become an integral part of our Resonance family. Thank you, Rachel and Liz, for being such essential and cherished members of our team. Here's to the future and looking ahead to what else we will create together!
UP NEXT: In the last installment of this gratitude series, we celebrate the incredible organizations in our radical season partnership campaign.
