Four short excerpts from a series of woodland improvisations by the reformed Shunyata Improvisation Group’s first face to face meeting in May 2021. We are now open for performances and bookings 
https://shunyataimprovisationgroup.weebly.com/

We are so pleased with the ease and the cohesion of playing and diversity of sound. Thanks to Jamie Cook of Howzat TV for the production of the outdoor recording and especially for the bird song and ambient sounds of the woodland. You can hear more of this material on the forthcoming release of Tusk editions in August 2021 https://tuskfestival.com/artists/tusk-editions/
 and the entire woodland sessions will form part of the source material for the Pivot Moments 2 project with Posset, Rt Projects and the label TQN-aut.

The new line up of the Shunyata Improvisation Group is 
•	John Garner –Violin
•	Mark Carroll –Cello
•	NofC –- Voice, melodeon, percussion. 
•	trubba not – acoustic guitar

Woodland Improvisations by Shunyata Improvisation Group

A contemplation on the power of childhood imagination when Angels seemed to hold the real power of condemnation or mercy. I have tried to capture this sense of fracturing dimensions and moving between realities.
The entire archangel series can be heard here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYysfXva1s8

In The Midst

I enjoyed a peaceful week in the Yorkshire Dales with my family in July. Settle was our base and provided rich pickings for sound recordings on the fringes where where the dales met the town. All the sound and music is taken from this week.

A Postcard From Settle

Recorded on site outdoors at the Shunyata Improvisation Group retreat at Allenheads Contemporary Arts Centre in September 2018. This is a good representation of the moment; relaxed and concentrating, playing on the Observatory Platform overlooking The Cosmic Pond and simply responding to the environment and each other. 
The Shunyata Improvisation Group are:
•	Jamie Cook- electronic sound creation, pipe, vocals 
•	Tobias Illingworth- vocals, percussion ,everyday objects, retuned string instruments, 
•	NofC – vocals, percussion 
•	trubba not – guitar
https://shunyataimprovisationgroup.weebly.com/

Allenheads Contemporary Arts

The Cosmic Pond by The Shunyata Improvisation Group

Here are three excerpts from the Shunyata Improvisation Group’s concert at the Newcastle Quaker Meeting Room in December 2018 on Advent Sunday

We were delighted on this occasion to have the unique voice and sensitive playing of Faye MacCalman on reeds and vocals as our guest. This was a wonderful space to play in saturated with a peaceful yet lively energy.

The Shunyata Improvisation Group are:
Tobias Illingworth- vocals, piano, percussion, everyday objects, room manipulation
NofC – vocals, melodeon and percussion 
trubba not – acoustic guitar

https://shunyataimprovisationgroup.weebly.com/

at the Friends meeting room

Advent Sunday By the Shunyata Improvisation Group

A piece of contrasts and balances by The Shunyata Improvisation Group recorded at First Avenue Studios ,  Newcastle, April 2019
The musicians
•	Katie Oswell- vocals, Zither, small objects
•	Tobias Illingworth- vocals, piano, stringed instruments, percussion ,everyday objects, room manipulation 
•	NofC – vocals, melodeon and percussion
•	trubba not – acoustic guitar 
 mixed, engineered and mastered by Dave Curle. Image by kind permission of Jerry Serjeant courtesy https://www.flickr.com/photos/jerryms

Balances by the Shunyata Improvisation Group

Multiple voices of the musicians, a single discourse with simultaneous 
 diverse intentions  springing from an interpreted set of principles held in common and then curated through a fifth perspective of the studio engineer. The Shunyata Improvisation Group recorded this peice at First Avenue Studios , Newcastle, April 2019
The musicians
•	Katie Oswell- vocals, Zither, small objects
•	Tobias Illingworth- vocals, piano, stringed instruments, percussion ,everyday objects, room manipulation 
•	NofC – vocals, melodeon and percussion
•	trubba not – acoustic guitar 
mixed, engineered and mastered by Dave Curle. Image by kind permission of Jerry Serjeant courtesy www.flickr.com/photos/jerryms

Refracted Intention by Shunyata Improvisation Group

An interesting excerpt from Shunyata Improvisation Group concert on the 8th of March National Glass Centre in Sunderland. SR6 0GL. Special thanks to TQN-aut for organising the concert.  Recording edited by trubba not and thanks due to Joe Donkin junior for  clean up of the recording We look forward to more concerts later in the year. The musicians were;
Katie Oswell- vocals, Zither, small objects. 
Tobias Illingworth- vocals, piano, percussion, stringed instruments, everyday objects, room manipulation. 
NofC – vocals, melodeon and percussion. 
trubba not – acoustic guitar

https://shunyataimprovisationgroup.weebly.com/

Glass Blowing On The Wear by Shunyata Improvisation Group

This track is from a rainy night in January 2019 and is the first musical encounter of the current incarnation of the Shunyata Improvisation Group. This I think sums up what we are about; the rise and fall of musical and textural intervention within slow free improvisation. I recorded it on my H2N zoom in my home which effected the quality. Thanks to Jamie Cook (HOWZAT TV) for mastering after the event, which has helped to bring forward the musical interventions. I would recommend you play through speakers in subdued lighting or candlelight for maximum effect. I hope you enjoy the piece.
The members of the Shunyata Improvisation Group are:
Katie Oswell- vocals, Zither, small objects. 
Tobias Illingworth- vocals, piano, percussion, stringed instruments, everyday objects, room manipulation 
NofC – vocals, melodeon and percussion. 
trubba not – acoustic guitar

https://shunyataimprovisationgroup.weebly.com/

Photography of Jerry Serjeant used with kind permission. Jerry’s photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/jerryms/

One Meeting, One Time by The Shunyata Improvisation Group

“trubba not” is the musical persona of Martin Donkin playing mainly free improvisation particularly with the Shunyata Improvisation Group https://shunyataimprovisationgroup.weebly.com/
and  in Newcastle upon Tyne's free improvisation scene. trubba not selects  field recordings, and makes ambient compositions of which the Archangel series is his most significant work which provides a personal emotional response to individual legends whose themes revolve around liberation from shame and transformation.   You can view the whole archangel series album at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYysfXva1s8
trubba not is indebted to the continuing support of the TQ zine and the label TQN-aut