Artist description Penn Kemp is a poet, playwright, author and workshop leader who uses sounds to transcend words and cut the the deepest core of our feelings. Sound poetry speaks from those emotional spaces where words fail us.

Music Style Sound Performance

Musical Influences Celtic drone, Tibetan bell, the collective conscience

Similar Artists Murray Schafer

Artist History As performer and workshop leader, Penn has performed in arts festivals around the world, giving readings and workshops, often as writer-in-residence. Thanks to a 1999 Canada Council grant in the Spoken and Electronic Word pilot program, Penn has produced a CD-ROM of her performance pieces: On Our Own Spoke. Several of these sound poems are mounted on this web site. Penn enjoys collaborating with artists of other disciplines, such as actors Anne Anglin and John Blackwood, poets Patricia Keeney and Susan McMaster, Colin Morton and John Oughton, and jazz musicians Handslang David Prentice, and Dan Sargeant. Her play, What the Ear Hears Last, was produced at The Gathering at Theatre Passe Muraille (1994) and directed by Anne Anglin. Penn is one of Canada's most active sound poets. She leads off SOUWESTO WORDS, a CD released by Ergo Productions, London Ontario in 1999. Her sound poem, "Sin Tax" is heard on CARNIVOCAL: An Anthology of Contemporary Canadian Sound Poetry from Red Deer College Press (November 1999). Penn is included as a sound poet in the Reader’s Encyclopedia of Canadian Literature, to be published by University of Toronto Press. Her sound poetry was featured on CBC’s "Sounding Off", hosted by Ann Shin and on Kevin Currier's documentary on sound poetry. A documentary about Penn is shown on WTN's series, "Spiritual Journey" and on Shaw Cable. She has been proclaimed a foremother of Canadian poetry at the League of Poets' AGM. Penn is often in schools, giving participatory performances and workshops in sound poetry and drama, in the process creating a magazine with students. In 1995, Penn gave sounding workshops and performances in Bombay through the Indian Institute of Canadian Studies. These experiences inspired her homage performance, Temporary Harmonies, with musicians/composers Butterfly Effects at the Music Gallery in Toronto (1995). She has returned to Bombay in December, 2000 for more perforances and workshops. Penn's fascination with Egypt has led her to visit twice, once with other metaphysical teachers, and again as a tour leader. An intrigue with ancient mythology has taken her on many such journeys. Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, M.Ed. in Creativity, U. of Toronto (1988) Ontario Teacher’s Certificate, Althouse College and U. of Toronto (1967) University of Western Ontario Honours Degree, English Language and Literature (1966)_____________________________________________________ Discography:========================================== . . . From The Lunar Plexus – A sound opera by Penn Kemp with music by Bill Gilliam and John Magyar, PsychoSpace Sound – January 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On Our Own Spoke – Penn Kemp’s poetry, Pendas Productions. CD-ROM: Issue #12 of the magazine "Twelfth Key", February 2000 When The Heart Parts – Penn Kemp’s sound opera, Pendas Productions. CD: Issue #11 of the magazine "Twelfth Key", November 1999 Breakfast at Epiphonemes – Penn Kemp, Honey Novick & Dan Sargeant. Web page http://breakfast.musicpage.com, August 1999 Carnivocal: An Anthology of Contemporary Canadian Sound Poetry, "Sin Tax" by Penn Kemp, Red Deer College Press & Omikron Publishing CD. October 1999 Souwesto Words: 25 Poets in Southwestern Ontario – Ergo Productions, CD. Spring 1999 Temporary Harmonies, Pendas Productions and Butterfly Effects, audiotape, 1996 Epiphanies, Pendas Productions, Toronto, audiotape, 1995 Jamming In The Bardo, Pendas Productions, Toronto, audiotape, 1995 Inspiritrice, Pendas Productions, audiotape, 1995 On Your Own Spoke, Pendas Productions, audiotape, 1995 What The Ear Hears Last, Underwhich Editions, audiotape, 1994 "Sensasound 90" at BamBoo, Toronto, audiotape, 1990 Throo, Moonstone Press, audiotape, 1989 Ear Rings, Underwhich Editions, audiotape, 1987 Elementals, Audiographics, New Wilderness Foundation, NYC 1985

Group Members Penn Kemp, with (variously) Anne Anglin, Bill Gilliam, Dan Sargeant and others.

Instruments Voice/various accompaniment (piano, guitar, percussion, accordian)

Albums From The Lunar Plexus, On Our Own Spoke, When The Heart Parts, Breakfast at Epiphonemes, Temporary Harmonies, Jamming in the Bardo, Inspiritrice, What The Ear Hears Last, Sensasound 90, Throo, Ear Rings,

Press Reviews "she has succeeded in creating a poetic form which is plastic enough to take the shape of the searing reality of her experience, a life-form, a poetic alter ego. -Mary Meigs = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = “Her work is electric and challenging; not always immediately accessible, but never dull. She moulds language like plasticine, and though it sometimes seems to take on a life of its own, Kemp is very much in control.” -The London Free Press. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = “It belongs to the sort of complete poetry which is at one and the same time a formally rich account of an experience and an experience in itself; and these two become indistinguishable as we read, so that there is, in the end, a third experience and a kind of transcendence. This is achieved, I believe, not by the obvious keeness in the observation of life and landscape shown in these poems, nor by their marvellous narrative power, but rather by a process of outright creation. Something extra is added to both observation and event. Something is added to the world. “-Brick. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = “She uses speech to create a form with primal power and appeal. Her work points to an exciting new sonic form evolving between speech and music.” -Sound Symposium. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "..the power & beauty of language as sound, as a magical & alchemical vehicle for truth and beauty. Penn Kemp's work serves a world in need of that alchemy." -Unknown

Location Toronto, Ontario - Canada

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