Joe Kye

Wow. Made a new friend in . He’s a real one.

We’re both former English Teachers. Both from American Studies. Both loopers. Both interested in how music and language can imagine something new in place of the Empires we hope to dissolve. Not to mention a wholly improvised duet in which we navigated the themes of parenthood and the vulnerability of kids in this time, our sounds borrowing and creating anew from the vocabularies of African and Korean ancestors, Samuel Barber, and diasporic vibrations.

I might have to get over to Atlanta soon. Meanwhile, he’s finishing his tour in Eugene today at , followed by performances in Alaska.

Thanks as always to .theatre for creating a space for music to thrive.

Collaborative constellation mapping to come. 🌌

I’ve been molting recently as I imagine what my work will sound like moving forward. I have some exciting news to announce soon, but I’m popping in to let you know about a show I’m jumping on last minute-
I’m opening for the fabulous on Tuesday Feb 24 at .theatre. Come groove to string loop wizardry 🪄 🌹

Link to show in bio
Swipe for molting in progress ➡️

Hoping all of you catch ’s exhibit at this month!
My heart is full with all the Korean-American art in this city 🫰🏼

From shedding skins to conjuring comfort—im feeling grateful for ’s Portals.

🎵 Tiny Things

Lots of you have been asking what the heck I’ve been playing the last couple months.
It’s a custom-made 3-D printed violin from .

Inspired by my current favorite hoop shoes from New Balance, David worked with me for over a year to get it made.
Instead of F-holes, I have the two consonants from my Korean name, 계현.
Five strings instead of four, getting that juicy viola c-string register.
And having a resonant body means I can jam acoustically, even without electricity.

It’ll never replace my acoustic handmade wooden toffee bae, but it’s pretty awesome that I got to work with this local builder using new tech to build instruments of art instead of war. 🎨 Thanks David!

#바이올린

Marrow bones and sweet potatoes for you, Bambam. Rest easy. 💞

So proud of this wonderful human , bringing joy and wonder to families all over Portland.
Our collaborations helped get me through the pandemic—it’s pretty awesome to see how he’s changing Portland one creative installation at a time.
Portland Aquarium is open now and well worth the visit! My kids loved it. 🐙

May photos.
1 aren’t you a lil short
2 sprit walk
3 style goals
4 what sticks
5 full circle

Fly free, Bambam.
I’ll love you forever.
🖤💔🪽

It’s complicated,
this relational existence
which tokens to keep
which to leave on the blacktop

first by accident
then on purpose
choices hidden then revealed
in the dirt surrounding home base

happy mothers day

Backyard Tour!! 🏡 (tix in linktree)

5.16 house show with
5.17 korean american night with
5.19 united states citizenship ceremony
6.20 festival with
6.29 tualatin public library

Dadlife means traveling is limited. So I’m coming to you, Portland, over the next couple months, in wildly varying venues that comprise our collective backyard.
A living room off Hawthorne. The US District Courthouse. An experimental performance art festival.
Choose your vibe. Come hang out. See you in the backyard.

Tickets and more info in my linktree.