cenOte | experimental | prepared guitar | flute | gregory hoffman | gwen young
electronics | fretless guitar | free improv | bells | percussion | toy piano | melodica
broken autoharp | half-size violin |recorder | duo | viola | bowl | marble | rattle
whistles | voice | microtonal | metal | wood | air | water | north carolina | searchers
bio
cenOte is experimental free improvisation by Gregory Hoffman and Gwen Young. Layering acoustic and electronic timbres, they create otherworldly, off-kilter soundscapes with prepared instruments, extended techniques, circuit bent toys, damaged record players, radios, tape machines, contact mics, analog synths, electronics, and anything else within reach. In performance, the duo maps a sunken dominion, enters a fugue state, summons the uncanny.
cenOte is experimental free improvisation by Gregory Hoffman and Gwen Young. The duo creates off-kilter electro-acoustic soundscapes with prepared instruments, circuit bent toys, record players, synths, and more. In performance, the duo maps a sunken dominion, enters a fugue state, summons the uncanny.
projects
In addition to live performance, the cenOte project encompasses collaborations and improvised site-specific interactions, including:
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Site-specific interactions with outsider artist environments
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Site-specific activation of natural/man-made // wonders/disasters, including:
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eclipses and celestial events
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landscapes and biospheric interactions
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historical sites
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Collaborations with dancers, poets, film makers, etc.
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Video artifacts of performances and improvised sound for self-produced film projects
See projects for more information.
affiliated activities
As individual musicians, Gwen Young and Gregory Hoffman have participated in ensembles performing pieces by composers working with improvisation:
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Graffiti Composition by Christian Marclay - April 11, 2017. Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC. More info. here. [Greg, prepared guitar and electronics; Gwen, flute and electronics]
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Concerto for Piano and Orchestra by John Cage - April 27, 2019. S.E.M. Ensemble, directed by Petr Kotik, with Joseph Kubera, piano. Neo-Pastiche Festival, Black Mountain College + Art Museum, Black Mountain, NC. More info. here and here. [Greg, viola; Gwen, flute]
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A Page of Madness by Teinosuke Kinugasa - a live improvised soundtrack to the 1926 silent film by the Tatsuya Nakatani Orchestra - November 1, 2022. Shadowbox Studio, Durham, NC. More info. here. [Greg, prepared guitar; Gwen, flute]
Greg and Gwen have also taught improvisation workshops at the UNC School of the Arts Summer Contemporary Music Mini-Festival, (July 1, 2023) and UNCSA Experimental Improvisation Summer Mini-Fest (July 6,2024). Both workshops were geared towards high school musicians with little or no improvisation experience.
projects
Site-specific interactions with self-taught / outsider artist environments
Site: Randyland L.A.
Artist: Randlett (Randy) King Lawrence (b. 1956)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Built: begun 2000
Visit date: 2.23.2025
Note: Took Randy's tour; gave him piece of hand blown glass, he played synth on one improvisation
Site: The Watts Towers
Artist: Sabato (Simon) Rodia (1875 - 1965)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Built: 1921-1954
Visit date: 2.22.2025
Site: East Jesus
Artist: Charles Stephen Russell (1965 - 2011) and many others
Location: Niland, CA
Built: begun 2007
Visit date: 2.20.2025
Site: Salvation Mountain
Artist: Leonard Knight (1931 - 2014)
Location: Niland, CA
Built: 1984-2011
Visit date: 2.20.2025
Site: The Integratron
Artist: George Van Tassel (1910 - 1978)
Location: Landers, CA
Built: 1954-1978 (unfinished)
Visit date: 2.20.2025 (no video)
Site: Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art
Artist: Noah Purifoy (1917 - 2004)
Location: Joshua Tree, CA
Built: 1989-2004
Visit date: 2.19.2025
Site: Tio's Tacos
Artist: Martin Sanchez (b. ?)
Location: Riverside, CA
Built: begun 1980s?
Visit date: 2.18.2025
Note: Met Martin. Also coincidentally met photographer Fred Scruton.
Site: Clarke Bedford's house and vehicles
Artist: Clarke Bedford (b. 1947)
Location: Hyattsville, MD
Built: begun early 2000s?
Visit date: 9.14.2024
Note: Met Clarke and toured his house and RV. We did an improvisation with his sound machine.
Site: The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nation's Millennium General Assembly
Artist: James Hampton (1909 - 1964)
Location: Washington, DC (now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Built: ?
Visit date: 9.13.2024 (no video)
Site: Easter Island on the Hudson
Artist: Ted Ludwiczak (1926 - 2016)
Location: Haverstraw, NY
Built: built 1988–2016
Visit date: 7.21.2024 (and 6.2.2018)
Note: Met Ted's son ? on 2024 visit. Spoke with him on the phone in 2018. Allowed us to film in back yard and take stairs down to the river front to see more stone faces.
Site: Rock Star Meadow
Artist: Nick Della Penna (b. 1941) and Estelle Ross (1945 - 2016)
Location: Rock Hill, NY
Built: begun 1988
Visit date: 7.20.2024
Note: Met Nick. He is still working on the environment.
Site: OPUS 40
Artist: Harvey Fite (1903 - 1976)
Location: Saugerties, NY
Built: built 1938-1976 (unfinished)
Visit date: 7.19.2024
Site: Lucky Cat Museum
Artist: Micha Robertson (b. ?)
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Built: collection begun early 2000s?
Visit date: 4.10.2024
Site: Hartman Rock Garden
Artist: H. G. “Ben” Hartman (1882 - 1944)
Location: Springfield, OH
Built: 1932-1944
Visit date: 4.10.2024
Site: Temple of Tolerance
Artist: Jim Bowsher (1948 - 2024)
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
Built: 1981-1999
Visit date: 4.8.2024
Note: Experienced the total eclipse at top of the Temple. Saw Jim but did not get a chance to meet him. He died later that year.
Site: Tinkertown Museum
Artist: Ross Ward (1940 - 2002), and Carla Ward (b. ?)
Location: Sandia Park, NM
Built: 1967-2002
Visit date: 10.16.2023
Note: Met Carla Ward.
Site: Leroy Gonzales's Bottle House
Artist: Leroy Gonzales (b. ?)
Location: Golden, NM
Built: ?
Visit date: 10.16.2023
Note: The neighbor from across the street has an ongoing dispute with Leroy about something. He showed us a mugshot of Leroy from when he got arrested something.
Site: Studio 3115
Artist: Ken Wolverton (b. 1944)
Location: Madrid, NM
Built: begun 1989?
Visit date: 10.13.2023
Note: Met Ken. He told us great stories about his time abroad (Ireland? and ?) making art installations with his wife (name?)
Site: Bill Loyd Bells and Sculpture
Artist: Bill Loyd (b.?)
Location: Truchas, NM
Built: begun ?
Visit date: 10.12.2023
Note: Met Bill.
Site: Fortress of Faith
Artist: Floyd "Junior" Banks (b. 1946)
Location: Greenback, TN
Built: begun 1993
Visit date: 3.21.2019 (and 6.11.2017)
Note: Met Junior on 2019 visit. He told us about building the castle and played with us on an improvisation.
Site: The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden
Artist: Pearl Fryar (b. 1940)
Location: Bishopville, SC
Built: begun 1983
Visit date: 9.22.2018
Note: Met Pearl.
Site: Home for Wayward Babydolls
Artist: Cecil R. Ison (b. ?) and Bet Ison (b. ?)
Location: Morehead, KY
Built: collection begun late 1980s?, current environment early 2000s
Visit date: 10.13.2019 (and 11.5.2016)
Note: Video. Met Bet and Cecil on 2019 visit. Bet gave us a tour and showed us her fantastic quilt artwork, some of which uses soft circuits to illuminate the quilts. Their daughter went to UNCG (?) and is ambassador of ?
Site: Toynbee Tiles
Artist: Severino "Sevy" Verna? (b. ?)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Built: begun tiling in the 1980s?
Visit date: 6.3.2018 (no video)
Note: Best example seen was at SW corner of City Hall square, on S Penn Square
Site: Easter Island on the Hudson
Artist: Ted Ludwiczak (1926 - 2016)
Location: Haverstraw, NY
Built: built 1988–2016
Visit date: 6.2.2018 (and 7.21.2024)
Note: Met Ted's son ? on 2024 visit. Spoke with him on the phone in 2018. Allowed us to film in back yard and take stairs down to the river front to see more stones.
Site: Shangri-La
Artist: Henry Warren (1883 - 1978)
Location: Prospect Park, NC
Built: 1968-1977
Visit date: 4.21.2018 (and 8.21.2016)
Note: Ayse came with us on 2018 visit and took some pictures and video
Site: Fortress of Faith
Artist: Floyd "Junior" Banks (b. 1946)
Location: Greenback, TN
Built: begun 1993
Visit date: 6.11.2017 (and 3.21.2019)
Note: Video. Met Junior on 2019 visit. He told us about building the castle and played with us on an improvisation.
Site: Home for Wayward Babydolls
Artist: Cecil R. Ison (b. ?) and Bet Ison (b. ?)
Location: Morehead, KY
Built: collection begun late 1980s?, current environment early 2000s
Visit date: 11.5.2016 (and 10.13.2019)
Note: Met Bet and Cecil on 2019 visit. Bet gave us a tour and showed us her fantastic quilt artwork, some of which uses soft circuits to illuminate the quilts. Their daughter went to UNCG (?) and is ambassador of ?
Site: Garden of Memories
Artist: Rev. Alan Moody (b. ?)
Location: Thorntown, IN
Built: 1982-1983
Visit date: 10.29.2016 (no video)
Site: Shangri-La
Artist: Henry Warren (1883 - 1978)
Location: Prospect Park, NC
Built: 1968-1977
Visit date: 8.21.2016 (and 4.21.2018)
Note: Ayse came with us on 2018 visit and took some pictures and video
Site: Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
Artist: Isaiah Zagar (b. 1940)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Built: begun late 1960s
Visit date: 1.11.2016 (no video)
Site: Jungle Boy Zoo / Haw River Animal Crossing
Artist: Clyde Jones (b. 1938)
Location: Pittsboro, NC
Built: begun 1980s?
Visit date: between 2010-2015? (no video)
Note: Not our photograph. Photo by Vincent Borrelli from 1990.
Site: Sam "The Dot Man" McMillan's Shop/Studio
Artist: Sam McMillan (1926 - 2018)
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Built: 1980s-2018
Visit date: before 2009? Photo from SEECA 3.10.2019, not from Sam's gallery. (no video)
Site: Vollis Simpson's Whirligig Park
Artist: Vollis Simpson (1919 - 2013)
Location: Lucama, NC (original location)
Built: 1985-2013
Visit date: before 2009? (Photo from 7.30.2010) (no video)
Note: Met Vollis.
Site-specific interactions (landscapes, celestial events, historical sites, curiosities, etc.)
Eclipses and Celestial Events
Description: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) - 80,000 year comet
Location: New Bern, NC
Date: 10.13.2024 (no video)
Description: Total eclipse
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
Date: 4.8.2024
Note: Witnessed eclipse at the top of the Temple of Tolerance (see outsider art environment list)
Description: Annular eclipse
Location: Ojito Wilderness, Jemez Pueblo, NM
Date: 10.14.2023
Description: Total eclipse
Location: Huckleberry Knob, Nantahala National Forest, Cheoah, NC
Date: 8.21.2017
Note: Video
Landscapes
Description: Beach caves
Location: Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu, CA
Date: 2.23.2025 (no video)
Note: Coastal caves only accessible during low tide
Description: La Brea Tar Pits
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Date: 2.22.2025
Description: Joshua Tree National Park
Location: Joshua Tree, CA
Date: 2.19.2025 and 2.21.2025
Description: Kaaterskill Falls
Location: Catskill Park Forest Preserve, Haines Falls, NY
Date: 7.19.2024
Description: The Loops overlook
Location: Blue Ridge Parkway, Spruce Pine, NC
Date: 6.22.2024
Description: Chestoa View overlook
Location: Blue Ridge Parkway, Marion, NC
Date: 6.22.2024
Description: Garden of the Gods
Location: Sante Fe, NM
Date: 10.16.2023
Description: Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness
Location: Bloomfield, NM
Date: 10.15.2023
Description: Ojito Wilderness
Location: Jemez Pueblo, NM
Date: 10.14.2023
Description: NM-76 (High Road to Taos)
Location: Truchas, NM
Date: 10.12.2023
Description: King Mountain
Location: Uwharrie National Forest, Troy, NC
Date: 12.29.2020
Description: Quartz boulder
Location: Uwharrie National Forest, Troy, NC
Date: 12.26.2020
Description: Wiseman's View overlook
Location: Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Marion, NC
Date: 10.31.2020, 6.5.2021, 6.18.2021, 10.31.2021, 10.6.2022, 6.10.2023
Description: Cape Lookout National Seashore
Location: North Carolina outer banks
Date: 9.15.2017, 8.9.2019, 9.27-28.2021, 6.30 -7.1.2022, 10.12-13.2024
Historical Sites
Description: The Rock House
Location: Pinnacle, NC
Date: 12.23.2020 and 12.25.2020
Note: Video. Home of Jack and Nancy Shipp Martin, 1770-1841.
Description: Bold Moon Preserve
Location: McLeansville, NC
Date: 6.12.2020, 12.11.2020, 10.2.2021
Note: Former site of a 1980s lesbian separatist commune, based on the principles of Womyn's Land, an intentional women-only community and social movement.
Description: Old Burying Ground
Location: Beaufort, NC
Date: 9.16.2017, 9.28.2021, 8.2.2023
Note: Early-1700s cemetery, Revolutionary and Civil War graves and site of the "Little Girl Buried"
Description: Sun Ra's former residence
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 6.4.2018
Disasters
Description: Fire at old Dixie Furniture plant
Location: Lexington, NC
Date: 12.19.2017
Note: Video
Collaborations
Description: Crowmeat Bob, clarinet and saxophone
Location: Durham, NC
Date: 6.14.2024
Note: All Data Lost Festival, each set was linked by a joint improvisation, a sort of musical "exquisite corpse"
Description: Grahm Holt, poet
Location: Greensboro, NC
Date: 3.19.2017
Note: Live broadcast on WUAG
Description: misc dancers and musicians
Location: Greensboro, NC
Date: 6.20.2015
Note: Eastern Music Festival Chamber Crawl, live improvisations with dancers/musicians at various venues in downtown Greensboro
Video Artifacts
Description: Home video
Location: Greensboro, NC
Date: 12.4.2021
Description: Home video
Location: Greensboro, NC
Date: 10.14.2019