NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Alisa Amador will headline “Willusions”, an immersive concert experience presented by Willo in partnership with Impossible Illusions on Friday, July 17, in Brooklyn. It promises to combine elements of live performances, visuals, and interactive participation, to transform the traditional concert into a shared creative experience.
Participants are not just expected to watch but are supposed to interact with the music by drawing, writing, journaling, poeming, or whatever means they may choose to be creative. The idea is for people to converse and connect through music.
Willo was established in New York City as a nonprofit organization that aims to create new experiences around live music. Willo offers immersive music concert programs where the guests get involved and engage in the program, as opposed to merely watching the show. The process starts with the guests coming together socially, followed by attending a live concert performance along with art and writing created by the attendees, ending with an open discussion with the artist of the show.
The July 17 event starts with a community bonding and art exhibit that showcases various artworks created by local visual artists like Emily Wess, Tiff Tang, Ben Cornwell, Sam Berrigan, Lucy Clevenger, Bathroomfineart101, Magdalena Perez, Lía Matos and others. Reflection questions are set to guide the audience to interact with the artworks and then attend Amador’s intimate performance.
“We want people to leave feeling more connected – to themselves, to the artists, and to each other,”
– Crystal Desai, Founder of Willo
While the performance is taking place, the listeners will be encouraged to create during the music session using sketches, journals, poems, or other forms of artwork. After the performance, Amador and the people will have a community discussion about their creativity inspired by the night, which will end with the DJ set of DJ Kavi + Fern.
This is part of a continuing series by Willo of participatory performances that have involved artists such as Peter Collins, John Roseboro, Melanie Charles, and Kenny Flowers. The organization aims to show how music can act as a means for people to connect.
Event Schedule
7:00–8:00 p.m. – Community mingle, visual art exhibition, and guided creative reflection
8:00–9:00 p.m. – Alisa Amador performance and audience “Show + Tell”
9:00–10:00 p.m. – DJ Kavi + Fern dance party
Alisa Amador “Willusions” takes place Friday, July 17, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm in Brooklyn. Admission is free with RSVP, while tickets range from $15–20.
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