Easels and Weasels: A Day with Todd Barton and Stephen Ruppenthal

Easels and Weasels: A Day with Todd Barton and Stephen Ruppenthal

Join us for a day of programming all about the Buchla Music Easel presented by original Electric Weasel Ensemble member Stephen Ruppenthal and modern Buchla Easel performer Todd Barton. Stephen will present a lecture/demonstration about his work with Buchla and Allen Strange in the Electric Weasel Ensemble. Stephen will also be showcasing/premiering the new Electric Weasel Ensemble LP due out from Important Records in 2026. Todd will present a lecture on how Buchla's design choices expand the body's capacity for creativity and play. Todd will also lead guided hands-on experiences of some of the pieces in EMEAPP's collection.

In the evening, both artists will perform a solo quadraphonic set, Stephen using his vintage Easel and Todd using his modern one. Both artists will then perform a set together in a special duet performance.

There is no admission fee but donations are encouraged. Please be sure to register for each event separately. Seating is limited, so please contact us if you have signed up and can no longer attend so we can make your seats available to others. 

1:00-2:15 pm The Electric Weasel Ensemble by Stephen Ruppenthal

Stephen Ruppenthal has been performing and composing with Buchla instruments since 1971 and was an original member of the Electric Weasel Ensemble — a groundbreaking live electronic music group that also featured Don Buchla himself as well as Allen and Pat Strange. The Electric Weasel Ensemble's experimental performances helped redefine interactive composition and establish the Buchla Easel as a vital tool for avant-garde expression.

In this lecture, Ruppenthal will share firsthand stories and insights from his time with the EWE and its co-founder Don Buchla and will present recordings and original visuals of the ensemble never before shown publicly. Ruppenthal will also discuss his efforts to create the long-awaited double vinyl album The Electric Weasel Ensemble, scheduled for release this fall on Important Records. This album is a holy grail for electronic music fans: rumors of these recordings have been circulating for decades, and now thanks to the archival efforts of Important Records and Stephen Ruppenthal himself, these legendary recordings can finally be heard.

2:30-3:45 pm The Buchla Paradigm: Endless Discovery by Todd Barton

Barton will trace foundational design choices in Buchla's instruments, particularly the Buchla Music Easel, exploring how those choices encourage open-ended exploration, improvisation, and deep listening. Drawing from Don's wide-ranging influences-- including his work with NASA, the California School for the Blind, and the San Francisco Tape Music Center - Barton will illustrate how Buchla's systems expand the body's capacity for creativity and play.

4:00-5:00 pm Guided Hands-On Exploration with Todd Barton 

Barton will lead guided hands-on experiences for the audience using instruments from EMEAPP's collection. 

NOTE: The building will close at 5:00 and reopen at 7:30 for the evening concert. We are happy to provide recommendations for area restaurants for dinner!

8:00 pm Concert Performance

The evening concert performance will feature quadraphonic performance sets by Todd Barton and Stephen Rupppenthal. Barton will perform on his modern Buchla Easel while Ruppenthal will perform on his vintage Easel. Both artists may incorporate additional instruments from the EMEAPP collection. Following intermission, Barton and Ruppenthal will perform an improvised duet performance that continues their ongoing musical dialogue and celebrates Buchla's legacy. 

TODD BARTON

Todd Barton is a renowned Buchla synthesist, educator, and composer whose decades-long dedication to Don Buchla’s instruments has deeply influenced the modular synthesis community. Known for his exploratory compositions and improvisations, Barton has become one of the most visible ambassadors of the Buchla ethos. His widely popular online tutorials and courses have made Buchla’s design philosophy accessible to learners around the globe, fostering a new generation of sonic adventurers. More info can be found at toddbarton.com.

STEPHEN RUPPENTHAL

Stephen Ruppenthal is principal trumpet and contemporary music advisor for the Redwood Symphony (San Francisco, California). He studied electronic music and composition with Allen Strange at San José State University, as well as ethnomusicology with Lou Harrison, and holds a master of arts degree in contemporary musicology, writing the first comprehensive treatise in English of sound poetry, History of the Development and Techniques of Sound Poetry in the Twentieth Century in Western Cultures. Stephen was an original member of the Electric Weasel Ensemble along with Don Buchla and Allen Strange and founding member of SoundProof along with composer/KYMA artist Brian Belet and Patricia Strange. He co-produced the forthcoming EWE LP of live archival Electric Weasel Ensemble performances on ImportantRecords.

This event is part of EMEAPP/MMT's special exhibition Instruments That Talk Back: Celebrating the Legacy of Don Buchla. Funding for this exhibition has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. We are deeply grateful for their support.