Marvin Tate

Description

My name is Marvin Tate, I am a multidisciplinary Artist and an Award winning Educator.  

Work Sample

Chosen to present new works for the Chicago Picks Ten program, presented on PBS

Music video from my first solo album in 2008, "Family Swim"

https://marvintate1.bandcamp.com/track/jesus-onda-green-line?fbclid=IwAR03MfNdGqs3yqQjE5JEpEp2lagLEVyOStDBCeYD6VkkWxHLBbdbrIGimLg

Recorded at ESS Studio with Ben LaMar Gay on piano, "Jesus on'da Greenline".

Finding the musicality of Spoken word and music has always been a part of my creative process. In grade school, I had a speech impediment. I stuttered, immensely. It wasn't until my sister introduced me to the poem, "We really Cool", by Gwendolyn Brooks , that I learned verbatim and memorized, could I take control of my stutter. Before then, I accepted  and embraced my speech impediment, it made me feel different. I heard the music, the notes and improvisation., it was often colorful narratives made from my daily observations.

And although my stuttering never ceased, it did introduce me to reading, and writing poetry. 
The body of work presented for this grant showcases the various themes that I write about: love, religion, and the existential.  

History

I started performing poetry and spoken word , in Chicago in 1987 . It wasn't until the early 90's did I start experimenting with music and other types of theater, eg. dance and mostly, performance art. In the mid 90's I played music locally with the Pop/Rock and funk act, Uptighty. Shortly after their demise, I started my own band, D-settlement, an 8 piece, experimental spoken word band, that recorded 1 cassette and two CDS. After their demise
in 2003, I worked for various nonprofits as a "freelance Artist, specializing in poetry and visual art. In 2008, I recorded my first solo album, with former Wilco member, LeRoy Bach.

My second solar album was a collaboration, "Tim Kinsella, Angel Olsen and Leroy  Bach, sings the songs of Marvin Tate in 2010. Since then, I've collaborated, performed  and recorded with jazz drummer,  Mike Reed's Flesh and Bone, Theaster Gate's Jr. Black Monks of Mississippi, Sound Artist, Joseph Clayton Mills,  Indie Artist Jamie Branch and Ben LaMar Gay.  

Artistic Vision

My works have always explored and questioned; spirituality, culture, race, class politics  through personal narratives and history  by weaving storytelling with song, poetry , improvisation and theater. My artistic vision is to continue to grow as an interdisciplinary artist ; to find community and continue to cultivate a body of critical work that is uniquely me .