Bryan Medwed, musician, farmer and solar pioneer

8/18/2019 Bryan Medwed, musician, farmer and solar pioneer

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Musician, Farmer and Energy Pion

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Here we are, in a powerful, beautiful and mysterious place.

We want to live and love, to eat and work, to observe and speak,

to strive and rest, to generate and then to die.

Evolving through it, forward as evolution can only go, moving

from the curse of our self awareness to greater blessings therein.

It is the maturity to which reckless youth may grow in time.

At this moment, in this microcosm, an evolutionary step may

be taken.Bryan Medwed “Greenprint,” 2000

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Content

Media

Bryan Medwed Biography.............................................. 3-4

he Musician...................................................................... 5-6

Symphony in Three Movements.................................... 7-8

Entrepreneur of renewable energy............................. 9-10

Projects..................................................................................11

Bryan Medwed Award.........................................................12

Turn Away”, performed by Gal and Gabrielle Dahan.....6

Symphony perfomed by Ber-sheva Sinfonietta.............. 8

Bryan: Lecture about Solar Energy....................................10

Arava Power Company: Medwed Award..........................12

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Bryan grew up in Detroit, Michigan, in the.S., in the 1960s . Perhaps he reacted against

is urban upbringing, or maybe his involve-

ment in a Jewish youth movement (Habonim

Zionist) that celebrated Israel’s agricultural

pirit pushed him to embrace farming. At

ge 16, he was part of a summer program

n Kibbutz Yotvata, where he came to know

rael’s southern desert and the kibbutz vision

rsthand.

During his college years, Medwed studiedmusic and grew interested in composition.

ryan trained in composition at Oberlinonservatory but soon grew disillusioned and

estless. He left Ohio to sort things out, write

music and wander, rst in Central America,

hen the Canadian Yukon and Europe, and

nally Israel.

U pon returning to the states in 1981,ryan enrolled at Evergreen State college. He

mmersed himself in the study and practice ofrganic farming and sustainable living.

16 year- old Bryan at kibbuz Yotvata

A t Evergreen, Bryan learned fatechniques and pondered his place

political economy of agriculture. But M

wanted to live the vision, not just learn

about it. Kibbutz life oered the mo

ing avenue for becoming a farmer. I

he suspended his studies two quarter

completing his degree and with his wi

joined Kibbutz Grot, a settlement

Arava with both Israeli and America

members.

A s he learned the ropes at Grot, w

in the mango orchard, Bryan was drSamar, a smaller community down th

Samar members described their way o

“communal anarchy” . Unique among

250-odd kibbutzim, Samar had m

rules—no hierarchy or work committe

no set personal or family budget. In

Bryan and Ilene relocated to Samar,

they raised their daughters Paz, ShaStav.

Paz, Ilene, Shani, Bryan and Stav

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On June 10, 2002, Bryan was rethome after delivering a lecture on h

collector design at Sde Boker. As he

on the desolate highway, he apparen

stricken at the wheel, and his car crash

an oncoming truck.

Bryan was the rst of Samar’s memdie. The community buried him on th

plain behind the kibbutz, creating a

yard by laying out a simple stone bo

according to Jewish tradition.

H is grave sits on a small hill with a

ing view of the Arava, his community date orchard he helped nurture. Kibb

continue to leave all manner of things

grave: owers, dried palm fronds an

bunches, poems, models of wind gen

origami, toy cars. Two small acacia tre

nearby. Years from now, they will sha

gravesite from the desert sun.

Bryan's grave

S ince its founding in 1976, Samar hasdapted and thrived, combining the pioneer-

ng spirit of the kibbutz movement with an

pen-ended democratic approach to inten-

onal community. Samar is the country’s

argest exporter of organic dates. It is one of

handful of kibbutzim strung out along the

rava, a vast, barren desert valley stretch-

ng 100 miles from the Dead Sea to the

ed Sea along the Jordanian border. The

arsh climate and isolation pose challenges,

ut since its founding in 1976, Samar has

dapted and thrived, combining the pioneer-ng spirit of the kibbutz movement with an

pen-ended democratic approach to inten-

onal community.

Bryan completed his degree in ecolog-cal design with faculty member Michael

eug and produced “GreenPrint: An Ecological

etrotting of a Kibbutz.” He received his B.A.

n December 2000.

Kibbutz Samar

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http://www.kibbutz-samar.com/


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“I was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1957.recall expressing myself quietly at theiano before I knew fully how to speak. Oneear at Chanuka my father gave me record -ngs of Stravinsky’s “Firebird” and Brahms’

th”, igniting my love aair with seriousmusic.

In 1975 I attended Oakland Universty.uring my one year there, I studied theory,iano, bassoon, viola, sang in the chorusnd took composition lessons. I wrotepollo and Dionysus” for brass quintet and

Everexpanding” for woodwind quartet. In976 I entered the Oberlin Conservatory inhio majoring in composition. Works from

his time include “Molto Kliene Pieces: foriano, “Operatic Etude” for actor/dancersnd tape, “Milk Toss Dead Lack Bolt: -

musique concrete, “Incidental Music: foromputer and analogue synthesizer, andt the Beach” for dancers, clarinet and tape

ecorders.Following a crisis of conscience, (of the sortommon to twenty year olds) I suspended

my studies, and began to travel, write songs,nd perform them, folk style, on the dulci -

mer. I have written over 600 songs and inater years they include reggae, rock, androgressive idioms.I entered The Evergreen State College in

981 to study Agriculture. During that timewrote a woodwind quintet, “The Radisharvest” – an electronic composition

ealized on the Buchla system, “A chronol -gy of Touches” – poem and tape, and

Phonojournalism 6, Aug, 1945” – musiqueoncrete in remembrance of Hiroshima.In 1984 my wife and I moved to a kibbutz

n the southern Arava.

I made a conscious decision then to devote energy toture, building my community and learning the langu

culture of my new home, before music. Despite this,isolation from the musical community, I have writtenworks here; the most signicant being the “Symphony Movements”. Other works include music to a play “Mbook of duets for ute and dulcimer, and many songs.

I am married to Ilene Moskowitz. We live on Kibbutwith our three daughters. Some people nd it odd tha farmer/composer but I can’t imagine it any other way.

A Few Musical/Biographical Notes

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E very summer an annual music festival is held in the Arava in his honor, where a mixturof friends, neighbors, and musicians from up north gather to play both his songs and oth

music in a similar vein.

T he song “Turn Away” , performed here by Gal and Gabrielle Dahan, is one of Bryan’s earest and most hauntingly lyrical songs.

Bryan Medwed was a composer, classically trained at the Oberlin conservatory, who lehis formal classical musical studies, and began to write and play music for the dulcime

folk songs, protest songs, love songs, rock and reggae.

T hough Bryan spent much of his time concentrating on farming and ecology, he nevgave up his musical eorts and over the years he composed many songs, classical anelectronic music pieces, and one symphony, which was played by the Ber Sheva Sinfoniet

in 2003 and in 2010 in a youth project of Eilat Music Center and Lüdinghausen German

Youth Orchester (rst movement).

T o date, three compilation discs have been made of recordings that Bryan lebehind, and a number of songs have been recorded by others.

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http://bryanmedwed.bandcamp.com/http://bryanmedwed.bandcamp.com/


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A Few Words from the ComposerT he name Symplony in three movements refers not only to the number of musical

chapters in this work, but also to the idea of three ‘movements’ or schools of thought

which inuence the music.

T he rst movement shows a post-romantic inuence. Here, the beauty of melody andharmony are deepened by increasing modulation, chromaticism and disonance. Rhythm

and orchestration often work more toward exclamation and eect, less as support of aIogical development of ideas. The chromatic main theme is contrasted with a lyrical

second theme as post-romantic music is usually more ‘romantic’ than ‘post’.

T he second movement is phenomenological/minimal. It is in traditional ABA formThe rst section is based on a reiterated Bb. All other eleven notes are de-emphasized

and given equal weight such that no strong harmony is implied...

T he third movement is rooted in what could be called Integrationism. A theme withvariations, it draws on radically diverse sources placing them in new and interactive

contexts. The ne musical elements of these styles are incorperated and cross-fertil

ized; their taboos aren’t. Thus, the disonant language of the serial purist can be used

to express humor and joy, can mingle with lyrical beauty. The elegant back-rhythms o

Jamaican dance music need not be wed to static I, IV, V harmony.

I deological purity tends to strip music of the joy, humor and beauty which peoplenaturally seek in music. Although high]y structured, this symphony is written with the

ears rst; it is intended more as a listening experience that as an intellectual construc

tion. In this I ultimatly embrace the third ‘movement’ or philosophy. The progression

is from the increasingly somber Post-romantic idioms, through the narrow emotiona

connes of Minimalism, to an lntegration of diverse elements and inuences.“Oh yes , and joy”.

Bryan Medwed

Bryan was especially proud of his composition, Symphony in three movements

written on the kibbutz:

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Beer Sheva Sinfonietta 2003

Symphony in three movements

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Part I Part II Part III


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Bryan Medwed was a pioneer andround-breaking entrepreneur in the eld

f renewable energy. He was one of the

rst to see the inherent potential in the

outhern Arava region for production of

lectricity from renewable energy sources.

Medwed’s years of work in the elds under

he hot desert sun brought him to the reali-

ation of the huge potential of natural

nergy sources, and particularly the powerf the sun. He began to study the subject of

enewable energy, and contacted Dr. David

aiman, a professor at Ben Gurion University

f the Negev, who was working with students

n renewable energy at Sde Boker. Bryan

egan to work at Sde Boker as a techni-

an and researcher in the National Solar

nergy Center. While there he co-authored aumber of articles and gave several lectures

t the international conferences held there.

Entrepreneur of renewable energy

Solar Panel in Samar

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Elephant grass

I n 1993 Medwed established the Sproject, which proposed a 200 kW so

that would help supply electricity for

Samar, as well as generating income fr

sale of excess energy to the regional g

H e built a 5kW prototype eld project, which is still in use at Samar

also developed and registered a pat

a unique solar receptor, which he ca

“Light Fence”.M edwed also convinced Amnon

berg director of the Southern

Research and Development Ins

(R&D Ardom), to support his exper

in growing elephant grass for bioma

project developed over the years into

iments on upright tamarix, which hav

very successful.

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http://www.aravard.org.il/about-us/http://www.aravard.org.il/about-us/http://www.aravard.org.il/about-us/http://www.aravard.org.il/about-us/http://www.aravard.org.il/about-us/http://www.aravard.org.il/about-us/


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Lecture about solar energy Solar inverter housed by homemade geodesic structure

Over time, Medwed also became interestedin wind power. As part of that interest, he

measured and evaluated the wind potential

of the Southern Arava region and attended a

course on windmill management in Holland.

The project included months of reading,

correspondence, meetings and discussions

with environmental decision makers.

M any who knew Bryan called h“the solar man,” because he woshow up wherever there was a renewab

energy project-contributing, helping out, a

generally taking an interest.

Bryan checking a wind meter

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A n important part of Medwed’s visionas his desire for peace.

H e was involved in solar planning for

he EcoPeace organization (now called“Friends of the Earth Middle East”),

edicated to working for peace through

hared ecological and environmental activ-

ies. In addition, the hardships of Bedouin

ommunities in the Negev were of particular

nterest to Bryan. He believed that those areas

ad great potential for utilization of renew-

ble energy, since many Bedouin villages are

ot connected to electricity at all, despite the

act that the electric wires often pass through

he villages themselves.

H e worked on a number of renewablenergy projects in Bedouin villages, including

reating a combined solar/wind system for a

amily with a diabetic child. The child’s insulin

ad to be refrigerated, but the village was

ot hooked up to the electricity grid. Bryanrranged to provide a refrigerator with a solar

anel and generator for the family.

Wadi Na'am Clinic

H e also worked in cooperation wArava Institute,teaching studen

Jordan, East Jerusalem and all parts o

who came to benet from his expeMedwed, together with the group

L’Shalom, worked to establish a sola

built ecologically with mud, in Wad

an undeclared Bedouin village not h

up to the electricity grid. Bryan’s S

project was the beginning of an idea t

then considered unrealistic—that ren

energy could become one of the a

tural “products” of kibbutzim in the

ern Arava, along with dates and p

and mangoes. That dream is slowly c

true. Bryan Medwed’s vision of a Sun V

being realized today in hundreds of la

small projects, both industrial and co

ty-based, technological and educatio

M edwed shepherded his dream reality, when no one else had dadream at all.

Working on the Wadi Na'am Clinic

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http://www.foeme.org/www/?module=homehttp://arava.org/http://builderswithoutborders.org/projects/project4.htmhttp://builderswithoutborders.org/projects/project4.htmhttp://arava.org/http://www.foeme.org/www/?module=home


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Bryan by the fre...Said, recipient of the refrigerator

Documents

Bryan Medwed, musician, farmer and solar pioneer