iiisa / Heather Stebbins & Rachel Beetz / projections by Ex Lamp
An evening of experimental music and projected imagery at Rhizome DC, featuring iiisa’s intimate sound world of field recordings, poemsongs, and family voices; a new duo by DC-based composer Heather Stebbins and composer, flutist, and improviser Rachel Beetz; and live video projections by Ex Lamp, the project of James June Schneider. The program considers memory, listening, nature, community, and transformation through layered sound and image.
iiisa draws on recordings and voices from home in Costa Rica to create shifting “memory portals” and brief, atmospheric vignettes. Their work has been presented by Roulette Intermedium, Big Ears Festival, and Pioneer Works, with a debut album planned for release on Leaving Records in fall 2026. Stebbins works with cello, synthesizer, and electronics, developing patient, slowly unfolding multi-movement compositions focused on the relationship between memory and emotion. Beetz combines experimental field recordings with electronically altered flute, drawing on deep listening in natural and technological environments; her work also engages environmentalism, community, women’s work, textiles, and lighting.
When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Showtimes: Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the performances begin at 7:00 PM. The event is scheduled to run until 10:00 PM.
Tickets: $15–25
Venue: Rhizome DC
Location: In the backyard, weather permitting
Music: iiisa performs field-recording-based music incorporating poemsongs and familial voices. Heather Stebbins and Rachel Beetz present the debut of their duo project.
Projections: Ex Lamp, the Washington, D.C.-based project of James June Schneider, provides video projections during the musical sets. Schneider has performed video as a solo artist and band member since 2002, and will present a new visuals-only piece titled “H2O and Back.”
Performers: iiisa; Heather Stebbins; Rachel Beetz; and Ex Lamp (James June Schneider)
Background: Stebbins’ album *On Separation* was released by Outside Time in May. Beetz’s projects have appeared in concert halls and galleries in Australia, Iceland, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Schneider previously performed with AE, a group that included half of the plunderphonic duo Stock, Hausen and Walkman.
Ages: Not specified.
Accessibility: Not specified.