Interview: Dorone Paris

Welcome Dorone Paris, thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed by Feminist Create!

So, what brought you to live in Ireland?

That’s actually simple, I moved to Ireland with my Irish partner. Also, I’m a PhD student at the University of Cork in Ireland.

How much time do you get to spend on being creative?

I’d say about 70 % of my time. The rest goes into saxophone teaching and travelling from one meeting to another.

Do you like solitude to be creative?

Yes, I find it crucial and necessary. Not like a lot of great artists that I know who work at night time, I usually find my solitude in the early hours of the morning. I think it has to do with the smell of the fresh air which inspires and wakes up my brain,

What is your main creative practice?

I find it difficult to separate both my practices as they both feed and react to each other. Time wise you can that composition serves as my main creative practice.

When and why did you learn the saxophone?

My music studies were both formal and informal. In my early years I studied sax informally in my birth town’s small music centre. When I reached high school I decided that all I wanted to do was to play sax, so I moved schools and went to Leo Baeck High School which I guess I can refer to it as my first formal music education. After high school I continued my formal education and completed a BA degree in music and philosophy from the University of Haifa in Israel. From there I continued to the University of Leeds and gained a masters degree in composition. At the moment, I'm a PhD student in University College Cork in Ireland.

Can you tell us about PATH and what brought you to found this organisation?

PATH was created in order to allow the public to engage, contribute and influence for a better future in Israel-Palestine. I felt that an organization as such was missing in Israel and that by creating one, all political artistes could feel united and inspired to create and act for Israel-Palestine.

PATH aims to raise and expand peaceful thoughts between both Jewish and Palestinian civilians in Israel-Palestine. Through performance art, PATH spreads a message of acceptance, unity and brotherhood between our peoples. Above all, PATH demands and end to intolerance, hatred and violence between people belonged to the same land.
PATH: is an open place for artists who accede to this vision, and want to exhibit their artistic creation and Musical pieces. The PATH brings contemporary art to the street in order to both shock and legitimize the message that aggressive acts will not be tolerated. “The show will not go on until the hatred ends”.

As Jews we are almost commanded to be world changers and activists, how has your Jewish and Israeli heritage impacted on your decisions to be a visible world changer?

As an Israeli, born to a Jewish family I feel that’s it’s my duty to act for coexistence and peace around the world. This mission derives from the need to protect any group, culture and country from horrible human crimes, as those who were acted against the Jews in World War 2. ‘Never Again’ is my mission statement which drives my activism against blind racism.

When did feminism come to be a part of your life?

It was always an apparent part of what I did. From playing the saxophone rather than the flute, an instrument that was never a ‘woman’ instrument, to political activism which I again is a doctrine which men rule. My inspiration and feminist drive came from my mom who kept on supporting my activities while making sure that I know that nothing in the world can stop me, no man , no chauvinistic idea – as mom says, women are stronger than men

I'd love to hear about something you are really excited about and pleased about you and your life at the moment?

On the 23rd of October a piece of mine called Aid For Gaza is getting its world premiere. I'm very excited about this performance as I've been trying to reach different venues with this piece for a while now, however it seems that it’s easier from a lot of people to ignore the horrible siege the people of Gaza are in; they don’t have enough access for food, or any way of traveling outside Gaza and abroad. The oxford dictionary definition of siege is ‘a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender’ – unfortunately it applies to the situation in Gaza.

The performance of this piece calls for all cultures, states and countries to unit together and bring an end to the siege. Aid For Gaza’s performance will take place in Regent Hall- Salvation Army on Wednesday 23rd October at 7:30 pm.

Thanks again!

Profile: Dorone Paris

For Utopia no.1

Lives in: Dublin, Ireland.

Contact :doroneparis@gmail.com

Create: I'm an Israeli-born contemporary composer and a professional saxophone player living & working in Ireland. Being raised and educated in Israel, influenced my political ideas and affected my musical creativeness, aesthetics and philosophy. I am the founder of PATH art: an organisation dedicated to convincing my people that a peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs in Israel-Palestine is both possible and necessary.   Living in Ireland and being directly involved in the abortion legalisation debate, PATH's mission has expanded as an artistic human rights movement. 



Other creative stuff: as I mentioned before, my creative work in Ireland deals (for now) with the abortion rights needed in the country. Therefore, under the wing of PATH a new project called For Utopia has emerged. The project, which is this time in based in Ireland, aims to separate religion from state laws.

The first performance of this project, 'For Utopia no. 1', took place on Friday 7th of June, on Grafton street in Dublin city. 
This piece  raises the subject of women’s rights specifically in relation to the ongoing abortion debate. We preach for the protection of the lives of Irish women over archaic religious legacy. 
The piece is composed for a female singer Justine Murphy, guitar & pedals Edgar Grunewald and tenor saxophone (myself)  .
The singer wears a veil throughout the piece as a symbol of mourning for the basic human rights that were taken away from her. She opens the piece by walking down Grafton Street while singing dramatically texts from various feminist groups supporting abortion. 
As she continues walking down the street, the liturgical melody of Kyrie from the Catholic requiem mass is being played, for the remembrance of the women whose basic human rights were taken away from them. I hope that by this combination of text and melody, people will acknowledge the sad fact that the singer is actually begging for the rights of her own life. 
When the singer finally meets the guitar and saxophone she loses her voice almost completely, which is a metaphor for blocking and ignoring women's rights. 
As the piece progresses the guitar and sax lose their conventional sound  and become a raging chaos which joins together to the singers cry. 



Here is a link to the performance on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXUi_OCw5v0



Feminism... is the most important movement there is. Genesis begins by separating the man from the woman and discriminating her.This is the most ancient discrimination in the world and sadly the most persistent one. Therefore, feminism is not only important but  it is a crucial movement for human rights around the world. 



Links:  www.DoroneParis.com