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Sean Ongley and the Death Worth Living

Other / World / Soul

Portland, OR

About

SEAN ONGLEY rocked out for High School talents shows in Tucson, studied audio engineering while booking a small cafe in suburban Los Angeles, before realizing a new life in Portland, OR, 2003. An ad hoc keyboardist in Danava, 2004-2005 at the age of 22, led him astray from guitar and indie rock to tonal manipulation, epic structure, synthesizers, and ultimately piano. A California tour with Glass Candy caught Ongley by surprise, glimpsing at the limelight of Portland's rich indigenous club music scene. Still young and learning the ropes, in 2005 he formed a prog-rock quartet called the History of the Future, opening for groups like Big Business, Federation X, and Danava. In 2006, at age 24, Ongley started a rotating improvisational group known as Death Worth Living. Since then, DWL has incorporated 28 artists in to the sound, such as Anthony Thomas Schatz, J.P. Jenkins, Papa Sweat, Mitchell Brown, Zac Nelson, and Dana Valatka.

Sean studied percussion techniques and jazz piano at Portland State University in 2007, with great influence from Daryl Grant. He walks the bridge between formalism, pop, and "outside" music. In 2008, Ongley debuted his first composition, for saxophone quartet including Jef brown (soprano) and Doug Haning (baritone). As an improviser, he has learned and performed with Arrington De Dionyso, Rick Potts, Simon Hennemen and many more. Currently, Sean is producing a modular synthesis LP with Josh Hanson. DWL continues on, having recently performed at Olympia Experimental Music Festival ’09 with a new band, to record an LP over this summer.

As Radio Producer and host of Un-Herd, a show for live performance on KBOO Community Radio, Sean has recorded and broadcast countless Portland artists. As music producer he is also credited for arranging ensembles and sound design over spoken pieces for the landmark 101 Hours of Dada and Surrealism ’08 on KBOO. As freelance reporter and producer, Sean has interviewed Daniel Johnston, Ethan Rose and many more. Ongley also founded No.Fest: Nu.Music.Arts in 2008: Portland's only all ages, all free interdisciplinary performance festival. The event went off for its second year with great success on June 27th.

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• All-time plays
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• Profile views
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Members

• Sean Ongley has collaborated with hundreds of musicians from symphony wind orchestra to improvisational duets. Some are mentioned above. DWL was founded in 2006 by Sean Ongley

• Anthony Thomas Schatz

• Zecki Bengry. Core Players (past and present): Steve-Shane Schneider-Ronet

• Jean-Paul Jenkins

• Pete Bryant. Ad Hoc: Mitchell Brown

• Matthew Getchell

• Jerry Soga

• Kelly Slusher

• Dana Valatka

• Zac Nelson

• Ryan Stuewe

• Alyssa Reed

• Daniel Trudeau

• Michael Saalman

• Joey Highland

• Boyd Anderson

• Melissa Hawley

• Ezra Reece

• Evelyn Weston

• Jason Schmidt

• Jennifer Robin

• Sinbad Sinclair

• Bomb Banks

• Matt Cunitz

• Chenelle Doutherd

• Jay Morales

• Ali Ippolito

• Bryan Lightcap

• Gary Menghini

• Matt Cunitz

• and the collaborations continue...

Following(28)