Mirah, Singer & songwriter

Brooklyn-based Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn (b. 1974, Philadelphia) creates incorruptible independent pop music defined by her graceful songwriting and adventuresome recordings. Mirah has released over a dozen solo and collaborative recordings on K Records, Kill Rock Stars and various US domestic and foreign independent labels while touring the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand many times since 1998.

Mirah has dedicated her creative process to investigating the complicated intersections within individuals and communities, believing that with deeper understanding of each other, the seeds of a more beautiful and less violent world are planted.

Mirah has written three original songs for Jump!Star, including our beloved Precession Procession anthem, and will be performing them live at Super!Giant!Jump!Star.

The Richmond Symphony, Orchestra

The Richmond Symphony performs, teaches, and champions music to inspire and unite our communities. Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus, and 150 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Programs.

Virginia Varland, barn Dance caller

Virginia Varland loves to dance— she also loves calling dances. She believes community dance is for all people, and supports local Virginia folk dance communities as a caller, organizer, ardent dancer and broom pusher. She values variety in a barn dance program, and selects dances she has enjoyed dancing herself. Her barn dance programs may include circle dances, Appalachian squares, scatter mixers, traditional contras like the Virginia Reel, and more! Virginia is recognized by her friendly demeanor on the mic, as well as her attentive care for dancer experiences.

Jherek Biscoff, Composer & Performer

Jherek Bischoff is an American composer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. His credits include over a dozen albums as a solo artist or band member (The Dead Science, Parenthetical Girls, Shudder To Think), over sixty albums as a musician, arranger, producer, or engineer (Andra Day, Regina Spektor, David Byrne), music for symphony orchestra, opera, film, theater, and ballet (So Fragile, So Blue; Exhibiting Forgiveness; The Ocean at the End of the Lane); and concert performances around the world (Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury Festival). Utilizing orchestral, electronic, and rock instrumentation, Bischoff blends contemporary classical, ambient, and experimental rock music.

Jherek has composed a symphony on Jump!Star’s themes which will be premiered by The Richmond Symphony on Friday at Super!Giant!Jump!Star! Jherek will also perform with Mirah both nights, and play with our People’s Dance Experiment on Saturday.

Jee Sim, Composer

Jee Sim works within the fields of drawing, sound, and performance. Sim’s visual and sound works and performances were featured at institutions including SeMA Nanji in Seoul; Museum of Fine Arts Galerija Umjetnina in Split; panke.gallery and HAU 2 in Berlin; Arti et Amicitae and Steim in Amsterdam; The 4th Anyang Public Art Project in Anyang; Agape Enterprise, Real Fine Arts, Park Ave Armory, and Brooklyn Museum in New York; Overgaden Institut in Copenhagen; The Center of Contemporary Art in Lagos; Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, Hosfelt Gallery in San Francisco; Orange County Museum of Art; and Machine Gallery in Los Angeles. Sim’s music has been released with Care of Editions, DFA records, and Beats in Space records.

Jee won’t be performing live but wrote the North Star Sound Signatures that will be played during The People’s Dance Experiment on Saturday night.

Floorplay, Contradance band

Floorplay is a contradance band from Charlottesville, VA playing an eclectic mix of French Canadian, Old-time, Klezmer, Rags, Swing, and original tunes. They formed in the spring of ’07 and have been delighting dancers ever since.