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Jeff Arnal
Jeff Arnal (b. 1971) is an American percussionist, composer, curator, and arts organizer whose work bridges experimental and improvised music with interdisciplinary performance and contemporary art, shaped by his studies with Milford Graves and Stuart Sau
About Me
Jeff Arnal (b. 1971) is an American percussionist, composer, curator, and arts organizer whose work
bridges experimental and improvised music, interdisciplinary performance, and contemporary art. His
drumming is grounded in a highly personal approach to rhythm and texture—an expressive language
shaped by his formative studies with free-jazz pioneer Milford Graves and composer/theorist Stuart
Saunders Smith. Active since the 1990s, Arnal’s work has evolved through long-standing
collaborations, genre-defying ensembles, and a sustained commitment to creative community
building.
Musical Approach & Influences
Arnal’s playing fuses experimental percussion traditions with a deeply embodied sense of rhythm.
From Graves, he absorbed a holistic understanding of pulse and sound—music as a living practice
linked to the body’s internal rhythms. From Smith, he inherited a fascination with structure, notation,
and theatrical gesture. Together these influences inform a percussive language that is fluid, physical,
and conceptually rich. Critics have described Arnal’s work as “highly original,” exploring the outer
edges of improvisation while maintaining an inner propulsion and clarity of form.
Selected Discography
Arnal has appeared on more than thirty recordings for leading independent labels, collaborating with
figures across the spectrum of experimental and improvised music. Highlights include:
Chrononaux (2025, Generate) – with Camila Nebbia, Dietrich Eichmann & John Hughes
Tides Of Unrest / Berlin 2023 (2025, NoBusiness) – with Dietrich Eichmann
Jupiter (2025, Citizen Vinyl) - John English & Kris Gruda
Signal Otherwise (2024, Catalytic Sound) – with Ken Vandermark & Bonnie Han Jones
almost nothing (2024, OasisLtd) – with Curt Cloninger (as Drum Major Instinct)
Drum Major Instinct (2022, Mahakala Music) – duo with Curt Cloninger
Astral Chronology (2022, Mahakala Music) – with John Dierker
Quadrologues (2009, Clean Feed) – with Nate Wooley, Reuben Radding & Seth Misterka
Transit (2005, Clean Feed) – with Nate Wooley, Reuben Radding & Seth Misterka
MEJA (2006) – percussion duo with Michael Evans
His recent trio project Jupiter—with Kris Gruda and John English—was released in 2024 on Generate
Records, the independent label Arnal founded in 1999 and revived in 2024.
Curatorial & Organizational Work
Alongside his performing life, Arnal has developed an extensive career as a curator and organizer,
advancing the presentation and understanding of experimental music and performance. Since 2016
he has served as Executive Director of the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
(BMCM+AC) in Asheville, NC, where he has guided the organization’s growth into a nationally
recognized platform for contemporary art and interdisciplinary research.
Major curatorial projects include Points in Space: Performance at Black Mountain College (2025), the
first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to BMC’s performance legacy; Viewshed (2025, with Alice
Sebrell), exploring intergenerational artistic influence; and Between Form and Content: Perspectives
on Jacob Lawrence and Black Mountain College (2018, with Julie Levin Caro). Arnal also launched the
Active Archive Residency in partnership with Lake Eden Preserve, and the Performance Initiative,
which commissions and presents contemporary artists working in the experimental tradition of Black
Mountain College.
Community & Collaboration
Arnal’s practice extends beyond the stage and gallery to encompass community organizing and
collective creation. He co-founded the Brooklyn festival Improvised and Otherwise (2002–2007) and
later established Free Range Asheville (2015), a platform for performance, research, and discourse.
Under his direction, BMCM+AC has cultivated partnerships with Asheville’s vibrant creative network
—including Asheville FM, Harvest Records, Citizen Vinyl, Swanatopia, Lamplight AVL, Make Noise,
Drop of Sun Studios, and UNC Asheville—linking experimental practice with local cultural life.
Education
Arnal earned an MFA in Music from Bennington College, where he studied composition, improvisation,
and percussion, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (filmmaking and music composition) from the
University of Maryland. He also pursued studies in orchestration and percussion at the Peabody
Conservatory.