Getting to know Ali Fyffe.

When and why did you start making art?

I think it just grew out of the experimenting I did as a kid (that all kids do) but it became more deliberate and mature at some point. I do remember when I started to create improvisation sketches - as a saxophone player I was always expected to play jazz but I'm hopeless at it, but I wanted badly to be able to improvise. Then I had a light bulb moment where I tried improvising in a style I actually enjoyed playing, which is more contemporary/experimental. In 2016 I thought, well, let's design an improv and try it in a gig, and I never looked back.

What was your favorite Forest Collective project?

It's so hard to say. Working with Diimpa and performing outdoors mid-pandemic will always be a highlight - the performance was a breath of fresh air figuratively and literally. I also enjoyed Nikki Edgar's Skin Deep - it was only my second Forest gig and was mostly improvised, and switching from notated music to graphic scores within the same ensemble made me so excited to be a part of this group.

What is a fun fact about you people may not know?

I also write fiction. I've got a few books I'm working on. They got a lot more attention with all the recent lockdowns; writing is a very lockdown-friendly activity!

What is your favorite work of art?

It's so hard to compare different mediums! My favourite sculpture is Sam Jinks' The Messenger. My favourite music album is a tie between Taylor Swift's folklore and the self-titled Hamlet Gonashvili album.

What is one of your favorite pieces of music to play/sing/dance to?

Lately, I've been singing show tunes and trad jazz because my baby likes it. Pre-baby I loved playing Scelsi's Tre Pezzi and humming along to the washing machine.