A B O U T
A B O U T
A B O U T
A B O U T
pt.fwd (pronounced "point forward") is an independent, artist-run 501c3 non-profit that organizes contemporary music and sonic arts performances in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.
pt.fwd's mission is to celebrate the communal experience of coming together to listen to powerful new sonic art. In partnership with the McLean County Museum of History, pt.fwd promotes new work by local and regional artists in a historic, acoustically curious setting.
pt.fwd’s principles are:
to put artists first by paying them well and providing a stimulating environment for creative experimentation
to cultivate compelling, independent programming
to build community by offering free events in accessible venues and highlighting work that benefits underserved members of our community
Broadly speaking, we aim to champion sonic arts without boundaries - we only ask that it be new, and that it be great.
To date, we've hosted live concerts, curated performances for The Quarantine Concerts to raise funds for artists impacts by COVID-19, conducted a series of online composer interviews in partnership with Sixty Inches from Center and Sight Specific, commissioned new works by six local and regional composers, and launched the pt.fwd Artist-in-Residency Program to create additional resources for cutting-edge sonic artists in the Midwest. We are the only such program between Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and the Quad Cities that is not directly affiliated with a university.
![pt.fwd presents Chávez / Ismaily / Saunier
Monday, September 14, 2026
In a 👀 sneak peek 👀 of our ninth concert season, we're thrilled to announce the supreme trio of Maria Chávez @chavezsayz , Shahzad Ismaily @ectoderm88 (Arooj Aftab, Ceramic Dog) and Greg Saunier @greg.saucier (Deerhoof)! They came together as a trio for the first time for a show in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in May 2025. That debut performance received a glowing review in The Wire, where writer Vanessa Ague heralded it as “a reminder of [...] the sheer joy of seeing what surprises we can find in sound”.
Each of the players’ inimitable approach to their instruments has earned them vivid, varied and longstanding careers. Now, in this new formation, a fresh breath arrives: combining abstract turntablism, outré drumming and uncanny instrumentation, their sonic searching is as playful as it is profound.
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Chávez / Ismaily / Saunier will be joined by local artist Yea Big (aka Stefen Robinson). In 2025, Yea Big and Greg Saunier released No Timing on Personal Archives. "[A]n enveloping, comforting meditation... [with] a Terry Riley-esque approach to tension and progression [and] delightful melodicism and warmth." - The Wire
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All @pt.fwd concerts are free and open to the public.
pt.fwd is an independent, artist-run 501c3 non-profit that organizes contemporary music and sonic arts performances in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.
pt.fwd's mission is to celebrate the communal experience of coming together to listen to powerful new sonic art. In partnership with local venues, pt.fwd promotes new work by local and regional artists in historic, acoustically curious settings.
www.ptfwd.org
🩵💛💖](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/729900244_18320591134277865_2461561810409903137_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=poCEADwigRcQ7kNvwGJkJYh&_nc_oc=AdqVZ4GPyA6Xx1BqnTEOjjNpxpihHpfsXbzPvX7UTbsi3UFzFfx7HiIdsbBAvJUB8lQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=uiyAOmxtJIm_eFNv_Z-s0g&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQFdlI-mkmAyvYIKxjxKLHOuc6Iv3vVddfQ8LR7a9_38o3vcdsf_lqqqNvMf1NIo5RGQww2_SSGQ&oh=00_AQCSTbm2tZcNMTK7rkk8nI9XJsmdR6WtPoxEeAfsygUunQ&oe=6A5A91A3)
