Fanoplane

In finite geometry, the Fano plane (after Gino Fano) is the finite projective plane of order 2. It is the finite projective plane with the smallest possible number of points and lines: 7 points and 7 lines, with 3 points on every line and 3 lines through every point. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fano_plane)

In this musical context, Fanoplane is an improvisational project focused on projecting the infinite gifts of the Muse. 

Fanoplane’s seed was planted in a duo performance by Bob Boilen and Ted Zook (https://soundcloud.com/uberepic-productions/cd-cellar-boilen-zook).  Following that, Bob sat in for a couple of performances with the Lost Civilizations experimental music project (http://lost-civilizations.tumblr.com/), then several performances with Heterodyne (https://the-heterodyne-project.tumblr.com/).  

Fanoplane’s performances are unscored, unrehearsed and improvised extemporaneously on the spot.

April 17, 2026: Elements of the Fanoplane improvisational ensemble performed at Alexandria’s Galactic Panther gallery, joined by Blood Family Reunion, Shifting Harbor, and PsychoPomP.

Stereo recording:

December 7, 2025: Tangent Universes joined the Fanoplane improvisational ensemble at Arlington’s iconic Galaxy Hut.

Tangent Universes is a solo project of Carolyn Zaldivar Snow, a writer and artist based in Baltimore. The project explores sound and collective memory. Her installations repurpose obsolete technology—such as telephones, cassette players, and typewriters—into new vessels for digital soundscapes. Working under the project name Tangent Universes, Carolyn creates immersive sound environments using modular synths, guitar drones, noise boxes, field recordings, and hydrophones. Her work reflects her Mid-Atlantic context and has been showcased at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, as well as at Philadelphia’s Passages and Velocities and DC’s Rhizome. Her pieces have been featured on labels such as Mystery Circles (Las Vegas, Nevada) and Hyle Tapes (Paris, France). Carolyn also performs with the experimental quadraphonic trio Wooder, alongside Aaron Igler and Eugene Lew.

In addition to her artistic practice, Carolyn contributes writing to Tape Op magazine, conducts artist interviews for experimental electronic label Mystery Circles, and manages a Substack dedicated to cassette culture. She co-organizes DC’s Sound Scene Audio Arts Festival and has taught at American University’s Expanded Media Studio and RhizomeDC’s Youth Electronic Workshop.

November 30, 2025: Fanoplane — and many other groups — performed at DC’s Atlantis. This event was a benefit for WOWD-FM and WPFW-FM.2

d.c space was a restaurant, bar, performance space, art gallery, and artist studios located at the southeast corner of 7th and E streets NW from 1977 to 1991. This reunion party at The Atlantis celebrates the “good old days” downtown, with rock, punk, jazz, spoken word, film, visual art and more, reviving and remembering a vibrant time in D.C.’s cultural history. Performances by: Birthday Girl, Charles Blume, Bob Boilen’s Fanoplane improvisational ensemble, Danny Knicely, Baakari Wilder & John Previti, Distortion Inc., FlyBoy, Lady Myrrh, Little Red & The Renegades, Mark Nickens, Pete Stahl & Enoch Thompson of Scream, Pimmit Hills, Ruthie & The Wranglers, The Grandsons, The Owners, Willy Fish Yowaiski.

October 18, 2025: Fanoplane performed at Rhizome with tire x silver x theresedreaming, Argyle Torah, Aaron Pond, and Thomas Patteson. Recordings of the Fanoplane performance are below:

Stereo: tinyurl.com/bdefcn6e

Binaural: tinyurl.com/ysstcuh2

August 23, 2025: Fanoplane improvisational ensemble was joined by saxophonist extraordinaire Sarah Hughes at the Galactic Panther gallery in Alexandria VA. The following tracks capture the full performance:

https://soundcloud.com/2025h23fanoplane/2025h23-binaural-track-1 (opening set, full ensemble)

https://soundcloud.com/2025h23fanoplane/2025h23-binaural-track-2 (Bob Boilen solo set)

https://soundcloud.com/2025h23fanoplane/2025h23-binaural-track-3 (Sarah Marie Hughes and Jerry Busher duo set)

https://soundcloud.com/2025h23fanoplane/2025h23-binaural-track-4 (Maya Renfro and Ted Zook set)

https://soundcloud.com/2025h23fanoplane/2025h23-binaural-track-5 (closing set, full ensemble)

June 13, 2025:  Fanoplane returned to RhizomeDC , alongside Jair-Rohm Parker Wells & Ben Dumbauld with a screening of ‘an observance of absence’ by Jason Pappariella.  Link to an audio recording of that performance:  https://tinyurl.com/muncwd8u ; link to a video recording of that performance:   tinyurl.com/y82svx66 .

April 13, 2025: On Sunday, April 13, Fanoplane performed at an opening reception at Alexandria’s Galactic Panther for ‘MEET DEV-O’.  Links to recordings of the performance: https://tinyurl.com/2rfy6xvz (binaural); tinyurl.com/yc6ru38r (stereo).

December 20, 2024:   Fanoplane was invited to return to Alexandria’s Galactic Panther gallery (www.galacticpanther.com/) to perform at the opening of ON THE RECORD: A Group Exhibit of Altered & Inspired Album Covers.  As always, the performance was unscored, unrehearsed and improvised extemporaneously on the spot.  At this performance, Fanoplane appeared as a trio comprised of co-founder Bob Boilen (synthesizers), Doug Kallmeyer (bass and synthesizers) and Ted Zook (5-string NS Design Cello).  Link to free downloads of this performance:  stereo — https://tinyurl.com/3xryruna; binaural — https://tinyurl.com/y3895tpk .

November 10, 2024:  Fanoplane appeared at Alexandria’s Galactic Panther gallery (www.galacticpanther.com/).  The performance was unscored, unrehearsed and improvised extemporaneously on the spot.  Fanoplane’s lineup this afternoon consisted of co-founder Bob Boilen (synthesizers), Brie Anderson (baritone guitar), Doug Kallmeyer (bass and electronics), Jerry Busher (percussion), Patrick Whitehead (horns) and Ted Zook (5-string NS Design Omni Bass strung as a basscello).  Link to a free download of this performance:  https://tinyurl.com/26xcsa62.

October 11, 2024: Fanoplane opened for San José’s Xiu Xiu at D.C.’s iconic Black Cat on October 11.  Details:  https://avantmusicnews.com/2024/09/02/fanoplane-and-xiu-xiu-to-perform-in-dc-october-11/.

Fanoplane spoken word artist Dan Gutstein‘s “praise poem” about last Friday’s performance:   https://dangutstein.blogspot.com/2024/10/praise-poem-for-improvisational.html.

This performance has been released as Fanoplane — Live at the Black Cat!: https://fanoplane.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-black-cat .  Fanoplane spoken word artist Dan Gutstein‘s accounts about that performance: https://dangutstein.blogspot.com/…/praise-poem-for…; https://dangutstein.blogspot.com/…/where-echo-futurism… . Dan has quite a way with words; his “Poor Gal: The Cultural History of Little Liza Jane” received a Special Recognition Award from the ASCAP Foundation in its 55th annual Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Book Awards.

Bob Boilen, co-founder of the “Fanoplane,” recorded the performance using a 360-degree camera: 

Stereo recording:

Binaural recording:

April 6, 2024: Fanoplane performed at Washington’s Artomatic (www.artomatic.org) with the following line-up: co-founder Bob Boilen, ARP synthesizer; Doug Kallmeyer, bass; Jerry Busher, drums; Patrick Whitehead, flügelhorn; Dan Gutstein, spoken word; Brie Anderson, baritone guitar; and Ted Zook, NS Design electric cello.

Mastering by Doug Kallmeyer

June 15, 2024: Fanoplane appeared at the closing event for Robin Bell‘s “Objects” installation at the Otis Steet Arts Project in Mount Ranier, Maryland.

Over the past two months, Robin Bell has been exploring objects he has created and collected throughout his life. This installation examined how physical objects document our world. These objects were featured in digital video walls and projections. The exhibition also included collaborative artworks updated over the two-month period.

The closing event featured remarks and a live projection by Robin Bell, alongside a live musical performance by Fanoplane.  Fanoplane is an improvisational ensemble co-founded with Tiny Desk Concert‘s Bob Boilen.  The ensemble never rehearses, it just loads-in, sets-up, tunes-up and plays.  The ensemble’s lineup varies from performance to performance.  On June 15, the lineup included Jerry Busher on percussion; Patrick Whitehead on quarter-tone flügelhorn and trumpet; Brie Anderson on tenor guitar; Maya Renfro on violin; and co-founders Bob Boilen (on ARP synthesizer) and Ted Zook on NS Design Omnibass, strung as a basscello. 

November 25, 2019:  Loop 2.4.3. and Fanoplane at Galaxy Hut: On November 25, Brooklyn-based Loop 2.4.3 and DMV’s Fanoplane performed at Arlington’s iconic Galaxy Hut (https://galaxyhut.com/), located at 2711 Wilson Blvd.  Loop 2.4.3 (https://www.loop243.com/) is a Brooklyn-based “open format”, collaborative ensemble, led by composer/performer Thomas Kozumplik. The group has a bent for exploring the vast musical possibilities of percussion instruments, inspired by an artistic coming-of-age in room 243.

September 14, 2019 at Hyattsville Porchfest: Fanoplane performed as part of Hyattsville’s PorchFest (https://www.facebook.com/events/487607338708313/).  PorchFest was a family-friendly community performance event, appropriate for all ages. The focal points were a variety of musical performers ranging from acoustic to electric, jazz and Celtic harp as well as poetry and story telling.  In its entirety, Porchfest included 30 Performers on 10 porches.

August 1, 2019 at Dew Drop Inn DC:  GREX (https://www.grexsounds.com/) invited Fanoplane and Sonic Eddy (https://soniceddy.bandcamp.com) to perform at Dew Drop Inn DC; details:  https://august-1-at-dew-drop-inn-dc.tumblr.com/

June 28, 2019 at RhizomeDC:  JOY ON FIRE invited Fanoplane to share the bill on June 28 at RhizomeDC (http://www.rhizomedc.org/).  Also performing:  Love Trio  (featuring the divine Sarah Hughes (https://www.sarahmariehughes.com/) Joy on Fire () punk-jazz quartet (featurng Dan Gutstein),  and Corey Thuro ((https://coreythuro.bandcamp.com) and SoundCloud page (https://soundcloud.com/coreythuro). solo mandolin.  Together, these musicians combine to overthrow the tepid tendencies of contemporary music.  

May 25, 2019 at Baltimore’s Function Coworking Community:  on May 25, Fanoplane shared the bill with JOY ON FIRE (http://www.joyonfire.com/) and Sonic Eddy (https://soniceddy.bandcamp.com) at Baltimore’s Function Coworking Community (https://befunction.al/).  Fanoplane’s lineup for this performance:  Patrick Whitehead (Baltimore School for the Arts; quarter-tone Flügelhorn and trumpet), Ted Zook (NS Design Omnibass strung as a basscello), NPR’s Bob Boilen (“All Songs Considered”)(ARP synth) & Sonia Maria (violin).  . Unscored, unrehearsed and improvised extemporaneously on the spot – and it was the first time that these four musicians had all performed together!

March 31, 2019 debut at the Corcoran:  in addition to Bob Boilen and Ted Zook, Fanoplane’s debut at the Corcoran included Jerry Busher (percussion), Doug Kallmeyer (bass; electronics), Maggie Gilmore (vocalizations; flute) and Sonia Maria (violin).  The performance was unscored, unrehearsed and improvised extemporaneously on the spot; it was the first time that all of these musicians performed together.