Hello to all Ambient Musicians...

The Ambient Musicians (formerly known as Ambient Drummers and Processional Musicians) are an integral part of Burning Man. Your music, spirit and dedication help to make the Rituals of Burning Man come alive. The Ambient Musicians are the heartbeat of the event. This heartbeat, when mixed with the element of fire, creates an unforgettable experience for those who gather to honor the Man.

This form is for your intent to register as an Ambient Musician (both drums and instruments other than drums) for Fire Conclave at Burning Man 2023.  All are eligible to participate in the Monday Opening Ceremony/Cauldron Lighting, the Burn Night Procession Ritual, and alongside the Fire Conclave as they perform before the Burning of the Man.  

There are two ways to sign up to participate as an Ambient Musician: by filling out this form and submitting an audition video which puts you in the running for a discounted ticket, or as an On-Playa Walk In which allows you to participate in these events, but does not come with a ticket.  We will be posting more detailed information regarding communication, deadlines, on-playa schedule for rehearsals and meetings, etc.. as soon as we can, so stay tuned for more information.

The Ambient Musician Group is at its core a community based group. We believe that amateur/hobby drummers and musicians are just as important as professionals. But we must also keep in mind that skilled drummers/musicians can act as guides to the others, which is why it's so important that our selection process maintains a balance of strong core performers and those newer to performing. This will be our primary focus as we go through our selection process.

Each interested Ambient Musician will need to fill out the following form as well as submit a 3-minute Audition Video posted online demonstrating your musical ability. We would like to see three different rhythms in the style of your choosing. Each style, performed for 1 minute,  will demonstrate your ability to hold a steady beat or motif. It is important that you perform on the instrument that you will be bringing to the playa. We will use this to divide you into smaller groups so that we have a proper balance of instruments and styles.

There will be 50 spots eligible to receive discounted tickets.
There will be up to another 50 spots eligible for on-playa sign ups (once we assess the need from Fire Conclave Groups). On-Playa sign ups will be held at Fire Conclave Convergence located in the Center Camp portal.

We will be accepting Ambient Musician Audition Videos through June 1st. Selection into the auditioned group of 50 will be made and announced in at the end of June.

Please keep in mind that this is an evolving process. There is always room for improvement, and your suggestions to make it as fair and equitable for all interested parties is always welcome. 

Thank you, and looking forward to meeting you and creating music together!

DevilStix Dave, Katalyst and Wulfpak,
Ambient Musician Team Leads