The KJ Report

When Does Classical Music Rock (or Not)?

I’ve been positively overwhelmed with art this week – meaning I’ve been overwhelmed in a positive way by experiencing art that is both “good” (whatever that might mean) and seemingly ubiquitous. Yesterday (June 21) was MakeMusic New York – a free city-wide festival of 850 outdoor concerts.

If you were in New York and you didn’t hear music, it’s your own damn fault.

A leisurely walk across the Village would have given you the chance to hear music from a straight ahead jazz trio to a seniors group performing selections from Singing in the Rain to folk rockers to hip-hop, to experimental downtown fusion art bands.

And that’s where I’ll start – the band Newspeak purports to have always (meaning since 2001) “actively sought a fusion of art music and social engagement that is significant, meaningful and communicative”. Although the band has redefined itself several times since it’s inception, it’s an excellent example of the primary dilemma facing so many of today’s “serious” musicians – namely, how do we reconcile the fact that we’re not rock stars? How do we adjust to the fact that the rush we get is more subtle, more cumulative, more transient and much less lucrative? How do come to accept the fact that our music is more sophisticated and more (to quote the Newspeak web-site again) significant, meaningful and communicative? In the case of Newspeak it’s done through eclectic instrumentation (drums, marimba, violin, guitar, keyboard, cello, bass clarinet and a front of the band female singer) and a fusion (the word you can’t avoid when talking about such things), yes a fusion of post-minimalist riff-based accompaniments and at least the concept of the socially aware rock and roll anthem.

For example one of the pieces that Newspeak played on Cornelia Street on Saturday was titled “Sweet Light Crude” (It seems ironic titleing is another defining factor for the band). Bottom line – lot’s of derivative licks that worked well-enough together, a good groove that never really found a point of ecstasy or heightened inspiration and a front singer who was earnest, but not quite a diva, delivered the message, but not necessarily the acid of the irony. I can name a lot of things that it wasn’t. I wanted background singers. I wanted a fiercer groove. A little bit of anger or condescension, or both, wouldn’t have hurt either.

Does this mean that I didn’t like the band? Hell no! I just think it’s hard to be rock band when everybody’s reading music from a part. In fact reading intently. And when your identity isn’t clear enough to supercede the use of the word “fusion”, there may be work to be done.

So I think that it’s telling that the highlight of the day for me (maybe for the month) came from, you guessed it, Newspeak. They ended their three song set with a completely rocking version of Frederick Rzewski’s (that’s pronounced SHEV-ski, for the uninitiated) iconic social commentary on the Attica riots, “Coming Together”. This is a piece that’s based on the text of a letter from Attica prisoner, Sam Melville written shortly before the riots took place. The reading of the spoken part was dynamic and inspiring and illuminating and the band brought an electricity to the music which I haven’t heard in any other performance of the piece. And this wasn’t just because a couple of the instruments were plugged in.

So how does this happen? My perspective is this - the music has to be great; the band has to be utterly prepared. It didn’t hurt that the sounds on the street served to enhance the ambiance and the urgency of the performance. Little Sebastian, son of new music virtuosi Ursel Schlicht and Robert Dick throwing a wiffle ball in the air and watching it bounce, the hum of air conditioner fans, distant conversations, sirens, cars. But a lesser performance might have suffered from the distractions.

Here's where it begins...

Yes, it’s official – I am now a blogger. So let me set the tone for what this blog is all about.

If you’re here, you’re probably aware that I’m a composer and trombonist. You may also be aware that I am an arts learning specialist and am active as a consultant in a variety of areas concerning the arts. You’re probably not aware that I’m a compulsive reader of studies on the arts, the nature of learning, the intricacies of brain development and a variety of other topics. I am recognized by my friends as a coffee addict, a lover of good beer and excellent wine, an insomniac and a true lover of sleep (not the contradiction one might think). If you know me really, really well, you may be aware that I am a chess aficianado and am completely unwilling to leave a NY Times crossword unfinished.

I consider any of those topics to be fair game at any time.

However, most of the time I’ll be dedicating this space to responses to performances which I attend, CDs, new sounds that I encounter, trends in the arts world of New York City, and any contact that I have with it that I find to be interesting or unique.

Here’s an example – in this current two week span I’ve received a major international award that is likely to change the course of my career, toured the mind-blowing facilities of Three-Legged Dog in downtown Manhattan, attended the Senior showcase of the Professional Performing Arts High School and a concert featuring Joshua Fried (of Radio Wonderland Fame) alongside spoken word star, Regie Cabico. I’ve participated in rehearsals in preparation for Make Music New York and will serve on a panel on best practices in teaching literacy at PEN America. So check back to catch my thoughts and opinions on all of those happenings and much much more. I plan to add to this blog once or twice a week.

Of course if you find it easier, and you seek to always have your ear to the ground, subscribe to my rss feed. Feel free to add your comments. I’ll always do my best to keep things clean and polite (if not necessarily nice or complimentary) and I’ll expect all of you to do the same.

If you didn’t come here via one of my web sites, please do check them out.

Peace,
KJ