photo by cathy irving
the world on a string concert presented by smallworld music and recorded by CBC Radio is now online. many thanks to alan davis, artistic director of smallworld. also of course all the musicians, especially rich brown for asking me to be a part of it.
i am playing loads of dance classes these days, about 9 or more a week. first of all, i love playing dance classes. well, maybe love is a strong word but the demands placed on the accompanist for these classes are all things that the musician (or any artist for that matter) must have at their fingertips. improvisation, creativity, strong time sense, connection with sound, with other dancers, with the essence of the movement…..these are all things that as a drummer i need to have honed and ready.
playing dance class, particularly for peggy baker (whose accompanist i have had the good fortune to be for over 6 years or so now) is a great way for me to keep fit—physically, musically, mentally and spritually. listening to peggy speak about dance and the creative process is one of the biggest influences on me as a musician and on my approach to creating. i am very fond of saying that i would not be half the musician i am today without my many years of accompanying dance class.
but man my hands hurt. i’m not getting any younger.
well, i put robert lippok on the plane yesterday. after a week long radio theatre workshop sponsored by the goethe institute toronto and a wonderful concert at toronto’s music gallery we parted ways for now. on his plate: set design, an electronic mass, and other european delights. on mine: lots of dance classes to play, grant writing and composing to do.
the concert itself was a great treat for me. the confluence of the digital and acoustic worlds is something i have been so entranced by, and robert’s sounds are precisely what i hear in my head somehow. we are hoping to do more playing as a duo in the future, and i am already on to the planning stages for next year!!!
stay tuned.
