Clunker

I don’t know what aspect of my next performance makes me happier – the fact that I’ll be making music using old car parts, or the fact that I’m musically reuniting with some awesome old friends! 

This weekend I’ll journey back to the Hudson Valley to join Contemporaneous, a new music ensemble started by Bard College students that is gaining momentum and recognition in the NY scene.  Amy Garapic (known to most as Amy G, and known to me as Amers) called me a few weeks ago to invite me to perform with her group TIGUE percussion – a group of Ohio State grads! We’re performing a piece called “Clunker Concerto” by Sean Friar. We’re jamming on hubcaps, break drums, copper pipes, spring coils, mental plates, and the hood of what I imagine was a very colorful Volkswagen Beetle. Amy even turns a fender into a cello-like instrument, bowing specific pitches while executing interesting rhythms. Along with the concerto, we’ll join the ensemble as the percussion section for 3 other great pieces and perform the concert at Bard and at PS142 in New York City.  (Click here for more info!)

We had a blast last weekend at rehearsals, deciphering the score, choosing mallets, creating a set-up, and catching up over some beers and homemade pizza. The most exciting aspect was being able to easily make musical decisions, as the aesthetics, specific sounds, and movements that the four of us aim to produce are so similar. 

Now, my biggest concern is not the analyzing the notes on the page, but competing with the looming Winter Storm Nemo, On Friday, they are predicting that Boston will get 12 – 24 inches of snow!!

Below is a small promo vid I made from our run-through last weekend! Playing with Amy, Nathaniel and Matt has been so much fun - seems like just yesterday we were jamming in Weigel Hall at OSU...