The Wake

“This is not a concert,” says composer Randall Davidson, welcoming the audience to the Southern Theater. For a minute, I was confused; I thought I was at a concert. But Sound Check, a new monthly music series at the Southern Theater, is more than just a chance to hear new music sponsored by the American Composers Forum. It is an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the composers and performers; to get inside the creative process.

On April 11, the audience at the Southern was treated to five pieces of new music, ranging from operatic art songs to free jazz. Each composer was on hand to discuss their music with Davidson, who served as the moderator. They also took questions and feedback from the audience.

Sound Check is coordinated by the American Composers Forum, a group who, according to their mission statement, is “committed to supporting composers and developing new markets for their music.” You may think that “classical” music is completely irrelevant—the Composers Forum would like to change your mind.

One piece, written by two graduate students at the U, showcased the innovative facets of electronic composition. While a piano, marimba, cello, violin and flute played Elliot McKinley’s menacing song “Speak (no) Evil,” co-composer Josh Clausen sat at his laptop, nodding along with the beat and placing samples and sound bites into the mix. The lights in the Southern Theater went out, and the intense composition took hold of the audience.

This may not be the sort of thing that comes to mind when you think of “art” music, but it should be. Sound Check did an incredible job of demonstrating the versatility of new music, be it jazz, classical or pop.

Genres began to blur at Sound Check as Wade Oden and Kim Sueoka, best known for their work with the rock band Space Station Alpha, played a series of duets by composer Christopher Gable. A far cry from their work in the world of pop music, these songs proved the flexibility of musical styles and the talent of these musicians. The evening was marked not only by the richness of the compositions, but also by the expressivity of the performers.

“It’s much more about the people than what’s written for them,” says jazz composer/pianist Ellen Lease when speaking about her song “Phrenology.” And while Lease was describing the unstructured nature of her free jazz quintet, the statement applies to any act.

Soprano Janet Gottschall-Fried, for example, expressed her emotional connection to the song cycle she sang, titled “Music for Heroines.” The piece was commissioned to commemorate a book about breast cancer survivors, and was premiered in front of an audience full of women featured in the book. Gottschall-Fried said that first performance was so emotional, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to sing it. At the Southern Theater, which was its second performance, she showed an obvious connection to the words she was singing.

Unlike concerts and recitals, Sound Check series lets the audience hear these sorts of insights and background first-hand, from the mouths of the performers and composers.

With its laid back format, Sound Check is a great way to discover the innovations in music taking place right here in Minnesota. Embracing styles as diverse as jazz and electronica, the April installment challenged the commonly held conceptions of art music. Unfortunately, the event was preaching to the choir; the majority of the people in attendance had personal ties to either the organization or the individual composers. The May 23 edition promises to be just as good, featuring new works involving video art and MIDI performances. Hopefully the intriguing lineup will draw a few new faces.

The next two Sound Check concerts are May 23 and June 20. Both shows are at 8 p.m. at the Southern Theater.