rough edges

For the many who missed the opportunity, Monday and Tuesday at the Music Gallery went smashingly well. Like being in a 3/4 ton truck on a bumpy road at times, the band held on with energy and commitment, motoring through two sets of very different music. There were songs and a shadow puppet show.

insideamind

The process of getting the songs music together was chaotic and unfocused, but in the end we pulled it off – all thirteen of us. As Artistic Director Blair Mackay said to me over beer and cheese cake at Sin & Redemption, it was only possible because the musicians are so good. And he’s right: we only had one ninety minute rehearsal with everyone.

 

Jennifer Moore

There were mixed reviews. Or at least one person, a colleague, said he detested what we did with the DJs. He could see nothing good in it. But he stayed for the whole concert. I appreciate his honesty. I immediately thought that we must be going in the right direction with such a strong reaction. The rest of the comments I received were excitedly supportive.

 

 

 

Maryem Tollar

There were balance issues: singers couldn’t be heard as well as you’d like, the instruments I was playing were inaudible most of the time. But from my perspective the music was working and we achieved what we had hoped – to effectively integrate iNSiDEaMiND.

 

 

Suba Sankaran

We’re in the process of creating a recording of the mostly Sundanese songs we developed over the last four years with Maryem, Jennifer, and Suba. The restriction of a six-note palette and an immovable key has always led us to collaborate with non-gamelan instruments to expand the tonal and timbral range of the instruments. So, integrating iNSiDEaMiND seems like a viable solution. When we go into the studio we’ll record the gamelan with turntable electronica and other non-gamelan instruments, then manipulate and mold the sound to create a series of fresh arrangements.

 

Rick Sacks

The Smoids shadow puppet show, which should have gone first, filled the second half audience with child-like awe and wonder. The piece was held together by blue and red tape. But it was a first draft. Laughs and guffaws came at the appropriate places, and creator Rick Sacks was extremely happy with the results.