A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth 16 BE PRESENT 17
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2016-17 UMS LEARNING GUIDE A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth 16 BE PRESENT 17 BE PRESENT 1 Table of Contents 04 05 06 21 ATTEND THE DETAILS LEARN CONNECT 07 Why? 22 Being an Audience Member 09 Artist 25 Arts Online 11 Art Form 27 Recommended Reading 18 Performance 31 Writing About Live Performance 34 About UMS 36 Credits and Sponsors april 12 UMS SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCE A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth Wednesday, April 12 // 11 am Rackham Auditorium BE PRESENT 3 Attend Coming to your E-mail Inbox! Map and Driving Directions Logistical Details (drop-off/pick-up locations) Venue Information UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122 BE PRESENT 4 The Details ACCESSIBILITY We aim to maximize accessibility at our performances and below are details regarding this performance’s points of accessibility. If you have further question e-mail [email protected] or call 734-615-0122. PARKING There is handicapped parking very close to the Rackham on Fletcher Street and in the parking structure behind the Power Center on Palmer Drive. The first three levels of the Palmer Drive structure have 5 parking spots on each level next to each elevator. There are a total of 15 parking spaces in the garage. BATHROOMS ADA ADA compliant toilets are available on the front west corner (women) and the front east corner (men) of the building. Use the ramp located on the west end of the building to access the powered, left most, door. VENUE ADDRESS ENTRY Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Except for the left most door, the front doors are not powered, however, there will be an usher at the front door opening it for all patrons. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER 734-764-2538 ARRIVAL TIME Between 10:30-10:50am TICKETS We do not use paper tickets for School Day Performances. We hold school reservations at the door and seat groups upon arrival. FOOD No food or drinks (including school lunches) are allowed in the theater. BE PRESENT 5 Learn A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122 BE PRESENT 6 LEARN Why? UMS EDUCATION ARTISTIC STATEMENT A Far Cry and Roomful of Teeth are two dynamic ensembles that challenge chamber music conventions by offering fresh commissions and diverse soundscapes. A Far Cry is a 17-member string orchestra that performs without a conductor, with a repertoire covering everything from 12th-century church music to recent works from leading living composers. The group was founded in Boston in 2007 and operates out of an open storefront in nearby Jamaica Plain, which allows the community to witness rehearsals from the street. The musicians of A Far Cry (who call themselves Criers) share musical and administrative leadership, giving them great agency in their artistic product. The vocal octet Roomful of Teeth will join A Far Cry for this performance. Roomful of Teeth was founded by Brad Wells in 2009, with the mission to “mine the artistic potential of the human voice.” The octet achieves this feat by embracing vocal traditions from all over the world, expanding its ideas and vocabulary through a commissioning project with new composers. When A Far Cry commissioned Roomful of Teeth ensemble member Caroline Shaw to write a new work, two of the most influential chamber ensembles today joined forces. They are now presenting this work on their first tour together. UMS is thrilled to bring the fearless approach of A Far Cry and Roomful of Teeth to the School Day Performance Series. We hope that students will engage with and learn from the collaborative and groundbreaking spirit of these ensembles. BE PRESENT 7 LEARN Why? ONLINE: CONNECTING TO THE PERFORMANCE Every year that this group continues to exist, it basically has to continue to exist by growing and by pushing itself and by developing and by becoming more coherent, more supported, more real, more fully itself. You literally have two options: to die or to grow. And it’s been just absolutely awesome to me to experience all the different aspects of that growth. Listen to this Spotify playlist. -SARAH DARLING, VIOLA, FOUNDING MEMBER A FAR CRY BE PRESENT 8 LEARN Artist A FAR CRY & ROOMFUL OF TEETH: FIVE THINGS TO KNOW 01 A Far Cry has pioneered a unique rehearsal strategy that enables the orchestra to function without a conductor. The Criers nominate five section leaders for each piece, called principals. These principals are in charge of the piece’s musical ideas and guide its rehearsal process, fostering collaboration while maximizing efficiency. 02 03 04 Roomful of Teeth is known for its mastery The founding musicians of A Far Cry chose Both ensembles hold residencies at art of a variety of global vocal traditions its name to evoke a distance from classical museums — the Criers at Boston’s Isabella including Tuvan throat singing, Korean music’s norms and traditions. Roomful of Stewart Gardner Museum and Roomful storytelling, yodeling, Hindustani music, Teeth refers to a line from the 1942 film of Teeth at the Massachusetts Museum and Persian classical singing. The Road to Morocco. This unconventional of Modern and Contemporary Art. These ensemble’s ability to sing in these diverse name ties into the all-vocal instrumentation residencies provide valuable space, time, styles creates a soundscape so unique and hints at the fact that the ensemble and financial resources to experiment with that some of its commissions have never thinks of itself as a band rather than as a new works and ideas. been performed by other groups. classical chamber group. 05 This School Day Performance will feature works by Caroline Shaw and Ted Hearne. Shaw, a regular member of Roomful of Teeth, became the youngest composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and is known for a joyful, eclectic style. Hearne’s works have been performed by numerous ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco and Chicago symphonies. The performance will explore how music can evoke narratives even when there are no lyrics or concrete storyline. Selected students will be invited on stage to participate in this interactive experience, collaborating with the artists to improvise stories as expressed by music. BE PRESENT 9 LEARN Artist ONLINE: GETTING TO KNOW A FAR CRY Catch a glimpse of A Far Cry’s unique rehearsal process in this video. Follow A Far Cry on Twitter at @afarcrymusic Or visit website at afarcry.org BE PRESENT 10 LEARN Art Form CHAMBER MUSIC PLAY Sharing a musical performance experience with others can be a sublime and joyful experience and the following thoughts are some considerations of musicians when playing in small ensembles, linked by the acronym, PLAY: Produce a Group Sound, Look and Listen, Ask for Help, and Yield to Others. P L A Y Produce a Group Sound Look and Listen Ask for Help Yield to Others The historical context of the In order to match pitch and play Any ensemble player might Fellow ensemble members instruments or music being together, ensemble members have a musical idea (planned or might be inspired to make a performed can influence the rely on eyes and/or ears to spontaneous in performance) spontaneous musical decision, ensemble’s initial decisions monitor their own playing and to or need help finding their and for the sake of the ensemble about style and sound. While be responsive to other’s playing. spot in the music. Playing in playing together, it can be playing, members consider the This visual and aural awareness a small ensemble involves helpful for other members of the balance of the ensemble and can be active during the pre- knowing when and how to ensemble to support, without constantly assess who has performance tuning process of ask for this assistance from question, that decision (similar to the solo or supporting role and establishing a group pitch center fellow players. Eye contact and the improv game “Yes and”). It is adjust their playing accordingly or while the ensemble works to body movements (sometimes also helpful to identify someone to achieve a group sound. They maintain or change the tempo exaggerated) can be useful who will take the lead in starting will also coordinate emphasis, during actual performance. communication tools when a piece of music or ending it climaxes, and points of relaxation Performers also look at and listen words are not an option. Pre- neatly, and yield to whatever that in musical phrases. (sometimes to the audience and sometimes planning and discussion about person decides in performance. an ensemble’s objective can respond to their energy, mood, musical directions can also specifically be to not have a or feedback. improve the execution and unified sound too) success of musical ideas. BE PRESENT 11 LEARN Art Form ONLINE What is chamber music? Watch this video from Houston Public Media to learn more about this art form. BE PRESENT 12 LEARN Art Form ONLINE: GETTING TO KNOW A ROOMFUL OF TEETH Catch a glimpse of their rehearsal process, watch A Roomful of Teeth experiment with expressive potential of the human voice A Roomful of Teeth on Twitter @roomfulofteeth or visit their website at roomfulofteeth.org BE PRESENT 13 LEARN Art Form A ROOMFUL OF TEETH: A CAPPELLA SINGING Roomful of Teeth employs a technique called a cappella singing or simply, A cappella has experienced a recent national revival, garnering media vocal music without accompaniment. This type of composition has been attention and infiltrating college campuses. Colleges across the country around for many hundreds of years, with roots in religious and praise music. have formed groups to emulate long-standing a cappella clubs like the In the late 15th century, the popularity of a cappella music grew significantly Whiffenpoofs of Yale University and the Jabberwocks of Brown University.