Equally at home performing Pulitzer Prize winning compositions by household-name composers or creating soundscapes from amplified tables covered in sand, eighth blackbird continues to solidify its reputation is one of the most accomplished and innovative ensembles in the world. On Wednesday, September 16th, this Grammy Award winning ensemble returns to its residence at the University of Richmond to perform SPAM, a concert that explores the relationship between rock music and twenty-first century composition. In anticipation of the event, I spoke with the ensembles flutist, Timothy Munro, about music, processed meats, and video games.
How would you describe eighth blackbird to someone who has never heard the group before?
eighth blackbird aims to bring the always entertaining, sometimes shocking, often just plain weird diversity of new classical music to a broad audience. We play from memory, incorporate theatrical elements into our shows, and work with artists as diverse as drummer Glenn Kotche and choreographer Susan Marshall.
What, in your opinion, are some of those ways that rock music has influenced classical composition in the twenty-first century, and what can listeners expect on September 16th?
The grey area between rock music and classical composition has never been larger or well more grey. Americas young classical composers, for example Missy Mazzoli or Nico Muhly, grew up listening to indie rock and heavy metal, and these influences cant help but appear in their music.
The downtown NYC music scene, of which the Bang on a Can composer collective is the most prominent example, has helped drive this revolution in Manhattan. One natural outgrowth of that is a New York-based label like New Amsterdam Records (brain-child of talented New York institution Judd Greenstein) consciously seeks out classical performers who straddle both worlds. But, in fact, the fruits can be heard across the country. In fact, just the other day our very first intern began working for us, a rock guitarist who caught the classical bug and whose music no doubt will show the stamp of both.
What should listeners expect for our September 16 show? Theyll hear composers influenced by the hugely diverse world of popular music, but I hope that audiences wont expect to hear a rock show. Instead, eighth blackbird concerts are a bit of a wild musical roller coaster ride: from the quirky fun of Twelve Hands and SPAM to the mysterious, elusive, other-worldly sounds of Deserted Churchyards and Derive.
Would you say that classical composition has influenced rock music and, if so, how?
A whole generation of indie-rock musicians is either classically trained or have a strong interest in composers as different as Steve Reich and Kaija Saariaho. Personally, when I listen to Andrew Bird I hear the influence of Maurice Ravel, and when I listen to Sufjan Stevens I hear Philip Glass.
What kinds of new instrumental techniques have the members of eighth blackbird explored in order to play this music?
On September 16 we will be playing a piece that throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Twelve Hands is a quotation-free homage to the Beatles by hot young Dutch composer Mayke Nas. The six of us play entirely on the strings and frame of the piano using regular household items: toothpicks, credit cards, dish brushes and hammers.
Playing in eighth blackbird can be a pretty interesting job. Apart from destroying pianos, weve had to saw wood onstage, play goose and duck calls, scream and shout and play with childrens toys.
Have you performed, or do you wish you could perform in a rock or jazz club-like environment?
I wish that this could happen more often. Were a little restricted by economic issues eighth blackbird is essentially a band for hire, and we rely on the larger fees that big, classical venues and presenters can pay, in order to make a living by playing crazy music. Also, we play music that has a huge dynamic range it gets very loud but also very soft and the very soft, subtle sounds do get lost among the clinking of beers and dull roar in a club setting. Were big fans of venues like New Yorks The Kitchen, which gives the feel of a rock venue but with a more conventional classical audience setup, and Le Poisson Rouge, which in two years has built a hip, young, excited audience for a huge variety of new music.
A significant portion of music seems to focus on Englands contribution to the rock and roll canon (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Mark-Anthony Turnage). Coincidence?
Good point! This is coincidence, but I guess you could say that England has been the driving force behind many of rock musics revolutions, and most of the composers I know are as influenced by the Beatles as by Beethoven. Theres another Englishman represented on our program as well, Thomas Ades, whose Catch is a hilarious playground game, full of taunts and teasing, enacted on- and off-stage.
How does the consistency, flavor and pop-culture relevance of SPAM the meat product inform the work, SPAM, by Marc Mellits?
Marc tends to come up with very quirky titles. I think the biggest point of confluence is that SPAM (the meat product and the piece) doesnt take itself too seriously. We think of SPAM (the meat product) as cheap, disposable and bland. SPAM (the piece) is fast, virtuosic, direct, fun, and very funky.
Can you talk a little about Steve Reichs Double Sextet, the Pulitzer Prize it won and eighth blackbirds world premiere of that work at the University of Richmond?
Double Sextet was written for eighth blackbird in 2007, and weve been playing it all over the world since then. Steve doesnt write for single instruments, so he decided to double each of our instruments (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion and piano) for the piece. We first recorded one sextet part, and played the other sextet part with this pre-recorded mirror-image of ourselves. The piece is fast and driving in the outer movements, and atypically lyrical in the middle section. We were very excited that the piece won a Pulitzer, and feel that Steve was very much overdue! Where was the Pulitzer for Music for 18 Musicians? And for Tehillim? About bloody time!!
Considering the impending release of The Beatles Rock Band game, what would Rock Band: eighth blackbird be like?
This is a deeply important question! Our second home, University of Richmond, offered Rock Band as a class one semester, and we definitely spent some seriously crazy time in that little, airless room channeling Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Weve been thinking about ways to include Rock Band into our live act, and admittedly it would be pretty bloody difficult, but that doesnt mean well give up hope!!
