Young Musicians 'Mix It Up' At More Music At The Moore 5/8

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents the 8th annual More Music @ The Moore (MM@M) on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. For one night only more than 30 of this region's finest young musicians and market Buskers will storm the Moore Theatre and "mix it up" with their diverse music styles such as pop, indie rock, Irish fiddle and strings. Teens work directly on individual performance techniques with professional musician mentors, then collaborate under the direction of composer and conductor Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) to perform a unique evening-length concert including original compositions.

MM@M is an annual celebration of the rich musical talent of our youth and provides musicians, regardless of what style they play, the opportunity to make original music together in a cross-cultural collaborative way. The 2009 youth/artist mentor relationships will be arranged with some of Seattle's highest profile and most-revered artists and musicians. Past mentors have included: Jazz vocalist Ernestine Anderson, drummers for the bands Santana and YES, Michael Shrieve and Alan White, and guitarist for The Presidents of the United States of America Dave Dederer and local band Schoolyard Heroes. During private one-on-one sessions, mentors will coach these talented teens through the artistic process and prepare them for the concert. Contact Jennifer Rice for pre-show interview opportunities and details on mentor sessions.

For the fourth consecutive year, composer and performer DBR, fresh from his April 1, 2009 guest appearance on FOX's American Idol with Lady Gaga, will serve as MM@M Music Director to pull together diverse musical styles and blend them into what he is calling an "orchestra of life." An unexpected trend this year is the abundance of family acts; two sister acts and a brother/sister duo are featured. The 30 young musicians range in age from 11-21 years old.

2009 teen musician performers include:
EriAm Sisters (Eritrean-American, R&B/pop, Renton, sisters)
The Gothard Sisters (Irish fiddle /dance, classical string, Everett, sisters)
Sea Fever (5 member indie band, UW & SPU students)
Virginia & Evan Easthope (indie/folk, singer/songwriter, The Bush School & UW)
More Music String Ensemble (individual diverse players selected)

Special guests from Market Buskers:
A Moment in Time (a cappella soul)
Slimpickins (rags, country blues, Cajun)
Artis the Spoonman (rhythmic spoons)
Reggie Miles, Junk Guitar/Handsaw (junk guitar, handsaw)

Guest musicians include: Wynne Bennett (piano) from DBR & The Mission and Ryan Leyva (guitarist), tours nationally with Blake Lewis (as "Johnny Nails") and MM@M alumni.

Project Director Dr. Carlene Brown and STG's Education and Community Programs Department selected local teen artists to perform in MM@M. Produced by STG's Education and Community Programs Department, MM@M provides young artists, who are pursuing careers in music and are passionate about making music, training and performance opportunities, mentorships with professional musicians as well as production and promotional support.

MM@M is an anchor program of more than 50 diverse arts education and community programs conducted annually by STG. These programs reach over 20,000 students, artists and community members every year. MM@M is made possible by The ASCAP Foundation, Andrew Conru, John Brooks Williams and John H. Bauer Endowment for Theatre, NoStankYou.com, BECU, Boeing, PONCHO and Artsfund.

Tickets: More Music @ The Moore general admission advance tickets are $15.00 adults and $12.00 students (not including applicable service charges) and are available online at www.STGpresents.org, by phone at 877-STG-4TIX, in person at The Moore and Paramount Theatre venue kiosks and The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday-Friday 10am-6pm). Tickets are available day-of-show ticket for $17.00 for adults and $14.00 students.) The Moore Theatre is located at 1932 2nd Avenue in downtown Seattle. Groups of 10 or more call 206-315-8015. School groups interested in the May 8th student matinee, should contact STG's Education Department by calling 206-467-5510, ext. 1127.
About Seattle Theatre Group: Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.

About Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR): Having carved a reputation for himself as an innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination. His latest orchestral work and second Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) commission Darwin's Meditation for The People of Lincoln is a musical setting of a pocket play by Daniel Beaty that explores an imagined conversation between Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. Following its New York premiere at BAM's 2008 Next Wave Festival, Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln performed at the University of Connecticut February 12, 2009 - the icons' shared bicentennial anniversary of their birth.

Recent DBR performances and commissions include: Five Chairs and One Table, a commissioned work for Imani Winds; WE MARCH!, a guitar concerto for Eliot Fisk and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; The Tuscaloosa Meditations commissioned by the University of Alabama composed in honor of Vivian Malone Jones; Voodoo Violin Concerto, a virtuosic handling of DBR's Haitian heritage premiered by the Vermont Youth Orchestra; Double Quartet: The Kompa Variations, an exploration of Haitian kompa music for the Providence String Quartet and a student quartet; and newly commissioned works for the Florida Youth Orchestra, Ahn Trio and Claremont Trio. DBR has also composed music for the theater and film including Daniel Beaty's play Resurrection, the ESPN television segment E:60 Homeless Basketball, and two soon-to-be released documentary films - Off and Running and Strange Things. Other projects include a worldwide tour performing works off of his debut international solo album etudes4violin&electronix (Thirsty Ear Recordings), and ongoing collaborations with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Philip Glass, Ryuichi Sakamoto, DJ Spooky, and DJ Scientific. Touring since 2004, his electrifying ensemble DBR & THE MISSION made its international debut at Australia's 2008 Adelaide Festival. http://www.dbrmusic.com

SEATTLE THEATRE GROUP
911 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101 · Telephone (206) 467-5510 · Facsimile (206) 812-3272

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.