Classical music can be a little stuffy. You don’t typically see a lot of classical concertgoers movin’ and groovin’ along to the music in their seats.
But in the 21st century, composers have taken a cue from funk, jazz, folk, and the blues—and they’re learning some new moves. On this week’s episode of Second Inversion, we’ll hear music you can groove to. Tune in for toe-tapping, finger-snapping tunes from today’s top composers.
To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, August 21 at 9pm PT.
We’re excited to release two brand new videos with the Turtle Island Quartet, recorded here in our studios!
“Crossover” is a term that is thrown around a lot with genre-mixing music. TIQ violinist David Balakrishnan explained their take on “crossover” in a recent Seattle Times article. It’s brilliant:
“Crossover is often associated with classical musicians trying to do something they don’t know how to do. In our case, we were formed for the express purpose of doing what we’ve wanted to do since childhood: play improvised music and jazz using our classical training as string players. What we’ve ended up doing isn’t crossover, because how can you cross over when you’re already there?”
Our request? Keep on keepin’ on!
Time for Three (a.k.a. TF3) totally nails the concept of “Rethink Classical.” The members of this genre-defying trio (Zachary (Zach) De Pue, violin; Nicolas (Nick) Kendall, violin; and Ranaan Meyer, double bass) were trained at the Curtis Institute of Music and undoubtedly have incredible classical chops. Their fluency and natural ability to play arrangements of The Beatles, Kanye West, and Katy Perry equally as well as Bach and Brahms is what sets these guys apart and makes their self-proclaimed “classically-trained garage band” title totally accurate.
“How do we reach a younger audience?” is a hot topic among symphony orchestras around the globe right now. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has teamed up with TF3 for their “Happy Hour Series,” where they perform on about four programs per year. I had a chance to talk to TF3 a few weeks ago about this experience and they absolutely love it. They’ve developed a fan base of young professionals (90% are ages 20-45) who keep coming back, concert after concert. TF3 caters to the needs of that demographic by crafting performances in the concert hall that are similar in format to rock shows – lights, trajectory of a playlist that takes you on a journey, and music that is groove-oriented and familiar. They’ll pair Beethoven alongside Coldplay… Brahms… Radiohead. The audience may come for the Radiohead, but find unexpected connections with Brahms.
And speaking of performances and venues, the guys are currently on tour and stopping right here in Seattle on Wednesday, August 13 at the Columbia City Theater, where you can sit or stand, drink a beer, dance, and make merry in this fun, historic space. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are still available!
Their recently released self-titled album is an emblem for the modern era of genre-crossover, containing an impressive collection of arrangements, originals, and guest performers (Joshua Radin! Alisa Weilerstein! Jake Shimabukuro! Branford Marsalis! Lily & Madeleine!). We had the pleasure of having Nick, Ranaan, and Zach in our studios for a special in-studio performance:
(this session is no longer available)
Our hats are off to you, TF3, for this amazing collection of originals, covers, and collaborations! If you like what you hear, pop over to iTunes or Amazon and make it yours.