{"id":9587,"date":"2021-03-23T15:46:15","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T22:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperf.wpengine.com\/?p=9587"},"modified":"2021-03-23T16:07:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T23:07:29","slug":"musicanova-classical-lounge-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/2021\/03\/23\/musicanova-classical-lounge-series\/","title":{"rendered":"MusicaNova | Classical Lounge Series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Redefining “Classical<\/strong>”\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Joy\u00a0filled the space\u00a0as Warren Cohen, Lisa Tharp,\u00a0Sonja Branch,\u00a0and Arouna and Zaza\u00a0Diarra\u00a0appeared in the Zoom meeting. This small group represents members of AZ63\u2019s ensemble and the\u00a0MusicaNova\u00a0orchestra. We gathered online to discuss the upcoming\u00a0MusicaNova\u00a0Classical Lounge series: Burkina Dreams in the Desert<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0a light and lively showcase of classical artists of color.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The virtual meeting room was warm with connection\u00a0and genuine gratitude,\u00a0as\u00a0musicians have found it difficult to connect with one another and their\u00a0audiences as they navigate social distancing and digital performance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis has been a lesson in gratefulness. I miss the sense of the big group on the stage as a team, bringing this experience together for the audience. I\u2019m lucky to have that to look forward to,” said Lisa Tharp,\u00a0MusicaNova\u00a0Chamber Winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite\u00a0ongoing\u00a0separation,\u00a0this\u00a0past year\u00a0of the COVID -19 pandemic\u00a0has\u00a0sparked\u00a0new curiosity and fresh appreciation for\u00a0each musician and their\u00a0craft. The group discussed the joy of\u00a0rekindling\u00a0a love for instruments they hardly touch\u00a0anymore and\u00a0honing their skills\u00a0with greater specificity as\u00a0they take on fewer commitments. Arouna\u00a0Diarra reflected on the beauty of\u00a0crafting\u00a0instruments and sending them to people\u2014a gift of creative practice.\u00a0They also discussed\u00a0challenges\u00a0of\u00a0virtual space, and the new skills they have acquired\u00a0in order\u00a0to perform online.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone seemed\u00a0eager to\u00a0return\u00a0to\u00a0live, in-person performances, bringing with them a deep\u00a0appreciation\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0work they do and\u00a0art they create. This\u00a0does not\u00a0come without challenges, as\u00a0communities are\u00a0shaken by the limitations of the pandemic and awakened\u00a0by calls to\u00a0social and racial\u00a0justice.\u00a0From socially distant performances that include blocking and limited capacities on-stage to the increasing influence and reach\u00a0of smaller scale world music. Warren\u00a0Cohen is hopeful for the future of the classical landscape:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think there will be a change in the music, in what people listen to. There will be more world music. I think there\u2019s going to be a much bigger audience for that because of the pandemic. [Artists] have been able to find ways to connect with people that [they] didn\u2019t have before,” said Warren Cohen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With entertainment being stripped down by the pandemic, it seems that the art lover\u2019s hunger for new experience is growing more insatiable. Paired with greater attention to expanding one\u2019s cultural education, there is an increase of curiosity that provides opportunities where audiences are excited to hear new music, and explore the traditional sounds of places they never would have otherwise investigated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a glow of anticipation surrounding live, in-person performance once again\u00a0among the group.\u00a0Arouna Diarra\u00a0continually\u00a0expressed deep\u00a0longing\u00a0to see the joy that their music brings to people.\u00a0He describes the\u00a0challenge to perform disconnected from their audience\u00a0in digital space:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel real to me,\u201d\u00a0said Arouna Diarra.\u00a0\u201c[With an audience],\u00a0the magic comes out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This interactive element\u00a0of AZ63\u2019s\u00a0work\u00a0is essential. In-person interaction\u00a0allows them to challenge the audience to reframe their understanding of “Classical” music and explore new sounds, languages, and cultures\u00a0through\u00a0personal engagement. Zaza Diarra explains:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of our songs are in a different language.\u00a0It’s really fun to get someone to say something they can repeat with you;\u00a0I get more fun just getting the audience interacting with us than playing just trying to smile,\u201d said Zaza Diarra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zaza Diarra also plays\u00a0a major role\u00a0in guiding the audience with translations, opening the door for them to empathize and connect with the work being\u00a0performed.\u00a0When this kind of\u00a0connection is inherent to the\u00a0music,\u00a0virtual settings cannot do it justice. The performance\u00a0by AZ63\u00a0calls for deeper connection to humanity and can only be\u00a0authentically experienced in community.\u00a0Whether it is\u00a0the\u00a0translation of a song,\u00a0a\u00a0call and response, or\u00a0introduction of\u00a0an instrument,\u00a0the audience is\u00a0continually\u00a0met with a generous invitation to\u00a0discover\u00a0Burkina Faso, the African Diaspora, and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would argue that what Arouna is bringing is the classical music of a different culture, of a different country.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a012th generation (or more) of what\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0doing\u2014an oral historian predating common history.\u00a0A lot of the\u00a0repertoire\u00a0is of the\u00a0Bombara\u00a0people and\u00a0Burkina\u00a0Faso. It\u2019s a classical music of a different kind, telling a different story,” said Sonja\u00a0Branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Boundaries<\/a><\/em>\u00a0carries\u00a0the same\u00a0challenge to\u00a0redefine\u00a0Classical music\u00a0as the\u00a0audience is guided through\u00a0an\u00a0experience\u00a0specially curated\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0gentle\u00a0introduction\u00a0to\u00a0lesser known, newer\u00a0works.\u00a0Lisa Tharp\u00a0shares\u00a0her hope for the\u00a0performance:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are looking forward to expanding people’s\u00a0preconceived\u00a0notions of what ‘serious’ music is. . . . We\u2019re\u00a0not playing any modern music that is\u00a0‘scary’\u00a0or ‘atonal,’ but we\u2019re playing unfamiliar things,\u00a0daring the audience to find the enjoyment of it. . . . I\u2019m really hoping to give them new sounds to think about and maybe develop new fans of more recently written music,\u201d said Lisa Tharp.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"MusicaNova
MusicaNova Orchestra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The anticipation builds as the artists\u00a0take great care\u00a0creating\u00a0the experience of live,\u00a0in-person music,\u00a0understanding the power of collective breath and shared space\u00a0to ease the\u00a0potential\u00a0discomfort of\u00a0experiencing\u00a0something new.\u00a0It is in that space\u00a0that\u00a0joy\u00a0and appreciation for the \u201cdifferent\u201d becomes tangible, becoming a\u00a0warm invitation to be moved by the unfamiliar.\u00a0The\u00a0MusicaNova\u00a0Classical Lounge\u00a0series offers a\u00a0delightful\u00a0space to\u00a0reframe\u00a0our\u00a0existing\u00a0ideas of\u00a0classical music\u00a0through\u00a0the exploration of culture,\u00a0sounds,\u00a0and\u00a0genuine\u00a0human connection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Burkina<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Upcoming MusciaNova Classical Lounge Series:

Burkina Dreams in the Desert Featuring AZ63 Saturday, March 27, 2 p.m.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.

No Boundaries
Sunday, May 16, 2 p.m. Learn more<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The MusicaNova Classical Lounge series offers a delightful space to reframe our existing ideas of classical music through the exploration of culture, sounds, and genuine human connection. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[63],"tags":[59,94,186,187],"acf":[],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9587"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}