BY ADAM SIMMONS AS TOLD TO CUTCOMMON
Adam Simmons’ two-year long series The Usefulness of Art has been performed to widespread critical acclaim. Adam’s latest composition The Kites of Tianjin will feature as the series’ final project this 26-29 July at fortyfivedownstairs. It shares the narrative of the city’s Wei Kites, and will feature the Adam Simmons Creative Music Ensemble with soloist Wang Zheng-Ting on sheng and with set design by Rachaeldaisy. Here, Adam takes us into his series and new work.
The Usefulness of Art was born from my contemplation of how I might shift my practice to a new level.
I was unsuccessful with an application for an Australia Council Fellowship in 2016, but as a result I created a plan and seeds were sown. A number of other avenues were pursued without luck, and I had just resigned myself to it not happening at all when I actually was successful with both Australia Council and Creative Victoria.
My larger-scale works have felt successful when performed, but this was a framework to help focus on them as a group, with both existing and new works to be presented. While each project is its own thing, I have identified and encouraged various threads that connect them. On various levels, I really have striven to present something that may be considered as my magnum opus, though one never wants to think the top of the hill has been reached!
It’s been extremely satisfying to have received such positive reviews, including making several picks for best events of 2017. Just as important has been the sense of community that has developed throughout the concerts among audiences and artists. I never take it for granted that people will return, so when I keep seeing familiar faces in the audience, sometimes even wearing their TUoA t-shirts, it helps me keep faith that, yes, we’re doing a good thing.
A critically acclaimed concert series doesn’t just ‘happen’
It doesn’t just happen, and there are no guarantees. Each project presented so far has had its particular challenges – the Concerto for Piano and Toy Band had very specific lighting cues with a much more notated score, in comparison to The Usefulness of Art suite, which was much more free-flowing. Travelling Tales was intended to be a more standard concert presentation, but after the first two projects, it felt necessary to utilise the space, fashion, and lighting to enhance the work beyond just the musical. And then I’ve just upped the ante again with the two works in 2018 as a result of learnings from the first three projects.
Each time, I’ve done my best to really understand what I wish to explore in the work, and then tried to articulate that as best as possible to the various collaborators; especially in regard to the visual component, be it fashion, sculptural, projection or lighting. Knowing ‘why’ makes it easier for me to explain what is intended with a certain movement, or musical shift or what I would like to convey via lighting or whatever.
In the 2-3 months leading up to each one, the activities have included:
- Preparing the composition/score/parts. Last year was easier with existing works, but this year the works have been newly composed.
- Promotion. Working with Diana Wolfe of Wolfe Words to help her get the word out.
- Discussions with the visual artists and venue/tech staff to work out the look and logistics of each set.
- Rehearsals. Generally only two to four rehearsals each time, with the final one being a dress rehearsal and photographed by Sarah Walker.
- Lighting/set-up – designing the lighting with assistance/guidance (usually Andy Turner, technical coordinator). I’ve largely done this myself, as I’ve generally been the only one who really knows the shape and look of the work prior to the first rehearsal in the space; sometimes doing bits of the set design also.
- Coordinating with the lighting operator all of the cues.
- Media interviews.
- Social media postings.
- Coordinating/supervising the editing/mixing/mastering of the audio in preparation for CD manufacture.
And, of course, there are all the other bits of work, teaching, and family in around all of that.
The grant-writing that has assisted some but not quite all of the series to date. Australia Council and Creative Victoria made 2017 possible with everyone getting paid, but I have been unsuccessful with subsequent funding applications to those bodies, despite actually having had the positive results from last year. The two projects in 2018 have been generously supported by City of Melbourne, which covers the main costs, but I have had to rely on the artists’ generosity (and my other work) to complete the series as planned.
It has not been easy, it has not just happened – and it has not just been me that has made it happen. But I’ve pushed hard, as I’ve learnt that one can create one’s opportunities. And, as I mentioned, the idea of these five projects was to shift my practice to a new level. If the reviews are any indication, then that has been achieved. But I’ll need a rest after this one!
On the energy needed to perform, compose, and host a series
I’m also teaching at University of Melbourne and privately, as well as having been a festival director for a few years now – first creating Festival of Slow Music and now as lead co-artistic director for Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues. Throw all that in the mix as well as being a dad, and it does get busy!
Being a freelance musician means you never have any stability, so you’re always trying to find and create opportunities – and you always say ‘yes’. The breadth of experience I’ve had has often been its own reward, but has also given me skills and networks across many fields. Increasingly, I’m finding that I have the capacity and opportunity to help connect different people and/or organisations together. Through all of this, the notion of art being ‘useful’, and learning just how that is the case, has been vital in keeping me going.
I don’t claim to balance it well and, to be very honest, right at this time I am probably about the busiest and most stressed I have been ever been. There is a lot on my plate with the launch of Wangaratta Festival coinciding with the premier of The Kites of Tianjin and starting back teaching for the semester at University of Melbourne, but we are also dealing with some current challenges involving one of our children. He’s been diagnosed as requiring special needs, though he falls between the cracks and is having a hard time of things at the moment on a number of levels.
I am actually feeling things are too difficult currently, so this is a pertinent [topic]. Without going into it all, the main things I am doing are trying to maintain my health, share how I am feeling with those around me, and try to retain confidence in myself. Having good people around me is really what makes it possible – and I’m fortunate to have some really good ones across the spectrum.
At first I felt I had many different versions of ‘me’
I grew up listening to the likes of Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Beatles, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Anthony Braxton, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, West Side Story, and Elton John – which is an eclectic mix – but each of these examples are multifaceted, as well. Think of classic concept albums like Sgt. Pepper’s or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, or Braxton’s solo alto improvisations to his work for four orchestras.
What I feel it has offered is a variety of perspectives and deeper understandings about the connections between different things. At first, I felt I had many different versions of ‘me’, depending on what musical genre I was playing. But I slowly arrived at a point where I understood I was always me, but just exploring a different side.
Learning shakuhachi, Japanese bamboo flute, has fundamentally changed my perspective of my other instruments, regardless of the genre; and in more recent times, learning African drumming is also shifting my thinking about rhythm.
I do look at some people’s trajectories and I feel maybe I would have been wiser to be a little narrower in my focus, as that may have helped maintain and build an audience. But then, I think of what I’ve done and learnt, and I realise I am happy with the crazy mix I’ve been fortunate to have experienced.
On collaboration
Art is connection – that’s where I’ve really come to. I mentioned before about having good people around me as being important, and really that’s what I enjoy about playing music; it’s the sharing. It doesn’t matter whether it’s with other musicians or solo in front of an audience, I really feel music (and art) is about an exchange of energies.
One of the things I’ve learned is that I enjoy playing music where I am engaged; where what I can uniquely offer at that point of time is valued.
I no longer have much time for playing music where my particular voice is not important. All that is necessary is for the instrument to be heard at the right times, and it could be anyone doing it. Understanding that for myself means that I, in turn, am trying to create situations/compositions for my colleagues which will allow them to contribute something of their own voices to the situation. I may create the framework, but I do invite the artists to help in realising it, in the manner in which they see fit, which means they become invested in it and at the same time, we create something that neither/none of us would have been able to come up with by ourselves.
On The Kites of Tianjin
I’m only just working out now how to transfer my love of kites into music! The music is still being formed. How did this all come about? Well, Wang Zheng-Ting and I were invited to a trade show in Tianjin in 2017, and so I quickly did some research into what the city was known for in order to consider what might be a point of departure for a major work with Ting. And I learnt that Tianjin is famous for its kites, and in particular one family whose ancestor made kites for the emperor.
I grew up flying kites, so I was immediately drawn to this idea, plus I liked the idea of wind connecting to both Ting and I because of our instrumental technique. I found photos of Wei Guoqiu, the current kite-maker of the famed family, and so was able to get a little sense of what these kites were like. When I mentioned this to Ting, it turned out he knew Wei and had brought him to Melbourne several years earlier.
As it turned out, we didn’t get the funding to attend the trade fair in 2016 as hoped, but we did a self-funded trip to meet several organisations in Tianjin and Shanghai in April this year and arranged to visit Wei Guoqiu also. We visited his studio in Tianjin, was invited to dinner with him, and attended a public workshop two days later. Wei was very generous and excited to share his love of kites – and from what I could gather, his general love of life as well! It was totally surreal to have stumbled upon this master craftsman last year via a random search via Google and then find myself being wined, dined, and befriended by him less than 12 months later.
The thing I know that I can get from Ting is a willingness to try anything. And that he will be virtuosic in his approach. While the sheng is such an idiosyncratic sound, Ting has no issue in playing any style of music and is also a consummate improviser. I haven’t asked Ting to contribute directly to the composition process on this occasion, but what I am doing is creating textures or environments that he will be able to explore and add his unique voice to it.
There are some parameters that I am giving myself because of the nature of the sheng in terms of available notes and my rudimentary knowledge of Chinese music. This is not to presume to be able to write Chinese music, but rather that the constraints as I understand them will be readily understood by Ting as well as the non-Chinese musicians of the Creative Music Ensemble. And we will be able to share, exchange and work more easily together. And this is intended to be a feature for Ting, so rather than try to learn enough to write appropriately for the sheng, I may as well allow Ting to explore the materials provided as he likes, as he’ll do it much better and more naturally.
On fortyfivedownstairs
The venue was chosen because I knew that I’d be able to do several shows over a week, with the additional bonus of a controlled theatre space. I liked the idea of being able to do more than one performance as that really is the best way to get deeper into the music, especially new, original music. And having access to proper lighting was exciting also.
As it has turned out, the venue has really become an integral part of TUoA series and each work, but especially The Calling and The Kites of Tianjin, has benefited from the architecture of the space. The grungy, stripped-back walls and the wooden floors have worked a treat because of the look, sound, and flexibility of the space.
But it’s also the people. The team at fortyfivedownstairs is really a pleasure to work with, and each of the members has contributed in some way, shape, or form to the feel and success of TUoA; including the FOH staff, who are critical in welcoming and caring for the audiences, as well as for the artists!
It also helps as the venue is not tied to any particular genre or scene, but rather more just to good quality art, so it means TUoA can be eclectic and helps benefit from the dignified nature of the space.
Without giving too much away, what I hope for is that the audiences will feel they have been part of something significant, something they are actually a part of – that art is not just a thing you look at or listen to, but it is an experience that is shared and that actively engages. (Don’t worry – its not like we’ll be calling for volunteers or anything like that…)
It is a standalone work, but it has been placed fifth for a reason. There is a loose over-arching thread that moves from a more conventional musical beginning through the use of concerto form, to looking at what art is, to how art connects/informs us about people, to a sense of identity and place, and finally, by looking at how wind (breath) gives life to finish with considering how to ‘just be’.
But it will be enough to just come and marvel at how Ting cajoles such amazing sounds from the sheng or to hear some of the finest musicians in Melbourne or to see what Rachaeldaisy, Jean Poole, and Christine Crawshaw come up with visually. It will be on the more beautiful and maybe minimal side compared to The Calling performed in May this year, but should be no less compelling.
But this is not the end
I should add – this is not necessarily the end of The Usefulness of Art – rather, it has just been a long beginning! The five projects will be launched as a CD box set on November 19 this year at fortyfivedownstairs, and I’m sorting out details for an exhibition next year featuring the visual art from the series, which for me is as important as the music.
Beyond that, I’m not sure. But I am certain that The Usefulness of Art does not finish here and that, indeed, it shall develop in curious and interesting ways in the future.
See The Kites of Tianjin as part of The Usefulness of Art at fortyfivedownstairs from 26-29 July.
Images supplied. Featured image: Jesse Hunniford.
