BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
You know Play On, that concert series that pumps classical and electronic music in the Collingwood Underground Car Park?
Yeah, we thought so. It’s hard not to notice such a groundbreaking combination of musical styles; music and venue; musical cultures; musical artists. Returning for its sixth season, Play On will mix it all up again for the adventurous concertgoer across three gigs this month.
Here, we take you backstage with some of the lead stars of each show. Violinist Kyla Matsuura-Miller, percussionist Thea Rossen, and Guzheng player Mindy Meng Wang tell us what’s going down at their performances.
(And why they’re cool with performing classical music in a car park.)
You’ll also have the chance to pick up a FREE copy of CutCommon print issue #2 as Mindy Meng Wang’s Play On event features in our national Roving Launch!
Kyla Matsuura-Miller, 8 March
My wonderful colleagues and I are presenting Different Trains by American composer Steve Reich, and a selection of tunes by 12th-Century mystic Hildegard von Bingen.
Different Trains is a reflection upon the Second World War. In its time, the interlacing of recorded speech and stringed instruments, as well as the use of up to four pre-recorded string quartets, was totally unheard of and revolutionary. However, its survival and place in the canon is not just based upon this: I believe it is the meshing of the harrowing tales of survivors of the Holocaust juxtaposed with the constant paradiddle rhythms of the quartet that provide an incredibly emotional and somatic experience. The listener and performer are totally engulfed in the tale, and I always have tears in my eyes at the end of the third movement.
Hildegard von Bingen was the most important woman of the 12th Century. Not only was she a composer and saint; she also wrote on the topics of natural science, philosophy, and is considered the founder of German scientific natural history. She even devised her own language as a conduit to her visions from God: a fluid, florid, and deeply beautiful stream of made-up words (many untranslatable) that seem to have no beginning nor end. It is with this same affect that she writes her music. There is such passion and earnestness in her compositions, and I feel like they are a wonderful meditative end to the performance.
When you walk into the car park, you are immediately struck by a feeling of immersion. It’s like entering another world in which you can share the most intimate thoughts and feelings to an open and receptive audience. The atmosphere is electric from start to end! I hope that I can use the space as a vessel for my curiosity, interest and passion for these works.
Kyla Matsuura-Miller (Set 1)/Babicka (Set 2), 8pm March 8
Thea Rossen, 15 March
The night is divided into two sets. The first features oboist Ben Opie and my ensemble Ad Lib Collective performing works from the chamber music repertoire, including Liza Lim’s arresting Ming Qi for percussion and oboe, ancient works by Hildegard von Bingen, Elliot Cole’s stunning Postludes for vibraphone and his new Flowerpot music, as well as a pulsating work by Andy Akiho arranged for steel pan, marimba, and saxophone.
This program seamlessly transitions into the second half of the night, a 90-minute structured improvisation with electronic music legends Sleep D, featuring nearly all the instruments from the first half integrated with the incredible sounds and beats created by Corey and Maryos.
For me, collaboration is what music-making is all about. It is a pretty special opportunity to perform contemporary chamber music in the first set, and then expand that soundworld to include electronic elements and free improvisation in the second set. This is a rare opportunity for the audience to see the classical and electronic music worlds collide and create something new together.
The carpark is nothing like a conventional concert venue, which helps to put the audience at ease and offers a new way to experience music that can often get stuck in traditions of the past. For acoustic reasons, the space is also really interesting: a large concrete box underground has a whole lot of sonic potential that we have considered while programming and that I am excited to explore in the concert.
I am interested in engaging with new audiences in creative ways outside of traditional spaces and sets of expectations. With a reputation for doing just that, the Play On series and the Collingwood Underground Car Park are perfectly matched for our program on 15 March!
Thea Rossen (Set 1)/Sleep D (LIVE) (Set 2), 8pm March 15
Mindy Meng Wang, 22 March
My instrument Guzheng has 2500 years of history. I will play some ancient tunes and traditional pieces representing different time periods from the long history of this instrument. And I will also play some contemporary collaborations with Peter Knight and Carolyn Schofield.
I worked with Peter in many different projects. This time, we will play a duet between Guzheng and trumpet. We will also use computer to manipulate the sound and add layers. We might use rice, too! All of those elements will create a minimal, but yet rich texture and sound.
This is my first time to collaborate with Carolyn. We met a few months ago and she has a distinct style that I feel very connected to. We planned to use light electronic sound element; Guzheng will play melody to create a sound image of spacious landscape.
I carefully chose the program for this event to demonstrate a versatile style on Guzheng, which would provide a unique experience for both the audience who has or has not heard of Guzheng before. Guzheng is rarely played [in a contemporary context] to this extend. I am excited to share this exciting program with Play On audiences.
I am so excited to play at Collingwood Underground Car Park. I think this is going to be a super cool and unusual experience for both audiences and myself.
As one of the oldest musical instruments in China, Guzheng music reflects ancient Chinese ideology and philosophy. It is almost always played in the classical and traditional venues. The fact of playing a seriously ancient musical instrument in such an innovative space is already a strong statement of ‘break the barrier’ and ‘blend the time’ (old and new).
I was born and raised in northwest of China and I studied composition in the United Kingdom before I moved to Australia. My music style has been influenced by Chinese classical and Western contemporary music due to my cross-culture life and professional experience. I brought [lots of] new styles to Guzheng playing, such as jazz, experimental, improvisation, pop and electronic, etc. I have always try new things on Guzheng, and break the old limitation technically and mentally.
Hosting unusual styles of music at Collingwood Underground Car Park shows Play On is adventurous, full of curiosity, creative, and challenging. This is exactly what my passion is in music. Also, this modern venue will make it easier for some young audiences to access some different music and broaden their playlist and cultural interests. What a clever idea! I look forward to meet everyone through music at Play On!M
Mindy Meng Wang (Set 1) / Adriana (DJ Set) (Set 2), 8pm March 22*
*Play On Series Six: v_3 featuring Mindy Meng Wang features as part of CutCommon’s national Roving Launch! This means that when you head along to the show on March 22, you’ll have the chance to grab a copy of CutCommon issue #2 for free!
We’d like to thank Play On for supporting arts journalism in Australia 🙂 Stay tuned for the full Roving Launch map on our website in the coming days.
Play On captured by Alan Weedon.
