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May 28, 2009

Students who like to jam create Improvised Music Project festival May 28-30

The Improvised Music Project’s first festival, a three-day event May 28-30, is intended to jump start a UW-based effort at rejuvenating the local scene for new music.

The festival, occurring in the University District, features groups about half of which owe their origins to the UW in some way. UW jazz combos will perform, as will groups involving UW music alumni. The organizers are UW music students advised by Cuong Vu, assistant professor.

“Seattle has such a large community of creative music artists,” Vu says, “but the scene is not that good. I’ve urged the students to create a new scene and aperture for music, to connect with young people. There’s so much talent here. Creative people need places to perform and to get their music to the public.”

Although many people think of improvised music as being synonymous with jazz, some of the groups that are performing have their roots in rock, while others come from classical music. The music is an expression of what is happening now among young musicians of all stripes and flavors who lean toward an improvisational approach.

Ivan Arteaga, one of the student organizers, notes that the improvisational scene needs to break out of the Music Building. “We’re creating opportunities for groups to go out and play. Most of the gigs at the festival are informal, where people can just go and hang out. Thursday and Friday sessions will be at Cafe Solstice and Cafe on the Ave. Saturday’s event is a formal concert at the University Presbyterian Church.”

“These groups have all worked hard and show a high level of musicianship,” Vu says. “they’re serious and highly original.”

Improvisational music can be deceptive to the listener. Spontaneity that truly meshes the ideas and approaches of several musicians is the product of intensive and extensive rehearsal time. For most musicians, it requires more rehearsing than written music. “Chemistry is a key element,” Vu says, “which sets this festival apart from so many gigs that are just thrown together. They are inventing a language and their music is concise.”

Putting together a three-day festival has been a challenging project for the students. Mindy Szeto, who is a biochemistry major, has been managing the business and promotional side of the festival. “I played music in high school but I’ve been very busy with my major at the UW,” she says. “I wanted to be part of the music scene, so I got involved in IMP. My job has been to contact media and get exposure for the festival.”

“So many musicians feel that they have to leave Seattle to succeed,” Arteaga, a junior, says. “We need to build the venues and audience for young people who want to perform their music locally.”