Ever heard a comic book performed? A Graphic Novel interpreted by creative musicians? Join us for performances of Onomatopoeia!
Entry to all performances is by donation.
January 24 from 6 - 8 pm
at Roberts Creek Hall doors at 5:30
+ performances of Roberts Creek Elementary School
Students' graphic scores! (6-7pm)
Join us in the public rehearsal, at Roberts Creek Hall 2:30 - 4pm!
January 25 at 8pm
at 8EAST, 8 EAST Pender Street, Vancouver
Onomatopoeia performance
NOW Ensemble:
Haley Bird - oboe
Johanna Hauser - bass clarinet
Graham Ord - saxophone
Bill Clark - trumpet
Nikko Whitworth - bass
Miles Wong - drums
Since 2013, the NOW Society has been presenting improvisation Onomatopoeia workshops and performances. Composed by Gary Wildeman, Onomatopoeia is a 48-page comic book musical score that provides listeners with a direct way to relate to improvised music. The comic features syllables and environments to express the adventures of two iconic characters. In concert, audiences are given a score to follow along in performance.
Onomatopoeia was released in 2015, by the NOW Society and Bronze Age Records
Onomatopoeia is not only presented in performance, but is also used in NOW workshops. Participants with any amount of experience quickly pick up how this graphic score can inspire improvisation as they learn to interpret with delight, courage, and abandon. The creative practices introduced in these workshops allow improvisers to explore the interpretation of imagery in terms of form and connection with abstract sound, not just through playing the score, but also through creating their own score that is then played by the musicians leading the workshops.
Following a demonstration of Gary's Work, including a discussion of onomatopoeic syllables, narrative and the generation of scenic landscapes, and a performance of part of the work, participants create their own three-panel comic strip score. These musical scores/comic strips are then performed for the students by the NOW musicians, celebrating each composer. These workshops have been presented in Squamish, BC at the Howe Sound Secondary School, the Vancouver Art Gallery Family Fuse, in the East Vancouver schools, at the Boston School of music and in the Sonic Playground Festival at the Roundhouse. This year we will be presenting the workshop at Roberts Creek elementary School and we will feature performances of the students' graphic scores in the performance at Roberts Creek Hall!
Onomatopoeia is a NOW Society/Bronze Age co-production
Artwork/score by Gary Wildeman
Recorded live at the Western Front, November 22, 2013
Produced by Lisa Cay Miller.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Gestrin
bronzeagerecords.bandcamp.com
