by Karla Brom
At Liquid Music we think and talk a lot about the audience for new music. Our patrons inspire us creatively and in many ways shape our course. With this blog series, we decided to go directly to the source and ask our audience members what draws them to new music, and especially to Liquid Music. In this third part of our series we talk to three couples who enjoy Liquid Music together, despite (or because of?) very different upbringings and backgrounds with music.
Read part 1 here and part 2 here.
Anne Carayon (Liquid Music Advisory Council Member) and Dan Pennie (SPCO board member), Liquid Music subscribers and supporters
Tell us something about yourselves: Anne: I’ve had an interest in the arts from a very young age, especially artists “on the edge,” those that may trigger controversy. I grew up overseas and moved around a lot as a child; I lived in Tahiti from age 6-11, and the art we were exposed to there was not Gauguin. It was more indigenous, more primal art. I then lived in the high plateau area of Madagascar where there is an important cultural influence from the (South Asian) Indians who had settled there. Last, I lived in Cameroon until I was 19. Then I moved back to Paris and was there during the late 60s, which were, of course, a tumultuous time. I liked that the art reflected that tumult, it wasn’t always easy to see or listen to. I recently retired from teaching at Macalester College on contemporary cultural trends in France, with a particular interest in the contemporary visual arts as “bridgers” of an increasingly pluralistic society. I currently serve on the board of the Alliance Française and the Film Society of Minneapolis-St Paul.
Dan: I was born in Boston while my father was in the Air Force during WWII. We moved back to Minnesota when I was young since all of our family is here. My father loved classical music and this had a big influence on me. When my parents were away I would often blast Beethoven, lying on the floor between the speakers listening to it. I also sang in the church choir. Through a nice twist of fate, I ended up going to Exeter, then Harvard and then worked as a journalist at the Providence (RI) Journal. I studied law at the University of Minnesota and lived and practiced law in Belgium for many years. When I finally moved back to the Twin Cities in the late 70s I was looking for a way to become involved in the local community and a friend introduced me to The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. I’ve been involved ever since and have been the chair of the board twice. I’d describe myself as a “new music grouch” – the new music we were hearing in the 60s and 70s was often discordant. I like to be nourished and energized by listening to music, not pained by it.
Anne: Yes, but the concept of discordance is a break from harmony – it is not about like or dislike, but about experiencing something not yet experienced, being surprised.
Dan: For me, music is an island of humanity in the midst of what is often not a very humane world.
How did you first hear about Liquid Music? What appealed to you about the series?
Anne: We heard about Liquid Music through friends. I have been to a lot of classical music concerts, and maybe I was becoming tired of it, I’m not sure. Liquid Music was so different! There are no parameters, there is a sense of being off-balance, and I like that. You experience the whole performance for what it is, you’re surprised. I don’t love everything I’ve seen and heard but that doesn’t matter. Not knowing what to expect is exciting.
Dan: I immediately loved it. This is not the discordant new music of the 60s and 70s. There is often a connection to the past, there is music from improbable sources. The multimedia aspect of Liquid Music is also very appealing. It’s as if someone asked you to reinvent music – what would you do? There is a lot of looking to nature now with fresh vision, imagination, and technology.
Anne: All of the musicians are incredibly well trained, you can sense their artistry. The classical aspect is integrated in a very appealing way. I also enjoy moving from one venue to another as it adds a different dimension to the experience. The sound and space are very different in each venue.
Dan: The projects are always exploring new musical forms, concepts, and collaborations. It breaks down the barrier between high and low art.
How many performances have you attended?
Anne: We started attending in the second season and have seen most of the performances since.
Miranda Cuckson at Amsterdam Bar and Hall
What are some of your favorite Liquid Music performances?
Anne: It is hard to go too far back in our memory these days! One of the recent performances we really enjoyed was Kid Koala: Nufonia Must Fall. That performance was magical. I also enjoyed Miranda Cuckson and Nina Young at the Amsterdam – the composition and soundscape in that performance was wonderful.
Dan: Daniel Wohl: Holographic at the Ordway. We loved the collaboration between music and the visual experience.
What kinds of music do you listen to at home?
Anne: All sorts. We listen to Classical MPR and jazz stations. I particularly like Tom Waits.
Dan: The Beach Boys, Beatles, Buffy Sainte-Marie. In fact, these days when Anne is gone and I am blaring music, it is usually the Beatles instead of Beethoven!
What other arts activities do you take advantage of in the Twin Cities?
Anne: Jungle Theater, 10,000 Things Theater, the Walker, some dance and lots of film – at the Walker Cinema and at the Minneapolis Film Society.
Nancy Coppa and Mark Warnken, Liquid Music subscribers and supporters
Tell us something about yourselves:
Nancy: I grew up on a farm in Koochiching County, Minnesota and attended a small school with about 20 kids per class. We didn’t have access to entertainment or even good books, but we did have Mom and Dad – they both sang and mom was a pianist, so music was our entertainment. I played the B flat clarinet and bass clarinet beginning in fifth grade and all of my friendships seemed to revolve around music. We had no TV, very little radio reception, and no access to outside music events, so when I was turned loose on the world, I soaked up all of the music I could find! I still do that. I now have four kids and nine grandkids and they all sing and play instruments.
Mark: I’ve always had a restless sense of curiosity, especially with respect to the arts - I thrive on stimulation. Whether I like something or not, it is interesting to me. I am always curious about why I like or don’t like something – it is important to observe that and learn from it.
That sounds very Buddhist…
Mark: Funny that you say that! I grew up in Burma (now Myanmar) and was very influenced by the culture there. My father was there to set up the psychology department at the University of Rangon, so I grew up with people from all over the world. I was pretty much self-educated in high school – I found it more interesting to travel and explore than go to school.
When and how did you first hear about Liquid Music?
Mark: I used to go to Engine 408 concerts of the SPCO. They were non-traditional, new music concerts held in smaller venues 2-3 times a year. The vibe was kind of similar to Liquid Music. We’ve been attending Liquid Music programs ever since the first season.
What appealed to you about the series?
Nancy: You never know what to expect! The performances are always a surprise and an adventure. There is great quality and variety to them.
How many performances have you attended?
Mark: Probably 95% – we do a lot of juggling of cultural schedules to make sure we get to Liquid Music and if we miss a performance it's usually because we're out of town.
What are some of your favorite recent Liquid Music performances and why are they favorites? Nancy: We just saw Kid Koala: Nufonia Must Fall and loved it! I loved that it all happened in front of the curtains, and I especially liked the bingo warm up. The music was awesome and didn’t get swallowed in the overall production.
Mark: I had no idea what to expect from the performance, and I was unsettled afterwards. It was like opera without singing. And remember unsettled isn’t bad, just worth examining…
Nancy: We also really enjoy the Zola Jesus performance at the Amsterdam. We were completely surprised by the mix of drama, music, and personality - a total experience. There was lots of talk about it afterwards, which is always a good sign.
Glenn Kotche and Third Coast Percussion: Wild Sound
Mark: Glenn Kotche and Third Coast Percussion: Wild Sound at the SPCO Center was a fascinating performance - watching them literally construct the instruments in order to make the music. There was also a lot of interaction with the audience in that performance which made the artists feel closer. The small venues Liquid Music often uses means that it is more about personality than performance –there is eye contact between the audience and the artist.
What kind of music do you listen to at home?
Mark: All kinds of music. I especially like female folk singers or singer-songwriters like Kate Wolf, Iris Dement, Stacy Earle and Emmy Lou Harris.
Nancy: I also like all kinds of music (except Western). I especially enjoy the blues, like Scottie Miller and Ruthie Foster. I suppose I like most music, as long as it’s on key!
What other kinds of music do you go to hear live?
Nancy: The events we attend run the gamut from opera to folk. I like to hear new and different music and prefer solo or smaller groups over large groups. I like to hear voices rather than cacophony and I like to hear kids who are still learning.
Do you also attend SPCO concerts? Are you a classical music fan?
Both: Yes and yes!
What other arts activities do you take advantage of in the Twin Cities?
Mark: A little bit of everything – theater, opera, history, The Baroque Room, Minneapolis Institute of Art... When we are traveling we go out of our way to see and hear music - our favorite music venue in New York is Juilliard.
Amanda Keillor and Patrick Pelham, Liquid Music subscribers and supporters
Tell us something about yourselves:
Patrick: I grew up overseas, in Brussels, and sang in a children’s opera company. Classical music was pretty pervasive there.
Amanda: I grew up in Askov, MN, a town of 300 where all of the street signs are also in Danish. I came to the Twin Cities to go the University of Minnesota, where I studied journalism.
How did you first hear about Liquid Music? What appealed to you about the series?
Amanda: I have friends who work at the SPCO so I feel like we might have heard about the series from them, but maybe the way we got hooked was the Jherek Bischoff performance at the Fitzgerald.
Jherek Bischoff with Channy Leaneagh
Patrick: Yeah, we are both Polica fans, and heard that Channy Leaneagh was going to perform, plus I’m a fan of Sondre Lerche and heard he would be there too. That night was really special – we got to the Fitzgerald and saw a lot of people we knew. It was serendipitous to find that out that they also knew about Liquid Music.
Patrick: It’s meant a lot that many of Liquid Music’s events are in St. Paul. We live in St. Paul, have a fierce attachment to the city, and like to support the arts here. People who don’t know think that everything new and interesting is happening in Minneapolis, but there is a lot undiscovered here.
Amanda: Liquid Music performances are sometimes uncomfortable or challenging, but that is part of what we like.
Patrick: Yes, it pulls you in, your senses all firing on all cylinders…
How many performances have you attended?
Amanda: We have season tickets and last year I think we attended almost everything. We’ve been to most of the programs this year unless we are out of town.
What are some of your favorite Liquid Music performances?
Amanda: Nils Frahm! My mom played the piano, so I grew up with piano music, but this was something else. He was playing multiple keyboards and modifying the piano itself with other instruments. I’ve never seen anyone play piano strings with a toilet brush, for example.
Patrick: He was boundary breaking in a good way – showing the possibilities of this instrument without being gimmicky. It was not unconventional just for the sake of it, but for creating new sounds that are worth hearing. We bought CDs after that concert and have listened to them a lot. The music grows on you the deeper you delve into it. Another favorite of mine was Daniel Wohl: Holographic. You experienced new sounds being born in front of you, coming from an instrument processed through a computer. It was also multi-sensory – I loved the music and video interaction. The visuals were not always directly in sync with the music, they sometimes took you on a detour, but they were still in an interesting dialogue with the music. The Ordway Concert Hall is a special venue as well. You can hear everything more vibrantly there, experiencing the full spectrum of sound.
Amanda: Glenn Kotche and Third Coast Percussion: Wild Sound, for seeing the unique percussion instruments and sounds being created right in front of you. That performance was technically impressive yet intimate – there was even an audience interaction component. This was another of the first performances we saw and it was in St. Paul and we recognized a lot of friends again.
Patrick: We felt invited in by the whole evening – the audience, the performers. This is true of so many Liquid Music performances, even at the Ordway. You feel a relationship with the artists that you’re not used to feeling at most shows. There is such a generosity on the part of the artists. I imagine this is also a gift to them – they can get off of their pedestal in ways that they can’t elsewhere; this requires trust on both sides.
Helado Negro: Island Universe Story at the Ordway
Amanda: Also - Helado Negro, for so many reasons. I studied in Spain so I appreciated that so much of lyrics were in Spanish. I loved his tinsel dancers. Roberto was saying challenging things but made you feel good at the same time. It was melodic fun, everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves – it was a very cool collaborative jam session with friends.
Do you also attend SPCO concerts? Are you a classical music fan?
Amanda: I am from a non-classical background and found classical music intimidating. I didn’t speak the language. But I know classical musicians and have a personal connection to classical music. We are members of the 2030 Club and that has made trying out classical music accessible.
Patrick: I've had more exposure to classical music growing up in Europe, it is all around you. Liquid Music is a nice balance between classical concerts and rock concerts – the music is not treated overly casually but there is still the energy of the connection with the musicians.
Amanda: Yes, at an SPCO concert maybe I’m more of a spectator. The artists aren't experimenting as much, you just let the music sweep over you.
Patrick: Liquid Music has a cool connection to the SPCO though – you see an instrument at an SPCO concert and then you see that instrument played differently or used to produce different music at a Liquid Music concert. It has the double benefit of making you see the classical version differently.
Amanda: Yes, it gives a new perspective on classical music and maybe makes you appreciate it more.
Patrick: Both types of music need each other. With Liquid Music you are not just listening to a beginner or some random performance. It is very calculated, thought out, and built on a foundation of classical training. There are all sorts of layers… As a photographer and videographer, I do a lot of work with musicians and artists, which adds a whole different level of understanding to the experience. I always have to be alert, my senses are heightened.
What other arts activities do you take advantage of in the Twin Cities?
Patrick: We try to get to the Minnesota Opera. Living in downtown St. Paul, we make ourselves get out and take advantage of so much stuff that we can easily walk to – the St. Paul Art Crawl, rock shows at Amsterdam Bar & Hall, jazz at Vieux Carre.
Amanda: I’m a big fan of dance – I used to work at the Southern Theater and was exposed to a lot of different dance there so I see lots of dance. In Minneapolis, we also get to the Walker and MIA for our visual arts fix.