Photo from Cedar Facebook page.
Kelsey Simpkins (The Aural Premonition)
Now in its fifth year, the 416 Commissions are back at The Cedar Cultural Center for another round of original compositions and collaborations by local artists. Supported by the Jerome Foundation among other sponsors, the 416 Commissions is The Cedar’s flagship commissioning program for emerging artists and the result of artists who submitted proposals to compose novel pieces for the stage in 2016. Selected by a committee of Twin Cities music industry professionals are: Emily Lynch, Fletcher Barnhill, Michael Flora, Tara Loeper, deVon Gray and Casey Deming.
Beginning the night of January 25th, three consecutive shows premiere works by these artists. If you’re looking for something to do that won’t go late on a weeknight, I highly recommend stopping by the West Bank this week.
Somehow I (regrettably) missed the first several years of this program, and perhaps you did as well. So before venturing out this week to this year’s shows, I asked The Cedar’s Booking Coordinator Grace Evenson some questions about how the 416 Commissions has come to last, and what’s in store for 2016.
KS: Congrats on the fifth year of the 416 Commissions! Can you give me a little background about your role at The Cedar, as Booking Coordinator, and the ongoing partnership with the Jerome Foundation for this program? How did it all start and what has it evolved into since then?
GE: Thank you! I’ve been involved with The Cedar for about four years: first as an intern, then the Booking Assistant, and now the Booking Coordinator. With funding from Jerome Foundation, this is The Cedar’s fifth round of 416 Commissions. The number of artists and the format of the shows have slightly changed over the years, but the purpose of commissioning emerging local artists to compose and perform new music has remains the same. With each round we’ve see remarkable talent and innovation from the musicians in our community.
KS: From the combination of visual and audio elements with mathematical regimen in 3P3 on Monday night, to cello and tape loops on Wednesday, it seems there is no reason to skip a single night if you don’t have to (and it’s only $12 for all three nights). But are there any artists in particular that you are especially excited about seeing?
GE: As you highlighted, all of the performances will be so unique, so I can’t wait to see each one! Michael Flora just released a video from his recent rehearsal with collaborator, Gadu Doushin, which has me very excited to see the full performance.
KS: The composer dVRG, performing on Wednesday the 27th, asks, “Will this new piece of music fix any of our problems? Absolutely not, but the dialog now has both a soundtrack and an underscore with teeth.” Many other of this year’s performers have socially aware concepts integrated into their pieces, from environmental issues to philosophy to history. How do you see the 416 Commissions as a part of social and community dialog in Minneapolis, and not just a musical creation?
GE: The Cedar’s mission is to promote intercultural appreciation and understanding through global music, so we have always encouraged social and community dialogue. The 416 Commissions provide an opportunity for artists to explore topics and ideas that might be considered more in depth or out of the box. Given the current social climate, it’s not surprising that some artists chose to focus on important socially aware concepts.
KS: I take it these prolific artists are likely up to more than just this series in 2016. Do you know of other projects these creative minds are working on or will be a part of this year?
GE: Each artist has an impressive resume and is active in the local music scene, so I’d recommend checking out all of their projects. One example is deVon Gray, who keeps busy with his trio dVRG REDEFINED and hip hop band Heiruspecs.
KS: What would you tell someone who is on the fence about coming to the 416 Commissions?
GE: 416 Commissions offer the audience an opportunity to hear debut works from some of our community’s most exciting emerging artists. It’s refreshing to experience the creativity in these performances. What could be better on a cold, dreary January night?
The good news is that it’s not even going to be that cold. So head over to Cedar Avenue early this week to catch performances that will have you thinking them through until the weekend. All shows begin at 7:30pm, doors at 7:00pm. Admission to each night is five dollars and a three-show pass is available for twelve dollars.
January 25th 2016 – Emily Lynch and Fletcher Barnhill
http://www.thecedar.org/events/416-commissions/2016/01/25/emily-lynch-victory-and-fletcher-barnhill
January 26th 2016 – Michael Flora and Tara Loeper
http://www.thecedar.org/events/416-commissions/2016/01/26/michael-flora-and-tara-loeper
January 27th 2016 – deVon Gray and Casey Deming
http://www.thecedar.org/events/416-commissions/2016/01/27/devon-gray-and-casey-deming
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