Crosstown Arts’ second annual Continuum Music Festival, showcasing unique musical collaborations and interactive workshops, takes place at Crosstown Concourse this Friday, August 17th, and Saturday, August 18th.
“It’s a festival that features/highlights contemporary classical music, but also, it highlights collaborations with classical musicians and non-classical musicians,” says Jenny Davis, performance coordinator for Crosstown Arts and director for Blueshift Ensemble. “So it kind of shows how the many different styles of music can combine and produce cool things.”
Friday’s performances and exhibits focus on the works of American composer John Cage. Blueshift Ensemble, ~Nois Saxophone Quartet, and ICEBERG New Music will headline the evening with John Cage numbers: a solo performed on amplified cacti and other plants, “4:33” (a unique piece in which the sounds of the audience are the music), and “Imaginary Landscapes No. 4” (24 performers play various frequencies on 12 shortwave AM/FM radios).
These performances will be preceded by a talk on the life of and the Zen Buddhist influences on John Cage, presented by members of ICEBERG New Music and the Sonosphere podcast, and a mindful listening workshop, presented by ICEBERG composer Drake Andersen.
Saturday’s events include a sound scavenger hunt, body movement workshop, presentations on the relationship between food and music, how to listen to classical music, and more. The evening will culminate with finale performances by a capella duo Artistik Approach, Amy Lavere and Will Sexton with members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and local hip-hop producer IMAKEMADBEATS.
“One of our goals was to showcase the amazing talent we have here in Memphis, but also to expose the talent here for people who didn’t know that the talent was here, especially when it comes to classical music,” says Eso Tolson, performance coordinator of Crosstown Arts and member of Artistik Approach. “A lot of people aren’t going to symphonies. So what this festival does it it kind of brings the familiar and makes the unfamiliar accessible.”
Attendees can purchase weekend passes for $25 or individual day passes ($10 for Friday; $20 for Saturday). Events from 12:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Saturday are free to attend.
Click here for more details about the festival and here to buy tickets.
