New York, New
York
- Great
steelpan
music is not
uncommon to
New York.
Some of the
best steel
orchestras
in America
call the
town of
Brooklyn,
New York
home. But
across the
river on the
island of
Manhattan -
New York
University
(NYU),
under the
umbrella
of the NYU
Steinhardt
School of
Culture,
Education
and Human
Development
- has shown
a serious
commitment
to the
steelpan
instrument
and music for
the genre.
Through the
Department
of Music and
the
Performing
Arts
Professions,
NYU has been
steadily on
path to
becoming one
of the
better New
York steel
ensembles in
an
institution
of higher
learning.
Frankly
speaking
- bogus steel
orchestras
‘need not
apply’ in the
Big Apple.
If you have
nothing to
offer or
have not
mastered
your craft,
you will get
your
feelings
hurt and
laughed out
of town in a
New York
minute.
There is
simply no
room for
imposters or
pretenders.
The NYU
Steel Drum
Ensemble has got
players who
are skilled, versatile
and talented.
Look for the
NYU
Steelband
Music
program to
make
significant
inroads
within the
steel
orchestra
music
community
over the
next few
years.
It is not
out of the
realm of
possibility that
in the
not-to-distant
future, the NYU
program
could field
a serious
contender
for
participation
in the
prestigious
New York
panorama -
both in
terms of
size and
musicianship.
Josh Quillen
addresses
the
audience
The NYU
Steel Drum
Ensemble,
under the
direction of
Josh R. Quillen
took the
stage of
NYU’s
Frederick Loewe
Theatre
located in
the heart of
New York’s
Greenwich
Village, and
delivered a
fascinating
potpourri of
music for
the steel
orchestra.
Music works
from Trinidad and
Tobago’s
legendary
arranger,
composer and
performer
Len “Boogsie”
Sharpe and American
iconic
‘minimalist’
composer
Philip Glass
were on
the night’s
music menu.
Incidentally,
both
composers
are
considered
to be, by
many, among
the most
influential
composers of
the late
20th century
within their
respective
musical
genres.
The bulk of
the music
performed
centered
around
Quillen’s
arrangements
of Philip
Glass’
Piano Etudes
(Vol. 1-10).
Musical
works by
Austin
“Super Blue”
Lyons,
Clifford
Alexis and
of
course Len “Boogsie”
Sharpe were
presented.
In addition,
there was a
special
piece -
Jerry’s Jump
by Matt Dudack in
tribute to
Quillen’s
father who
was an avid
steelpan
music
enthusiast.
The NYU
Steel Drum Ensemble
displayed
ample
command of
the steelpan
instrument
to execute
the Glass
etudes with
authority
and passion.
The army-like marching
procession
and
stiffness
that plague
many
American
steel
orchestras
was absent
from the NYU
Ensemble. Quillen has
done an
excellent
job in
imparting to
the players beyond
the notes
and phrases
on the music
sheets -
the critical
need to
breathe life
into the
performance
and connect
with
audience.
If you cannot get the
audience to
go “Ah, yes”
don’t
bother!
The New
York
University
Steel
Drum
Ensemble
at the
Frederick
Loewe
Theatre
Quillen took
time at
every
juncture to
explain and
share the history
of the
instrument,
detailing the
spirit and
seriousness which
its
originators
give to the
instrument
and
their performances
before audiences.
The NYU
Ensemble
was
particularly
successful
in enlisting
audience
participation
in their
performance.
It was clear
that the
ensemble had
struck a
chord with
attendees.
From a
strictly
musical
standpoint, we would have
liked to have
seen an
added tenor
bass and a
quad to fill out some of
the
passages.
In any
regard, Quillen did
a
respectable
job in
making the successful transition from piano to the steel
orchestra,
with
arrangements
utilizing the
family of
steelpan
instruments
for the
Glass
instrumental
musical
compositions.
The ensemble
truly shined
in these
pieces.
The other
Soca/Reggae
pieces were
also
ascribed
creditable
performances
with quality
interpretations.
The
Frederick
Loewe
Theatre is
an
outstanding
place to
listen to a
steel
orchestra.
The sound
was
excellent.
The group
and
engineers
got it right
during their
sound check
and executed
a flawless
sonic
presentation.
Overall, all
aspects of
the event
were professional
seen to.
The show
program was
informative with all critical
details.
NYU
Steinhardt
is
an
internationally
renowned
faculty in
an acclaimed
academic
university
within the
art and
culture
capital of
the world,
New York
City.
The
Glass
arrangements
are part of
an ongoing
project for
the group,
which will
culminate
with the
recording of
all ten
Piano Etudes
in May of
2010. The
NYU Steel
Drum
Ensemble
persists
with their
ongoing
objective to
preserve the
traditional
works of the
past, while
continuing
to push the
envelope and
transform
the status
of the steel
drum.
The steel
drum
ensemble has
performed
the musical
works of
composer
Philip
Glass as far
back as
2007, when
a special
tribute to
Glass
was held.
Entitled “A
Philip Glass
Birthday
Concert,”
it was the
first ever
all-percussion
concert
performance
of the
composer’s
music, and
the steel
drum
ensemble,
then
fielding
seven
players, was
among
featured
performers.
Program
Notes - NYU
(by Sean
Statser)
NYU
Steel Drum Ensemble on stage
at
Frederick Loewe Theatre,
New York University,
NY, NY
Barbara -
Austin
“Super Blue”
Lyons/arr.
Murray Mast
- Composer and
performer
Austin
“Super Blue”
Lyons was
born in Point
Fortin,
Trinidad. He
is
considered
to be the
originator
of the “jump
and wave”
style of
soca music
and is known
for his
daring
antics while
performing.
He has won
several
steelband
competitions
throughout
his
illustrious
career,
including
the
prestigious
International
Soca Monarch
a record six
times.
Barbara is
an up-tempo
soca and was
arranged for
steelband by
Murray Mast.
Soca music
is one of
the 2 major
forms of
steel drum
music that
originates
from
Trinidad and
Tobago. The
other being
calypso
music, which
is more akin
to
Trinidad’s
older folk
music
traditions.
Soca music
is more
closely
related to
dance-hall
beats.
Piano Etudes
- Philip
Glass/arr.
Joshua
Quillen - Composer
Philip Glass
is
considered
by many to
be one of
the most
prolific and
influential
composers of
the late
20th
century.
While his
compositional
style is
generally
labeled as
“minimalism,”
he prefers
to speak of
himself as a
composer of
“music with
repetitive
structures.”
Throughout
his
illustrious
career
lasting over
25 years,
Glass has
composed 20
operas, 8
symphonies,
concerti for
piano,
violin,
timpani, and
saxophone
quartet,
several film
scores, and
a large body
of solo
piano
repertoire.
In the
mid-90’s,
inspired by
his widely
popular solo
piano
performances,
Glass began
work on a
set of piano
etudes. Over
ten years
later, new
music is
still being
added to the
collection.
Glass notes,
“Their
purpose was
two-fold.
First, to
provide new
music for my
solo piano
concerts and
second, for
me to expand
my piano
technique
with music
that would
enhance and
challenge my
playing.
Hence, the
name Etudes,
or
‘studies’.
The result
is a body of
work that
has a broad
range of
dynamic,
tempo and
emotion. I
hope to
complete a
second set
of ten
etudes, of
which the
first six
are already
composed, in
the next few
years.” In
the fall of
2007, So
Percussion
member and
NYU Steel
Drum
Ensemble
Director
Josh Quillen
began
arranging
the first
volume of
Etudes for
steel drum
ensemble.
The Etudes
dense
textures
lend
themselves
well to
steel drum
ensemble,
and
Quillen’s
arrangements
provide a
unique and
innovative
approach to
the
performance
of Philip
Glass’
music.
Jerry’s Jump
- Matt
Dudack -
Dedicated to
the late
Jerry
Quillen, the
“Dover Daddio,” who
was a huge
supporter of
the Dover
High School
Steel Band
in Dover,
Ohio. Jerry’s
enthusiasm
for
steelband
music is
captured in
this
up-tempo
soca with
theme and
variations.
Jerry’s Jump
is inspired
by the music
of Panorama,
the annual
Carnival
competition
for steel
bands in
Trinidad.
Matt
Dudack
is Artistic
Director of
the
University
of Akron
Steel Drum
Band and is
a member of
the Akron
Symphony
Orchestra.
He is also
directs
steelband
programs at
the Miller
South School
for the
Visual and
Performing
Arts in
Akron, Ohio
and at
Muskingum
University
in New
Concord,
Ohio. Matt’s
compositions
and
arrangements
are
published by
Mau Mau
Music (www.maumsumusic.com)
and he is
currently
writing one
of the first
comprehensive
steelband
methods.
Matt is a
member of
Akros:
Percussion
Collective,
a group
dedicated to
performing
new music
for
percussion.
He has
premiered
music by
Stuart
Sunders
Smith,
Emmanuel
Sejourne,
John
Bergamo, Ben
Johnston,
Nikolas
Gerzewski,
and Robert
Carl.
Confusion
Reggae -
Cliff Alexis
-
Cliff Alexis
is a native
of Trinidad
and Tobago,
who first
came to the
U.S. in 1964
as a member
of the
National
Steelband of
Trinidad and
Tobago. He
currently
serves as
Director of
the Northern
Illinois
Steelband,
which was
one of the
first
schools in
the country
to offer a
masters
degree in
steel drum
building and
tuning, as
well as
performance.
In addition
to being a
skilled pan
builder and
tuner, Cliff
is in
high-demand
as a
composer,
arranger,
clinician
and
performer.
Confusion
Reggae is an
aggressive
reggae,
which
features the
bass and low
pans
throughout.
Sarah - Len
“Boogsie”
Sharpe
- Born in
Port of
Spain,
Trinidad,
Len
Sharpe
has become
one of the
most
influential
figures in
steel pan
music today.
He has
performed
with several
well-known
groups
including
Starlift,
the
Invaders,
and Phase II
Pan Groove,
who won 1st
place at the
Panorama
steelband
competition
in 1987,
1988, 2005,
2006 and
2008.
Although he
never
learned to
read or
write music,
his musical
intellect is
highly
developed,
which is
reflected in
his
composition
Sarah, an
up-tempo
soca.
“Boogsie,”
as he is
more
commonly
known, is
currently
the arranger
for Phase II
Pan Groove,
one of the
largest
steelbands
in Trinidad.
Steel Drum
Ensemble Bio
The NYU
Steinhardt
Steel Drum
Ensemble,
under the
direction of
Josh
Quillen, is
dedicated to
exploring
the art of
steel pans
to the
fullest,
performing
rare
compositions
and
arrangements
ranging in
scope from
Philip Glass
to the
Trinidadians
who invented
the art
form. In the
spring of
2010, the
ensemble
will
collaborate
with
composer
Philip Glass
to record
Quillen’s
arrangements
of his Piano
Etudes (Vol.
I, Nos. 1 –
10).
In addition
to his work
with So
Percussion,
Josh R.
Quillen has
performed in
steel
drumming
ensembles
all over the
country. He
played with
Len
“Boogsie”
Sharpe’s
Phase II Pan
Groove in
Trinidad/Tobago
during
Carnival in
2002. He has
commissioned
several new
works for
contemporary
steel drum
including
Roger
Zahab’s I
Still Dream
and Pan Man
by Bruce J.
Taub, the
second of
which was
premiered in
New York
City in May
of 2004. He
has
participated
in premieres
of pieces as
part of the
New Music
Ensemble,
Daedulus,
under the
direction of
Roger Zahab.
He has
performed as
a section
percussionist
with the
Akron
Symphony
Orchestra,
and is well
versed in
marimba and
multiple-percussion.
A recent
performance
included a
solo piece
with the
University
of Akron
Steel Drum
Band
accompanying
the Ohio
Ballet. Mr.
Quillen
studied with
Robert Van
Sice at Yale
University
(MM) as well
as Dr. Larry
Snider at
the
University
of Akron
(BM, ME).
Steel Drum
Ensemble
-
Jesse
Brickel
-
Andrew
Broadwater
-
Jeff Eng
-
Danielle
Fortner
-
Paul
Frucht
-
Spencer
Hale
-
Dave
Heath
-
Kelly
Kramer
-
Garrett
Lanzet
-
Nick
Manning
-
Andrew
Monteiro
-
Alex
Reynolds
-
Jacqueline
Russo
-
Aaron
Silberstein
-
Sean
Statser
-
Frank
Tyl
For more
info about
the Steel
Drum
Ensemble,
contact
Josh Quillen
-
josh@sopercussion.com
Leave a
comment in
the WST
forum
|