Cellos, violins, electric guitars, laptops and feedback noise systems aren’t instruments you often hear accompanying one another, yet they all will come together for Sonorous Presence: China-U.S. Experimental Music Collaborative tomorrow and Wednesday.
“None of (the musicians) will use their instruments or audio tools in the traditional way,” said Adel Wang, the Ohio University doctoral student who came up with the idea. “There’s no way I could liken (the sounds) to anything.”
The event will feature three of China’s most innovative musicians and sound artists: Yan Jun, Li Jianhong and Wang Fan. U.S.-based musician Jonathan Chen and OU professor Marina Peterson will play alongside the Chinese artists.
Wang has been working with Chinese musicians and sound artists since 2008 as part of her research for her dissertation on China’s experimental music and sound art scene. In 2009, she met Chen when he held an experimental music workshop at OU. Chen was a friend of Peterson — Wang’s adviser — and also knew Yan Jun.
“The original idea was very simple since the connections were already there,” Wang said. “I proposed this idea of a sound concert to Marina and she was very supportive.”
The end result is a two-part event this week. Tomorrow night will feature a concert and discussion panel, followed by Wednesday’s workshop.
“In the concert, (I hope) people will become better listeners and be connected with the sound, musicians and everyone who listens,” Wang said. “And in the workshop, participants will get a closer relation with the kind of music and will learn about techniques from each musician.”
Wang added that it’s difficult to explain what exactly the audience can expect from tomorrow’s performance because the show will be improvised.
“We, both the musicians and the audience, will only know when we are present at the concert,” Wang said.
Yan Jun said he hopes the audience realizes this will be a different kind of music than most people are used to.
“My music is for listening instead of entertaining or accompanying a social time,” Yan Jun said. “It is a trigger back to reality, a way to react to reality.”
nb360409@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCulture
