Three cellists and a percussionist are not normally considered the makings of a rock band, but then again, this is not your typical group of chamber musicians; this is Break of Reality, a band of “cello rock” musicians.
Formed in 2003, Break of Reality is made up of cellists Martin Torch-Ishii, Patrick Laird, Laura Metcalf and percussionist Ivan Trevino. The band plays rock music because it was music that the four of them liked, Trevino said.
“I would say if a band like Metallica played cellos instead of guitars they may sound like us,” Trevino said. “Or if Yo-Yo Ma played in a rock band, that may be what it sounds like to you.”
Trevino and Laird were students at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, when Laird started to arrange music for the band, Trevino said.
“It was a side project for us to get away from all the classical stuff at Eastman,” Trevino said. “It’s an awesome school, but it’s mostly a classical music conservatory. They don’t really have cello rock classes.”
After playing for a few years, the four decided to pursue the band as a career, writing original music and performing rock covers.
A search of “Break of Reality” on YouTube calls up a mix of live performances of songs like the Game of Thrones theme song, “Lateralus” by Tool, “BYOB” by System of a Down and “Welcome Home” by Coheed and Cambria, in addition to Break of Reality originals.=
Trevino said the band has been playing acoustic sets with the three cellos and himself on djembe, but added he switches to drum kit during the second half of the concert.
“(Djembe) allows us to play in more of a chamber music style,” Trevino said. “We all can communicate and there is no big drum kit in front of me.”
The band sets itself apart from more conventional orchestral music by not playing with paper music — all the music the band plays is memorized.
“When you go to a rock concert, musicians don’t have music stands in front of them,” Trevino said. “By not having music stands we can really communicate with each other and the audience.”
Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of programming at the Campus Involvement Center, said Break of Reality is the start of three performances throughout the year called the On the Edge Series, which will all take place in The Baker Center Theatre.
The Performing Arts series and Campus Involvement Center are spending $5,000 for Break of Reality’s outreach and residency at OU, which includes classes, lectures and demonstrations, the actual performance in Baker Theatre, and a mini concert with “much of the fee” being covered from sponsorships and ticket sales, Holzaepfel said.
“(Break of Reality) were a perfect fit for the series,” said Holzaepfel. “They are a young and dynamic group with an innovative approach to the genre.”
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