Building the Good City

Insight: Jeremy Moyer

Canadian erhu virtuoso Jeremy Moyer teams up with American pianist Steve Sweeting again for another creative session of "twocities in tune" this Friday. Skilled at several instruments, Jeremy shares his joy and passion with a smile and music - lots of music.

When did you first start playing music?

I started taking music lessons (violin) lessons when I was 7 or 8 but I suppose I was singing with people in church long before that.

 

How did you get into playing erhu?

I loved listening to the people playing temple music in Taiwan (usually played on Kezi xuan "coconut shell fiddle") when I was first there in 1990 on an exchange. I took erhu lessons so I would have some technical background in order to learn songs by ear from folk musicians.

 

What do you love about what you do?

I love interacting with musicians from many different cultures and trying different instruments and styles. Music has always been the main way I connect with people and learn about other places and cultures. Playing music is joyful and rarely boring.

 

What inspires you in your music?

In general, I'm inspired by and endeavour to create music which is simply soulful rather than technical or complicated. I've always been inspired by traditional folk music - and I like hearing people play just because they enjoy it rather than because they're doing a performance.

 

How do you contribute to building the "good city" in what you do?

I like to say "please" and "thank you" and, being from Canada, I smile a lot at complete strangers. Maybe by playing music we can give people opportunities to attend events that are positive and joyful. By being relaxed improvisers, we can break down the barrier of audience/performer and give more people a chance to participate in music-making.

 

If you could describe Shanghai in one word, what would it be and why?

"Changing" - it's hard to make a descriptive sentence about Shanghai because it probably won't be true anymore in a year.

 

Join Jeremy and Steve for "twocities in tune" this Friday as they collaborate with guest dancers and lead the audience through music-making, dancing and general merriment. 7:30 pm.

Insight: Burnett Thompson

Raised by parents who were both pianists, Burnett Thompson's passion for music was ignited at an early age. Burnett is back in Shanghai this week for the premiere of "The Sonnet Song Cycle" in Chinese, collaborating with top-notch musicians and prepared for the unexpected.

 

 

How did you get into playing piano?

 My mother and father both play the piano. My mother is very disciplined, reads music quite well, and as my first teacher, was quite diligent in finding me the best teacher. My father played jazz arrangements by ear, could not read music, and is very relaxed about music. So I guess I am a combination of the two. My mother was pretty "Chinese mom" about my practicing, since I hated to practice and wanted to quit every day.

How did ‘The Sonnet Song Cycle’ project come about?

 It was born as part of a series of silent movies that I assembled music for in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, the Shakespeare Theatre, Freer Gallery, Goethe Institute, in Washington, DC. Eventually we were doing silent movies based on the Shakespeare plays, which led to including the Sonnets as part of the program. I have always been intrigued by the dark and conflicted content of the Sonnets, and was at first accompanying readings of the poems. Naturally, it occurred to me to do a song cycle. The idea of translating to Chinese came to me at the same time that I thought the best place in the world to perform the cycle in Mandarin would be twocities gallery. I would like to give better reasons, but honestly these ideas just popped into my head. Next stop will be Granada, Spain, with a new Spanish translation.

What do you love about what you do?

I love to perform. I love to teach. I love meeting new people. I love introducing people to the amazing, complex qualities of music and learning. This means that I am always around extraordinary people, and several of them will be performing with me at twocities. On stage, you never know what is going to happen. Prepare, plan, prepare - but in an improvisational environment; it will all be new. Thus everybody onstage and in the audience will be transformed in ways that we simply cannot plan. This is a principal reason why I and many others delve into the performing arts.

How do you contribute to building the “good city” in what you do? 

 I have always made it a habit to surround myself with people more talented than I am. The engine of the city enables us all to develop partnerships that make the sum vastly superior to the parts. While waiting to achieve our own goals, it is very invigorating to help others achieve their goals.  In fact, this is now my favorite activity, especially when it comes to emerging performers. Enormously gifted artists also have enormous needs to make sure that their voices are properly conveyed to the world. I thrive on helping talented people move on to the next level.

If you could describe Shanghai in one word, what would it be? Why? 

Urgency. Things happen fast in China, and in Shanghai, the Chinese concept of urgency infects everybody in the international community. I always feel like I am going to get things done in Shanghai. Quickly.

 

"The Sonnet Song Cycle" will be performed this Friday at twocities. Doors close promptly at 7:30 pm; no RSVP required.

Insight: Hanneke Cassel

From composing songs to teaching at fiddle camps, fun-loving fiddler Hanneke Cassel  loves what she does. On her seventh trip to Shanghai, she returns to twocities for another performance of her unique blend of folk and pop music.

How did you get into playing fiddle music?

I started with classical violin when I was 8.  A couple years later we saw an ad on television for an old-time fiddle contest, I learned 6 tunes, went to it, competed, and came in 2nd to last!  At the contest, I met a woman who became my fiddle teacher when my classical teacher moved away.  She got me into Scottish music and a few years later I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland for a music course. After that I was completely hooked on the fiddle. :)

Who are some of your main music influences?

My main influences are fiddlers Alasdair Fraser (Scotland) and Buddy and Natalie MacMaster (Cape Breton).  And then... U2.

What do you love about what you do?

I really love to perform.... to share and interact with the audience.  I feel fortunate that I can spend time composing music and practicing, and that this is part of my job.  AND I love meeting new people/ traveling to new places.  

How do you contribute to building the “good city” in what you do?

I have grown up in the 'fiddle camp' scene... a place (many places!) that encourages and inspires community and artistic interaction.  I love passing on this idea to others... students, audiences, fellow musicians.  Humans love to create and enjoy art/music.  It is good for our souls, and ultimately for our community and surroundings.... and our city.

If you could describe Shanghai in one word, what would it be? Why?

Chaotically beautiful.  (Are two words ok?)  The colors, sounds, people in this TOWN are very in-your-face.  At times this is overwhelming, but mostly I find it inspiring and energizing.  I think there is a great creative spirit in Shanghai and I love coming here every year.

 

Hanneke performs with mandolin player Tom Pang and pianist Steve Sweeting on Friday. Doors close promptly at 7:30 pm. No reservations required.

Looking for Feedback

Our twocities concerts have become quite popular, attracting crowds of 150 and more at times!

We are so grateful for the support, but the growing attendance has also caused us to consider how we may restructure our events to better serve the performers and the audience and provide greater enjoyment for all involved.

One method we tried at our most recent "twocities in tune" concert is taking RSVPs ahead of time and closing the doors after the concert starts to avoid distractions and interruptions from latecomers.

For those of you who attended, we welcome your feedback! Please email your thoughts on the new RSVP system or on our events in general to: [email protected]

Respond by December 1 and you will automatically be entered in a lucky draw for a chance to win a set of handmade celadon ceramic bowls.

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我们的双城音乐会越来越受欢迎，每次都有150甚至更多的人参与。

我们非常感激所有人的支持，同时大客流也让我们开始如何思考更好地为表演者和观众服务，使每个人都享受其中。

我们最近一期的"双城协奏曲"尝试了提前预约以及开演后停止入场的方式，避免迟到的人打扰演出、分散大家的注意。

对上次出席音乐会的人，我们欢迎您的反馈意见！请把您对提前预约制度的想法告诉我们，发邮件至[email protected]

反馈邮件截止至12月1日，您将有机会参加我们的抽奖活动，赢得全手工制作的青釉陶瓷对碗。

Reading roundup: Week of August 30

This week's reading roundup is a visual feast - links and articles containing loads of images. Happy reading and viewing!

NPR: On Philadelphia's Walls, Murals Painted With Brotherly Love: With more than 3,000 murals scattered throughout the city, Philadelphia is transforming walls into public art to help bring about urban renewal and healing.

Gardiner Museum: Private Pleasures: Two weeks left in this exquisite exhibition of fine Japanese porcelain from the Edo period. The Gardiner Museum is the only museum in Canada solely dedicated to ceramic art.

Arts Journal: Ophelia - 6 Alternatives to Drowning: O Ophelia, what if thou hadn't died so tragically and poetically? Alternatives to drowning, rendered by various artists.

Museum of Glass: Richard Craig Meitner: "Magic," says Meitner, "is a moment in which something happens that does not fit into your belief system." Beautifully crafted with whimsy and wonder, Meitner's works of glass art explore room for the fantastical.

Wall Street Journal: Chopin's Small Miracles: This article contains images for the ears. Pianist and author David Dubal describes the brevity and beauty of Chopin's Preludes

Insight: Andrew Field

Historian, professor and music connoisseur Andrew Field celebrates the release of his first book, which delves into the world of dance halls and cabarets in Old Shanghai. Connecting this city's past with the present, Andrew shares with twocities about the research process and some of the gems discovered along the way.

What inspired you to research and write about this particular topic?

When I was in grad school thinking about a dissertation topic, something to do with China's encounters with the West in modern times, I heard some jazzy music from Shanghai in the 1930s and thought that it was a very interesting mix of Chinese and American pop music influences. I was inspired by the music to research that era more deeply, and that led me to the nightclubs of Old Shanghai.

Was there anything surprising that you came across during the research and writing process? What was it?

The entire process was a journey into the unknown. Nobody really knew much or had written much about the city's Jazz Age entertainment culture, at least not since it had died away in the 1940s and '50s. I had to read hundreds of newspapers and magazines, memoirs, novels, and other sources from the 1920s and '30s to put it all together. Not to mention all those archival and police files. I guess the most surprising and wonderful thing about the whole process was that it connected me very deeply not just with Old Shanghai, but with New Shanghai as well. I happened to start my research in an era when the city's reputation as an international metropolis was beginning to revive. Ultimately, the best thing about the process of researching and writing this book was the people I met along the way, some of whom--including my wife Zhang Mengxi--are acknowledged in the book.

What do you enjoy the most about what you do?

Hard to say what I enjoy most. For the most part I enjoy teaching, reading, and writing about Chinese history and culture and more broadly (or narrowly, depending on your perspective), global urban history and culture with a focus on entertainment and especially musical culture. I also love music and I love to dance, both of which I get to experience through my research. I think that music and dancing are a way to transcend cultures and bring people together to explore their common humanity and experience the joy of life. And that's a lovely thing, especially in an age when things can get so heavy. 

If you could describe Shanghai in one word, what would it be and why?

Kaleidoscopic. There's a constantly shifting, changing, growing-out-of and a boundless energy to the people and place. And people are always coming up with new ways to experience and interpret old things. Plus it's a very colorful, jumbly sort of place, full of wild juxtapositions of all shapes and sizes. Hard to find another place quite like it on this planet.

What's your next project?

James Farrer and I are working on a follow-up book to mine (and his) which will cover a century of nightlife in Shanghai, from 1910 to 2010. We've logged over 800 days of research in the clubs and bars over the years while working on this book, and interviewed over 100 people involved in one way or another in the revival of Shanghai's nightlife scene. It should be out in a year or two.

Join us this Sunday evening as Andrew presents a multimedia talk on "Was Shanghai really the Paris of the East?", followed by music, wine and dancing.

Insight: Lolita Jackson

Working with New York's Mayor Bloomberg by day and gracing jazz club stages by night, Lolita Jackson is a blend of the right and left brain. On her fourth visit to Shanghai, Lolita chats with us about music, problem-solving and the "pulse" of this city.

What is your day job?

I am Manhattan Director of Community Affairs for the NYC Mayor's Office, Community Affairs Unit.

How did you start singing jazz?

I played instruments (clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone) from ages 9-18 and didn't really sing at that time - it is very hard to sing when there is a mouthpiece in your mouth. :)

When I got to college, I joined the gospel choir because it was a very social way to meet other black students at my school (there were no tryouts). I have a powerful voice and ended up being one of the lead alto singers in the choir as a freshman. I was 'discovered' by a classmate who was a member of a campus a cappella jazz group - he encouraged me to try out for his group and I was accepted my sophomore year. I learned to sing jazz during the three years I was in that group.

 

How do you contribute to the "good city" in what you do (both in your job and gifting as a musician)?

In my job I am able to help people get their problems solved - from the seemingly mundane to large scale borough wide issues. I can make a difference at times in a matter of one telephone call. Through my involvement in the arts I have been able to assist art institutions in navigating city red tape - I can often see the issue from both sides and come to resolution faster than someone else who doesn't know the artist mind. I feel that I am able to blend both artistry and science in both my job and jazz singing - I am always the organizer in a band as far as getting gigs and making sure we get paid, etc., and at my job I always try to see the problem and potential solutions from multiple angles, which comes from my creative side. I went to school for engineering which is why I have that blended personality.

 

If you could describe Shanghai in one word, what would it be? Why?

Shanghai is pulsating.  It is a throbbing, vibrant place, in a way New York used to be when it was full of future promise, in the 50s after the war.  The amount of people, the bustling streets - it is mesmerizing.

Come hear Lolita belt out some tunes at a special concert at twocities this Wednesday evening. Joining her on stage will be some of the finest jazz musicians based in Shanghai.

Insight: Steve Sweeting

Jazz historian, teacher and pianist extraordinaire, Steve Sweeting is a regular at twocities and founder of the 'twocities in tune' concert series. Why jazz music and why Shanghai? Here is Steve, in his own words.

When did you start playing piano? How did you get into jazz music?

When I was in third grade, my parents bought me a used upright piano for $5-- it was painted green.  I started playing by ear along with pop radio when I was six or seven, then took steady lessons and played in every kind of band or music group I could find as a teen.  It wasn't until college that I went to an Oscar Peterson concert and I couldn't believe how rich a musical tradition jazz was and continues to be.

What do you love about what you do?

Oh, so many things! I'm very lucky. First off, I really just love the sound of the piano, so even on a bad day (or a bad piano), I still like to sit down and do some kind of playing. I love that music is its own language and so among musicians I can live anywhere in the world and make immediate connections. I love the passion and variety in music--one day I could be singing a bebop tune with my vocal workshop and the next, I'm arranging folk songs from Yunnan or doing free improv with an erhu player. Each of these experiences brings entirely different challenges and pleasures. I love the idea that listening to great music is part of my work, and I really love not having to wake up early in the morning.

When did you start 'twocities in tune'?

We started 'twocities in tune' in the fall of 2006 and I feel like it has become my musical home.  We have had at least a half dozen concerts each year featuring many singers of jazz, Chinese folk, some original and many spontaneous compositions.  It's my favorite place in town to play because foreigners and locals alike seem to come with open minds and open ears. So, thanks for this great opportunity!

How do you contribute to building the "good city" in what you do?

There is no doubt that good music makes everyone's life a whole lot richer, so I only hope that my music is part of that richness and that my enthusiasm for improvisation and play is contagious.  In Shanghai, part of what I've tried to do is to collaborate with many local singers and musicians to create something that we are all inspired by and equally part of. Also, with my wife (who as an urban designer knows a lot more about good cities than I do) we are trying to raise our two boys to become thoughtful and engaged citizens, wherever they live. 

If you could describe Shanghai in one word, what would it be? Why? 

Young.  Ironic coming from an American, huh?  Despite China's long history, so much in this city is brand spanking new. My street has been repaved five times so far this year. The pace of growth is fast and the opportunities are many, though at times I miss the roots and the depth of culture in New York which often comes from the generations ahead of mine.

Catch Steve's contagious passion for good music this Friday night at twocities. Steve will be performing with vocalist Heidi Krenn to explore modal jazz in the final 'twocities in tune' concert/lecture of the Spring.