Suffolk Spotlight, September 4, 2003

Open Ears Will Continue to Amaze

The nationally recognized Open Ears concert series will present two more innovative events this fall semester at SCCC. On October 8, 2003 Open Ears 22 will feature Ethel . Ethel is a 21st-century realization of the classical string quartet model featuring uptown and downtown performing stalwarts Ralph Farris, Dorothy Lawson, Todd Reynolds, and Mary Rowell. Their credentials read like a who's who of classical, contemporary, and popular music. From the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Steve Reich Ensemble to the Sheryl Crow Band and the Roger Daltrey Band, the members of Ethel bring together a vast spectrum of performing and recording experiences. Unencumbered by convention, genre or style, the tastes, talents and experiences of these four musicians come together to create a flexible entity that is committed to exploring new possibilities in string quartet performance.

Ethel

For Open Ears 23, on November 19, 2003, violinist, improviser and composer Todd Reynolds will bring his Still Life With Mic project to the campus. This project is an ongoing exploration of the nature of contemporary performance; navigating between electrifying performances of recent new music works, structured improvisations, and spontaneous experiments in music, text and movement. The format owes as much debt to TV news magazines and web browsing as it does to a typical new music concert. The format evolves out of Reynolds search for a home for his own music and the music that inspires him, and out of his experience in and leaning toward interdisciplinary performance. Still Life With Mic is comprised of written compositions, structured improvisations, spoken word, and aspects of theatrical design, all woven together seamlessly using Sound Painting.