The Imani Winds are (L-R) Valerie Coleman, flute; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Mariam Adam, Clarinet; Jeff Scott, French horn; and Monica Ellis, bassoon.

If you talk to Imani Winds bassoonist and Pittsburgh native Monica Ellis for very long, it soon dawns on you that a lot of things worked the way they were supposed to: her parents gave unquestioning support to her musical aspirations, dedicated music teachers in Pittsburgh Public Schools provided her with the opportunity to thrive, and Oberlin Conservatory was a place where she could absorb a wide variety of musical and cultural influences (full disclosure—I’m also an Oberlin alum).  When Imani Winds came to Pittsburgh this past February I jumped at the opportunity to interview Monica Ellis for PNMNet. The idea was to focus on the group’s ambitious Legacy Commissioning Project, and their approach to new music. The conversation that eventually took place covered that and much more.

I talked with Monica via Skype and recorded the conversation onto my laptop (it sounds very skype-y), and we decided that the best use of our conversation would be to post the raw-dio. I strongly encourage you to listen to the full conversation to get a sense of just how thoughtful, engergetic, and out and out funny Monica is, but in the meantime, here are some highlights, with audio excerpts, after the jump.

Listen to the Complete Interview

Full Interview

Growing up in Pittsburgh Monica experienced a wide range of musical influences. She is a self described “bona fide band kid” and carries a huge amount of respect for her teachers and the opportunities she had through the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Her father, Clarence Oden, was a jazz saxophonist with Walt Harper and her parents encouraged her musical aspirations without reservation. But as she tells it, “We did not listen to classical music. I did not grow up listening to Brahms symphonies. I grew up listening to Cyndi Lauper and Prince …”

“We were 80s kids.”

The Legacy Commissioning Project is a celebration of Imani’s 10th Anniversary. The quintet commissioned 10 composers of color, and spent weeks listening to recordings and engaging in a vigorous back and forth about the composers they would invite. The goal of the project is not only to add substantial works to the somewhat thin wind quintet repertoire, but also for the members of the quintet to “represent who we are” as people of color.

This was a particularly high-end argument!

It’s easy to get into a theoretical discussion over what is inclusive or what is exclusive when it comes to the choice to commission composers of color, but the logic of Imani’s approach becomes very obvious when you hear Monica describe Cane, a work written by Jazz artist Jason Moran. Cane is based on the story of one of Moran’s ancestors from the 18th century who lived in Louisiana, was herself freed from slavery, and eventually, by running a successful plantation of her own, was able to purchase her children’s freedom.

Don’t ask me how a little wind quintet inspired him to go to that place!

When I asked about the challenges facing minority kids today, the conversation became very sobering. Monica offered some very honest thoughts about the difficulties that confront African American youth and some constructive strategies for helping kids engage the arts, as well as to achieve general success.

Catch kids while they’re young…

It’s always helpful for composers to get input from performers who spend a lot of time playing contemporary music and I think any composer will find Monica’s reflections about what she finds compelling about a new piece of music both thought provoking and encouraging.

Being true to whatever it is you want to say…

Imani Wind’s Legacy Commissioning Project is an ongoing effort, and you can help. Individuals are welcome to donate to the LCP via the ensemble’s Web site. You can also find out more about the composers, as well as stream audio and video for pieces which have already premiered.

PNMN: Your Music on the Edge program at the Warhol covers a really wide range of styles, from Vincent Persichetti to Arvo Pärt to Amy Kohn… those are three very different artists right there. Do you see any overarching theme for the program or was the goal more to represent the variety of contemporary music?

MR: Our programming is based on our own current musical interests with an eye toward interesting juxtapositions that come about by creating a program from these interests. The obvious similarities of George Antheil, Vincent Perschetti and Julia Wolfe of a compositional order of energy and a certain type of urban-ness. Eve Beglarian’s fascination with tone coloring and finding melody and harmony in what seems like noise is complimented by Arvo Pärt’s chant-like Fratres .The whimsical music hall quality of Amy Kohn’s music is touched with a wondrous quality yet can be tied with Antheil’s popular song qualities. Jon Appleton, known for his innovative work and teaching in the electronic medium, is represented here with a new sonata that is reminiscent of Darius Milhaud; tonal, lush and evoking early swing music. I suppose all the program lacks is atonality… It certainly offers many different music voices

GB: One by now very well-established 20th/21st-century musical genre is that of the wacky-stylistic-juxtaposition piece. George Antheil helped to codify this genre in his 1923 Sonata No. 2 for Violin, Piano and Drum, with which we open the program. Phrases of ragtime, stride, sentimental popular song, and grandiose romanticism collide with each other, but are linked by use of the same motifs, and are satirically charged via sudden, unexpected dissonances. Just when you expect a final cadence in F Major, the piano enters with industrial music, with clusters and single notes in rhythmic patterns evoking the music of factory machines. But the piece ends with a soft, plaintive duet between the violin and drums. The juxtapositions within this piece set up the myriad contrasts for the rest of our program, taken from the sublime crazy quilt of American Music: the beautifully crafted, distinctive classicism and romanticism of Persichetti; the intensely spiritual music of Pärt, with its allusions to both ancient chant and to the Baroque Chaconne; the avant-pop of Amy Kohn…

PNMN: Your work with the New York Art Ensemble seems to focus on giving composers the space to integrate all of their musical experiences into their creative output and emphasizes what you’ve termed the “emerging avant-pop.” How are audiences and musicians responding? Do you see the gap that had opened up between composers and audiences closing somewhat?

GB: Mercifully, the formerly much more territorial divide between “serious concert music” and adventurous, original music using popular styles as a fundamental ingredient has been closing more and more. One thing that is so inspirational about our New York Art Ensemble audience is the vast array of scenes that the audience members come from. Not too long ago, most programs featuring recently written instrumental concert music attracted audiences made up overwhelmingly of other composers. But I’ve had numerous conversations with NYAE audience members who told me that they had never been to a concert “like this” before (meaning consisting almost entirely of music written in the last two decades or so), and that they loved it, and couldn’t wait to hear more. There are also so many musicians like Mary and me that make no distinctions between one musical genre being worthier than another, and have no patience for the idea of certain musical genres not belonging together. Just over the past decade alone, so much great music has been written that ignores any concept of stylistic boundaries, and it’s a damn good thing.

MR: NYAE ensemble is interested in making opportunity for music that is in a way considered “on the fringe”. There was a time when anyone writing music that was tonal and or had popular music twinges or seemed “obvious”, wasn’t able to get their music played. It just wasn’t considered interesting or “too personal”. The general trend today is much more accepting of music with all of these qualities. Audiences and musicians are responding with a lot of enthusiasm. Both are experiencing a richer appreciation of the concert experience. It is not just the audience who is reaching out to understand, but musicians offering a more encompassing approach that helps the audience to engage. I would say that there is a mutual need that is getting addressed and I think it will continue for a while.

PNMN: Being in an orchestra or a chamber ensemble is, at one level, sort of like being in a really fancy cover band. Have either of you ever considered taking a more Rock-oriented approach and writing your own music or collaborating with other performer/comopsers in the composition process?

MR: I do this almost all of the time. My quartet ETHEL writes and performs it’s own music and we are always talking with the composers who write for us. We want them to consider what we do and incorporate that into the piece they make for us.

GB: Mary does this in ETHEL, and it’s been fantastic to see that the band members of this string quartet have been writing so much great original music themselves. I’ve done a lot more arranging and improvising than composing myself, and if I just could squeeze out more time, I’d love to write more original music .

PNMN: More and more composers are integrating their popular music experiences into their work, and in the past their have been popular musicians who have integrated concert music into their work (the Beatles and Stockhausen come to mind, or Zappa’s affinity for Varese). Are you encountering many current rock/pop-oriented musicians who are drawing inspiration from contemporary concert music?

MR: Yes and no. Electronic advances are giving rock and contemporary composers the same sounds and beats and and… As to many… I can think of Björk, God Speed! You Black Emporer, Steve Vai and Joe Jackson and Todd Rungren maybe.

GB: Heck yeah. I’d characterize the list of prominent types as pretty long now: Björk, Mike Patton, DJ Spooky, Final Fantasy, etc. etc. And it’s beyond just inspiration—there seem to be a growing number of musicians who become initially established in the pop world, but who entered it with the chops to write real concert music. Jonny Greenwood (from Radiohead), who has been writing more and more concert works and has been the BBC’s composer-in-residence, is a very good example, as is Final Fantasy. Amy Kohn, whose work Snow to Cement we are performing, has always primarily worked in the pop world as a singer-songwriter, but she studied composition at Oberlin.

PNMN: As strong advocates for new music what advice would you give to young composers who are trying to establish themselves?

GB: I think that anyone who has a truly original and compelling voice, and an interest in melding different styles, has a better chance of getting noticed today than, say, 20 or 30 years ago. (30 years ago, you had a better chance of making it if you could ally yourself with a particular established school. Thank God those days are over.) Don’t be afraid to exercise that voice, and to present your music in unconventional spaces and to audiences that might not normally consume “contemporary concert music.” There are also so many new outlets for dissemination, which demands pretty much the same level of creativity in marketing yourself as in creating the music itself (getting noticed in the massively populated realms of real and virtual competition!)

MR: Find musicians to work with you. Form a band or group. If you don’t play an instrument this is really important so that your music can get played and refined. Write music YOU want to write and write music that OTHERs want you to write. SAY SOMETHING with your music. Start simple. Don’t be ashamed to write music that people can enjoy. HAVE FUN!

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PNMN: The Biava Quartet has been very committed to performing new music. Is that an emphasis that the group had from its inception, or did it emerge gradually?

MP: The Biava Quartet has long had an interest in performing new music.   From the earliest days, our quartet has enjoyed the challenge of  tackling unknown works in an effort to challenge both the audience (and ourselves!) to deepen our exposure to and appreciation of all musical styles.   Not only has this provided greater musical diversity to our programmming, but this has also given us the opportunity to present music that is relevant to our time.  Working with living composers has also provided the chance to understand and embrace music on a deeper level. Through these experiences, we have all gained insight into the challenges that faced the composers of the past, all the while resulting in more vibrant interpretations of both those works as well as the music of today.  As 21st century performers, we all believe firmly that we have a responsibility to commit ourselves to bringing about the next generation of masterworks.  It was, after all, the influence of the great performer composers of the past, the majority of whom were writing music beyond the confines of their own epochs, which inspired all which we now consider canon.

PNMN: Besides the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society’s Bridges Festival, are you currently collaborating with any other composers?

MP: Yes, indeed!  Before traveling to Pittsburgh, we have just returned from Moscow, Idaho where we performed the world premiere of String Quartet No. 3, “Gaia,” by young American composer, Stacy Garrop. This piece, written about Gaia, the mythical Greek goddess of the earth, describes the wide range of stories about Gaia’s creations, kindness as well as her anger and vengeance. It is structureded in a five movement arch form and runs about 30 minutes long, building to a dramatic climax in the 3rd movement.  We  received many very enthusiastic responses from audience members who were struck by the interesting form, as well as the sonorities created by using a good deal of dissonance as well as harmonics.  Working with a living composer like Stacy is always an enjoyable experience since she is very appreciative and open to what we as musicians can contribute and express through her composition.  A few other composers with whom we have worked in the past 4 months include Kenji Bunch, Kevin Puts and Dominic Dousa.

PNMN: As you’ve played contemporary repertoire and worked closely with composers, have you seen any trends emerging compositionally?

MP: Perhaps one of our greatest joys as a performers of 20th and 21st century music is the fact that, outside the always changing tastes of audiences, the only prevalent style is the absence of a prevalent style. There are as many unique compositional voices as there are composers and, with the dual influences of nationalism and multiculturalism, the range of music being written today is as broad as it was in the early years of the 20th century – a fortunate trend indeed!

PNMN: What can you tell us about David Stock’s new string quartet?

MP: David’s new quartet presents a musical voice of contemporary America– it is full of driving rhythms, jazz-flavored inflection, songful melody, and the rich variety that is so typical of the American musical and cultural landscape.  It is a three movement work— the first movement providing a constant paradox of tension and resolution while often juxtaposing both concepts at the same time; the second movement has a distinct lyricism derived from a sucession of chant-like sustained pitches that ultimately arrive at a climax; and the third movement is rough and robust movement with a galloping motif that runs from start to finish, providing a wonderful conclusion.   It is really quite a lot of fun to play — and we know that audiences will love it as well!

PNMN: Have you played any of David’s music before? How is the piece similar, different than some of his other works you’ve performed?

MP: I’ve not played any of David’s other music but, comparing it to a work I heard in Pittsburgh a few years ago (a Cuban concerto for violin, played by Andres Cardenes with the PSO Chamber Orchestra), it certainly seems as though David possesses a chameleon-like variety, though a few things can always be certain– wonderful style, something real to say, and something enjoyable and fun!

PNMN: In May the Biava comes back to premiere Albert Glinsky’s work. Have you had a chance to see his score yet?

MP: While we have not yet seen the score to the Glinsky quartet, we’ve heard rumors that it should be arriving in our Juilliard mailbox soon!  We have been fortunate enough to have a few conversations with Albert Glinksy by phone at which times he has given us a bit of a verbal “sneak-peak” at the quartet—- and remain quite excited to soon have the chance to explore his quartet and of course present it in Pittsburgh this May.

PNMN: You have a heavy touring schedule, including a lot of master classes. Do you find that the students you work with are also receptive to performing new music?

MP: It is always quite exciting to see that students are very open-minded to new music that perhaps many more seasoned concert goers might find difficult to embrace. Often we find the students to have an enthusiasm and willingness to experiment and try all new techniques creating an energy which is required in many of these compositions. Even younger students being exposed for the first time to classical music enjoy hearing new and creative sounds that are greatly a part of the language of many of these wonderful compositions.

PNMN: Have you seen any change in performers’ attitudes towards new music performance over the course of your touring?

MP: For us as a string quartet, it is exciting to see that many of the conservatories and universities that we visit have become more open to contemporary music. Unfortunately, in the not so distant past, these institutions of higher learning were progressive in many areas of instruction with the exception being new music. As senior professors begin to encourage their students to explore this music, it has certainly inspired more creative programming that has also influenced many to venture out and begin a life in composition.  That being said, while there are still musics which the majority of performers are reluctant to approach, it seems as though the music of today, alive and most of all, new, is definitely being consumed by a far wider cross section of performers. And it is of course this occurrence which helps to bring new works into the canon – the dissemination of new art is, after all, the responsibility of living performers, since only we can advocate for it.

PNMN: What else can you tell us about your concert for Saturday night?

MP: In addition to David Stock’s new work, we are excited to present two of the cornerstones of the quartet literature – Shostakovich’s monumental and harrowing Eighth Quartet, as personal a work as has ever been written, and one which is truly a codex to his life and oeuvre; as well as, in this bicentennial year of his birth, Mendelssohn’s last work, the Quartet in F-minor, op. 80, which, in common with the Shostakovich, gave voice to the composer’s most heartfelt feelings upon learning of the sudden death of his beloved sister, Fanny. It will certainly be a concert to remember!

PNMN: What are things you look forward to most when you come back to perform in Pittsburgh?

MP: It is always a real thrill to be able to return to Pittsburgh with my wonderful quartet colleagues and take the stage.  I have many memories from my childhood in Pittsburgh of so many fantastic concerts that I was priveleged to witness— and so it is a true honor to now be invited to some of those very same stages to now perform with my group.  In many ways, it is a feeling of having come “full circle”— and I am reminded of the many wonderful teachers and inspirations that I was so fortunate to have early on, which helped shape me into the musician and artist that I am today.  Other things that I look forward to most when performing in Pittsburgh are having my family and friends in the audience and visiting some of my favorite Pittsburgh hotspots including the Pretzel Shop on the South Side, the restaurants Dish and Monterey Bay Fish, and Pamela’s Pancakes!

PNMN: Did you get to watch the Super Bowl?

Austin Hartman: Absolutely glad I didn’t miss one of the all time great Super Bowl Championship games in history.

Mary Persin: Yes, of course!  While I am not typically one to follow specific sports games and teams, I was thrilled to see Pittsburgh have the opportunity to compete in the Superbowl and attempt to make history winning a Superbowl ring for the OTHER THUMB!   Congratulations Steelers!

Hyunsu Ko: To show my loyalty to my colleague and dear friend Mary, I had to watch the super bowl to root for the Steelers. I was on the phone with Mary during the last 5 minutes of the game when the Steelers suddenly were losing by 3 points. However, when the Steelers made their dramatic come-back at the end, Mary and I were screaming and cheering for joy!!

Jason Callowy: Yes I did – and while, as a Philadelphia native, I only rooted for Pittsburgh out of spite for Arizona’s having beaten the Eagles, it was great to watch such a photo finish of a game!