Caroline Shaw (at center) performs with Sō Percussion.
BLACKSBURG — Multi-genre quartet Sō Percussion joins forces with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and groundbreaking breath artist, beat boxer, and composer Dominic “Shodekeh” Talifero for an evening of music bridging the worlds of classical and pop at the Moss Arts Center on Wednesday, Mar. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Sō Percussion redefines chamber music for the 21st century with dazzling live performances that bring the vibrant percussion repertoire to life and an extravagant array of collaborations in classical music, pop, indie rock, contemporary dance, and theatre.
The Moss program includes powerful new original songs performed with Shaw from “Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part.” Shaw’s faultless ear for melody and harmony combined with Sō’s rhythmic invention and compositional experimentation make for a world of sonic richness that feels fresh. These contemporary songs represent Shaw’s debut as a solo vocal artist, and Sō opens a world of sonic possibilities and rhythmic virtuosity that dramatically expands Shaw’s palette beyond the vocal and string writing for which she is best known.
Sō Percussion and Shodekeh bring together distinctive rhythmic practices that converge on the experimental in “Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice.” The collaboration draws on decades of collective experience that integrates influences such as John Cage, Meredith Monk, and a huge range of hip-hop and house music artists. In the process, they demonstrate how compatible vocal and physical percussion can be. “Vodalities” is dedicated to three towering vocalists: Bobby McFerrin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Doug E. Fresh, the original human beat box.
The program also features pieces composed by Sō Percussion members Eric Cha-Beach and Jason Treuting and American composer Pauline Oliveros.
Sō Percussion’s commitment to the creation and amplification of new work and its extraordinary powers of perception and communication have made it a trusted partner for artists like Shaw and Shodekeh. A New York-based musician, Shaw became the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for “Partita for 8 Voices,” written for the Grammy-winning Roomful of Teeth, of which she is a member, while Shodekeh continues to make musical strides as a highly adept beatboxer, vocal percussionist, and breath artist, pushing the boundaries of the human voice within and outside the context of hip-hop music and culture.
Related events
Sō Percussion, Shaw, and Shodekeh share their perspectives on composition and collaborative performance in an informal audience discussion immediately following the performance on Mar. 20.
The artists also will share their talents and expertise with Virginia Tech students during their visit, both at the Creativity and Innovation District living-learning community and in music, creative writing, and dance courses. Shodekeh will lead a workshop with students in a Roanoke City after-school program.
Educators and students in grades five through 9 from Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Floyd, Pembroke, and Salem, predominantly, will attend a free matinee performance by Sō Percussion and Shodekeh.
Tickets
Tickets for the performance are $20-$55 for general audience and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center’s box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Venue and parking information
The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.
Katie Gehrt for Virginia Tech
