posts about live music, performance of music, concerts, etc.
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Prepare yourself for Pitch Perfect, West Coast Style. The Harmony Sweepstakes acapella competition is coming back to the Washington Center this March, hosted by the Masterworks Choral Ensemble. “Acapella is pure, it’s just voices in a microphone,” said Masterworks leader and show director Gary Witley. “You don’t have …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Since his emergence on the folk scene in the ’70s, John McCutcheon has not only been one of the most respected songwriters and instrumentalists out there, but he’s also been one of the most prolific. The man nailed a stone cold genre classic in 1977 with “The Wind That …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS Each year for the past 11, members of the Olympia musical group Entertainment Explosion have put on a show to benefit homeless children in Thurston and Mason counties. This year, the show features a guest artist, The Brothers Four. The group’s musical career spans 50 years and includes sing-along …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS When an orchestra covers a beloved composer, it must take care to play his music with precision. “No piece of music is easy,” said Huw Edwards, Music Director and Conductor of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra, “but Mozart is famous for being so exposed — any blemish on [the performance’s] …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS In mid-February, Emerald City Music will take Olympia South Sound music lovers on a spiritual journey through classical music. This is the first time an Emerald City concert will feature a soloist, baritone Christopher Herbert, a two-time GRAMMY nominated member of the male classical quartet New York Polyphony. Gilbert …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS Old-time music is perhaps the oldest form of North American folk music, pre-dating Bluegrass. Vocalist, guitarist and bassist Sabra Guzmán was first drawn to its raw stylings at the turn of the millennium when she lived in Portland. Now, Guzmán is preparing to pick and sing old-time tunes with …
Concerts, Shows, and DancesSouth Bay Grange Thursday Night Kick-off Dance (2/15) 7pm – 10pm South Bay Grange Band: The Bow Weevils Caller: Kelsey Nelsen Saturday Family Dance (2/17) 2pm – 3pm Downtown …
by Adam McKinney and Tom Simpson for OLY ARTS Our music has a grand tradition of passing the love of music on from generation to generation. Brograss is a great example of this genre’s continuity over time. Tashi (16) and Kaj Litch (13) learned to appreciate bluegrass early on, thanks to their family’s band, the …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Old-time string music, with origins dating back to the late 19th century, never really went away. More accurately, it fell out of popular style, as most hit genres eventually do. Being a fundamentally American art form, though, it was always around, and it got a boost in national attention …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS When we talk about old-time music, there’s an implicit promise in that description. We’re discussing music that carries forward traditions that were baked into it from its inception. Like any other art form, innovations, excursions, and experiments have transpired over the years, but old-time music, by design, is built …