James Miller, trombone (in collaboration with Kanae Matsumoto)
Oct. 24
8-10 p.m., Schoenberg Hall
$12 general admission; $5 UCLA faculty
Wednesday night will be Kanae Matsumoto’s first time collaborating with something other than typical instruments: film clips.
Matsumoto, who received her master’s and doctoral degrees in solo piano performance at UCLA, is currently a lecturer at UCLA in collaborative piano. She will perform with other UCLA faculty member James Miller, lecturer of trombone and trombonist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, during Wednesday’s performance that will feature multimedia along with other types of instrumentals.
The multimedia of the performance will feature film clips from various nature settings. For example, a piece titled “Arctic Emanations” will be set against the backdrop of breezy arctic scenery from the North Pole.
Although Matsumoto said working with multimedia was exciting, it did pose some new challenges.
“(There is a) certain restriction because the image and music have to match,” Matsumoto said. “I can’t take all my freedom “¦ but I still want to play like myself.”
Matsumoto said that the performance will be her first time performing with Miller, though she has known him as a colleague for three years. Miller reached out to her this summer, and the two have rehearsed a couple of times the past weeks. She said that although she majored in solo performance, she enjoys doing collaborative performances.
“It’s energy exchange; it’s communication. The communication part is stimulating and exciting,” Matsumoto said. “To me, it’s overall more enriching in terms of music, rather than playing by myself.”
Matsumoto said that in order to play with another instrumentalist, one must be sensitive and open to the other performer. When she and Miller were rehearsing, Matsumoto said Miller instructed her to try something new like kicking the piano, instead of playing the notes.
“He has a very unusual technique. You think as a trombonist you would just be blowing the instrument, but he chose a piece that expands the possibility of what the instrument can do.”
Miller wants Wednesday’s performance to be fun, Matsumoto said.
“What I’m seeing is that he wants to present the variety and expanding the norm of music. He really wants to have musical fun with it, and I want to be on board on that,” Matsumoto said.
Compiled by Laurie Allred, A&E reporter.