On Sunday, the Ohio University Composers’ Association welcomes the music duo Popebama, who will present their unorthodox performance styles at 8 p.m. in Gliddens Recital Hall
Erin Rogers, who plays the saxophone, and Dennis Sullivan, who plays the drums, are the musicians that make up Popebama. The New York-based duo perform experimental works that emphasize creativity and unconventional sounds, and weave electronics into their instrumental pieces to form energetic and unique musical works.
Rogers and Sullivan first worked together in 2016, with their first duo performance in Brooklyn, New York. Months later, the duo went on tour and have played together ever since.
Sullivan said the year they met had a big impact on their decision to call themselves “Popebama”.
“We had a running joke that if you mixed up your names, you could only do that if you were the two most important people in the world,” said Sullivan. “And that was around 2016 (when) Barack Obama and Pope Francis dominated the news cycle. It was a stupid thing we made up, but then it stayed. It was really well received by the fans … so we stuck with it. “
Sullivan says her style of music is a mix of avant-garde classical and improvisation and that these two worlds inspire her to shape her own sound.
Despite the spontaneous and chaotic sound of the performances, Sullivan emphasized that each sound was purposely chosen to create their personalized production.
“We try to be very well rehearsed,” said Sullivan. “It’s all those fast, jump-cut textures and fast, weird little transitions that are rehearsed to a great extent. We have often been told that the music sounds almost like avant-garde improvisation, but that it sounds highly rehearsed instead of spontaneous. “
Rogers and Sullivan initially took a tour in Texas, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Rogers said they had booked stops along the way and decided to put on a performance for students and faculty from the OU here in Athens.
“OU was on our radar because an ensemble we’re closely connected with … had recently done a project with OU Composers, so we knew about the program and knew there would be an enthusiastic audience for this type of music. Said Roger. “We got in touch with the head of the composition department, Robert McClure. And he was excited that we could get through and book the show for us. “
McClure, Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory, said the OU Composers’ Association aims to deliver “a wide variety of new music” through concerts like this in order to introduce OU students to new styles of performance and new performers as a whole.
Rogers said the performance will consist of five pieces by five different composers, each with a different flair.
“We have a piece by composer Paul Pinto that is just text that we sit and speak to the audience,” said Rogers. “Sometimes this text is sung. Sometimes it is only spoken very quickly, but there is a lot of energy in it. ”
The performances, Rogers said, are extremely energetic and fast-paced, and often play like a “ping-pong game” as they draw the audience’s attention in different directions.
Rogers said the duo look forward to demonstrating their special achievements to connect with the audience. Especially their last performance of the evening, as they only performed it in full once.
“(Our final piece) is an epic journey,” said Rogers. “So it plays with the audience’s attention span for 40 minutes and tells a long story. In fact, there is a story going on all the time that can really attract audiences. The program itself is what we really want to present to the OU audience. “
With Popebama’s performance styles and eccentric musical talent, McClure hopes those who attend the performance will appreciate the techniques the duo bring to the stage.
“I hope attendees enjoy the energy, experimentation and absolute virtuosity that Popebama brings to every concert,” McClure said in an email. “You are world class performers and we are very excited to have you here at Ohio University.”
@laureneserge
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