On Friday, Oct. 2, The Akropolis Reed Quintet joined by composer and jazz pianist Pascal Le Boeuf and jazz drummer Christian Euman performed for the first time at Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center. The ensemble performed their Grammy Award winning album, “Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?”
Le Boeuf said the performance was “about exploring what unity means to American music… it recognizes the ingredients and how we got here.” Le Boeuf described how they want to “recognize the individual elements rather than the combination… some things are lost when you combine everything into a soup.” The ensemble highlighted Leonard Bernstein, David Brubeck, Geri Allen, and Charles Mingus as a few musicians they recognize. Le Beuf said, “these are wonderful artists we hope people will learn about through our interpretations.”
Throughout the ensemble’s performance, members soloed their instruments allowing them to be recognized. Combined together, the ensemble transitioned from slow, melancholy sounds,building into uplifting tempos, earning them a standing ovation.
Kari Landry, clarinetist for the quintet, said the ensemble wants to “change people’s perceptions about what classical music is.” Matt Landry, saxophone for the quintet, elaborated, “most classical groups are entrenched in the idea of playing for people really serious about classical music… [we’re] built upon a for-everyone philosophy… we really love it when the general public comes out.”
The ensemble’s performance was part of the Rozsa Presenting Series. Justin Plichta, marketing manager for the Rozsa Center, said, “we’re looking for acts that are really pushing the boundaries of what music is.” Plichta also recognized that the performance was a backstage event where performers are surrounded by the audience, like a lounge, on the Rosza’s stage. This leads to more intimate performer feedback. Kari Landry said, “[the Rosza] has had some really cool groups come up here… it’s an honor to be a part of it.”
Le Boeuf mentioned wanting “Michigan students to feel the same love that we feel [for American music].” The Akropolis Reed Quintet and Le Boeuf have a series of educational initiatives which aim to connect K-12 students and university students with multi-leveled music workshops. For more information, visit the Akropolis Reed Quintet’s webpage akropolisquintet.org.
