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W.A.T.T.?! explores the work of Toronto musicians who push the boundaries of convention – not just by the nature of their music, but by where and how they choose to present their work.
The show’s about music; but also about the ideas behind the music: how creative people interact with our changing culture; how their work has evolved; and what they’re trying to achieve.
The podcast features interviews and music encompassing the greatest possible terrain: improvisation, jazz, contemporary classical music, electronic music, and the indefinable elements in between and on the borders. In addition to performers and composers, I’ll be including interviews with concert presenters, organizers, and the media involved with this music – to give the broadest range of perspective and ideas.
Through these conversations our goal is to provoke thought about what’s happening in Toronto and what it means to the development of the city’s artistic culture.
| LATEST EPISODES: (click an episode’s title to listen, or right-click to download) |
click an image to visit the featured artist online: |
| No.25 09/02/10: Esprit d’ Crap Orchestra Everything I hate about New Music in Toronto, with examples; in the form of a critique of a recent performance of R. Murray Schafer by the Esprit Orchestra |
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| No.24 28/01/10: Interview with MiMo An interview with Samuel Morgenstein and Matt Miller from the percussion + computer duo Mimo / weekly concert highlights / Guitardrone is shocking. |
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| No.23 23/01/10: Day of the Pianists In this week’s podcast we stop by Eve Egoyan’s performance with Tilman Lewis (cello) and Nilan Perera (guitar) at Somewhere there, then head to the Tranzac to hear John Farah and Atilla Fias on two pianos. Also: the guitar drone saga continues… |
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| No.22 16/01/10: Interview with Bob Wiseman (part 2) In this half of the interview I talk with bob about how some of the elements of musicianship he finds important have changed over his career and what’s remained consistant; about the advantages of collaboration; music morphing into multimedia; music industry garbage; film and theatre; touring; and the music that he admires. |
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| No.21 08/01/10: Interview with Bob Wiseman (part 1) |
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| No.20 01/01/10: “I Love Big Packages” Joe Sorbara + our Letter Reading Girl + Miami Rice |
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| No.19 18/12/09: Interview with Steve Ward |
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COMPLETE LIST OF EPISODES:
No.18 15/12/09: Cthulhu Haiku + Fred Spek + The Painted Lady
No.17 09/12/09: Ken Aldcroft + Ronley Teper + Antlers and Anchors
No.16 02/12/09: Drumheller!
No.15 24/11/09: W.A.T.T. Is Back! (and 33% less depressed)
No.14 16/03/09: Ronley Teper
No.13 03/03/09: Chris Warren
No.12 07/02/09: The Toy Piano Composers
No.11 20/08/08: Friendly Rich
No.10 12/08/08: ZamfirSunRaRobotsSpaceEpic!
No.09 26/07/08: David Ogborn (Opera on the Rocks)
No.08 27/06/08: Scott Thomson (Somewhere There)
No.07 06/06/08: Richard Underhill
No.06 20/05/08: Duncan MacDonell (Wavelength RIP)
No.05 29/04/08: Mike Smith (Muskox)
No.04 19/04/08: John Kameel Farah
No.03 06/04/08: Scott Good (Vancouver Symphony)
No.02 20/03/08: Caitlin Smith (Tiny Alligator Big Band)
No.01 12/03/09: Rob Piilonen (AIMToronto)
This webspace for W.A.T.T. is brand new! So please comment below and let me know what you think of the show / what you like / what you hate / who you think would make for a good interview / or just to say hello!
Blarrgh! I am first flesh-things! Let Benjamin Mueller-Heaslip and me [GUITARDRONE] know what you think of our culturaesthetic programming by synthesizing your digital processors with the blank [COMMENT] box.
Does everyone hate the audio player on this page? I know it’s a pain, you can’t forward or rewind. Sucks. I’m looking for a new one: post any suggestions for decent audio players!
RE:Podcast 25: Esprit d’ Crap
Phenomenal exposition of your thoughts. Well-researched and documented, and presented. Seems like not much of merit has been funded in quite a while.
This is, somewhat relatedly, why I have huge hesitations about using many of the Grant/Loan companies, especially those funded by our Government. They have helped many friends and cohorts with their releases and tours, but I find a strained feeling come over me thinking about how I must represent them and report my motivations and desires for the music in line with their views.
That, and countless other friends with even more talent and passion are freely putting out good, edgy-but-not-for-show things without said help. Who am I to say I deserve it more?
Excellent ending of the episode, too! Love it.
~Myke Mazzei
Thanks Myke!
I don’t have much of a problem with granting bodies per se, and have found that they do make a real effort to stay well clear of imposing any direction on the projects they’re funding. They fund some things that I think are rot, but they also lend a hand to some very important organizations – like Scott Thomson’s Somewhere There performance space for example.
The point I was mainly trying to make with this show is the problem of established organizations, and individual artists, co-opting the resources that should be used to develop new ideas. It’s dishonest and irresponsible!
Ben
I think you go too far. One of the biggest problems in Canadian New Music is that pieces tend to get exactly one performance. I don’t think it’s bad at all for there to be a group which focuses on cultivating and establishing a repertoire, even a canon.
That said, I think you’re right about the ways in which established groups can take advantage of young composers. Beware, though, for every composer they’ve gotten a free piece out of, I’ve played in at least one student composer concert.
Also, I too would like to be a double-sided super-meme! John Farah!