Stone Church Arts Presents ‘Your Rhythm, Your Life’ Concert
PRESS RELEASE
August 15, 2018
Stone Church Arts presents ‘Your Rhythm, Your Life’ concert with vocalist Loire Cotler, drummer Glen Velez, and cellist Eugene Friesen
7:30 PM, Friday, August 24, 2018
Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St., Bellows Falls, Vermont
BELLOWS FALLS, VERMONT – Experience new dimensions of energy in performance this coming Friday night with vocal phenomenon Loire Cotler, Grammy-Award-winning master drummer Glen Velez, and acclaimed cellist Eugene Friesen. This will be a rare opportunity to experience new rhythmic awareness and the creative collaboration of world class musicians.
At 7:30 PM on Friday, August 24, Glen and Loire, along with Eugene Friesen, will share their innovative approaches to rhythm using stepping, gesture and rhythm vocals exploring pulse flow and time awareness. Then, on August 25, participants in the Your Rhythm, Your Life workshop taking place this same weekend share their musical and rhythmic discoveries in a free and open concert. Both concerts take place at Immanuel Episcopal Church, The Stone Church on the Hill, 20 Church St. in Bellows Falls.
Loire Cotler has garnered an international reputation as one of the most captivating performers of our time. Using exotic rhythms as her muse, she executes with the human voice phrases that do not seem possible in their rhythmic speed and clarity. Loire’s emotionally-charged melodic inventions and evocative percussion-driven interpretations of jazz standards and original compositions are informed by raw melismatic improvisations, jazz-scat and pop stylings, along with lightning-fast South Indian drum language.
After earning a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music, followed by a Master’s degree in Music Therapy from New York University, she became a professor of Music Therapy and Voice at the New School (2001-2006) and worked extensively in the clinical field. In addition to conducting regular master classes at The Juilliard School in New York City, LOIRE’s unique teaching method is being embraced at prestigious conservatories and universities throughout the world. She has performed in Taiwan, Mexico, Israel, Brazil, and throughout Europe and the United States. Her live performances have been broadcast on Spanish National Radio 4, German Public Radio, Italian National Radio 3, Radio Freistadt (Austria), DRS (Swiss-German national radio), WNYC and National Public Radio in the US.
Loire is a core member of TA KA DI MI project led by Grammy-winning master percussionist and composer Glen Velez. She has been receiving rave reviews for her leading role as anchorwoman in the THE NEWS: a reality opera composed by the renowned avant-pop Dutch composer JacobTV.
In September 2013 she performed a ‘Peace’ edition of THE NEWS in Rotterdam for the then new King of Holland and was on tour with the Nationale ReisOpera company in 2013-14. LOIRE’s signature vocal style can be heard on a wide variety of recordings, film scores, television commercials and CD collaborations with world-class musicians and composers. This year, she has been in the studio recording her first solo album LOIRE: a voice unchained, to be released soon.
Loire Cotler has garnered an international reputation as one of the most captivating performers of our time. Using exotic rhythms as her muse, she executes with the human voice phrases that do not seem possible in their rhythmic speed and clarity. Loire’s emotionally-charged melodic inventions and evocative percussion-driven interpretations of jazz standards and original compositions are informed by raw melismatic improvisations, jazz-scat and pop stylings, along with lightning-fast South Indian drum language.
After earning a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music, followed by a Master’s degree in Music Therapy from New York University, she became a professor of Music Therapy and Voice at the New School (2001-2006) and worked extensively in the clinical field. In addition to conducting regular master classes at The Juilliard School in New York City, LOIRE’s unique teaching method is being embraced at prestigious conservatories and universities throughout the world. She has performed in Taiwan, Mexico, Israel, Brazil, and throughout Europe and the United States. Her live performances have been broadcast on Spanish National Radio 4, German Public Radio, Italian National Radio 3, Radio Freistadt (Austria), DRS (Swiss-German national radio), WNYC and National Public Radio in the US.
Loire is a core member of TA KA DI MI project led by Grammy-winning master percussionist and composer Glen Velez. She has been receiving rave reviews for her leading role as anchorwoman in the THE NEWS: a reality opera composed by the renowned avant-pop Dutch composer JacobTV. In September 2013 she will be performing a ‘Peace’ edition of THE NEWS in Rotterdam for the new King of Holland and will be on tour with the Nationale ReisOpera company in 2013-14. LOIRE’s signature vocal style can be heard on a wide variety of recordings, film scores, television commercials and CD collaborations with world-class musicians and composers. She is currently in the studio recording her first solo album LOIRE: a voice unchained, to be released in 2018.
A four-time Grammy Award winner, Glen Velez is the founding father of the modern Frame Drum movement and is regarded as a legendary figure among musicians and audiences world-wide. During his illustrious career, Velez has single-handedly popularized this ancient drum for the modern world.
His virtuosic combinations of hand movements and finger techniques, along with his original compositional style – which incorporates stepping, drum language and Central Asian Overtone singing (split-tone singing) – has opened new possibilities for musicians around the globe.
Velez is the first percussionist to gain international recognition as a successful solo artist using frame drums. In 1989 Velez’s undeniable mastery caught the attention of twentieth century composer John Cage, who Composed a piece especially for him, titled ‘Improvisation for One-Sided Drum with or without Jingles.’
His most recent work, presented as the Glen Velez TA KA DI MI Project, features the virtuosic rhythm vocalist Loire Cotler and other guest artists. Velez is also a core member of TRIO GLOBO featuring Eugene Friesen and Howard Levy.
Velez is an adjunct professor at the Mannes School of Music in New York City and conducts regular master classes at The Juilliard School and Tanglewood Summer Music Program. REMO and Cooperman Drum Co. created an exclusive line of Glen Velez Signature Series Frame Drums, as well as Glen Velez Signature Series Shakers by Anklang Co. of Germany.
Eugene Friesen is active internationally as a cellist, composer, and teacher. A graduate of the Yale School of Music, he has been featured on recordings and in concerts all over the world with the multiple Grammy Award-winning Paul Winter Consort, with Trio Globo (Friesen, Howard Levy and Glen Velez), and in his popular CelloMan performances for children and families.
A pioneer in the teaching of improvisation to classically trained musicians, Eugene has led workshops throughout North America, Brazil and Europe. His book, Improvisation for Classically Trained Musicians (Berklee Press/Hal Leonard), was released in June of 2012.
Recent compositions include Glory, for choir, soloists and orchestra premiered at the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in June of ’12, Low 5’s premiered by the Rembrandt Chamber Players of Chicago, The Soul of the White Ant premiered by Los Angeles’ Pacific Serenades in 2013. Eugene’s newest CD, “The Essential Collection,” dynamic tracks from four self-produced albums, was published this year. He is an artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Experience vocal phenomenon Loire Cotler, master drummer Glen Velez, and acclaimed cellist Eugene Friesen at 7:30 pm, Friday, August 24 at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St. Tickets in advance are $20.00 general admission ($15.00 for seniors and children under 12) and $25 ($20) at the door. Premium reserved seating, up-front in comfortable chairs, is $35. Further information and advance tickets are available at Village Square Booksellers on the Square in Bellows Falls, online at www.stonechurcharts.org or by calling 802-460-0110.