Interview with M. Schelle

Friday, January 29, 2010

Interview With Michael Schelle, composer of Heartland

What inspired you to write Heartland?

The piece was commissioned by The Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, and I knew it would be premiered in NYC (2007) -- the Midwest thing evolved quickly, not as a slam to the midwest, but more an acknowledgement to the innocence and good humor.

What unique techniques did you use for this composition?

The pieces makes use of traditional notation, spatial/proportional notation, ad lib (with restrictions/guidelines), theatrical things, vocalizations, hand gestures, texts, props, etc. Each of the 7 movements captures an 'aspect' of each of 7 Midwest states ... like 7 little Midwest operas.

What are some of your favorite parts of this piece? What makes it your favorite?

Favorite parts ... Hmmmm, like asking me to pick which of my kids is my favorite. :-) Well, on any given day ... I LOVE the final movement, the Indiana movement -- the audience sing-a-long, I also love the farm animal noises in Ill-i-noise ... and the theatre in Bluegrass Voodoo, the frightening Master Race implications in Michigan Militia, the simple tenderness of the piano solo lullaby Badger Baby, the systematic destruction of the Ohio State University fight song in Buckeye Zombies. Guess I really enjoy it all :)

What do you think of new music in Indianapolis? The MidWest?

New music in Indianapolis ...? Well, OP and Ronen, that's about it in terms of consistent acknowledgement of new music (local and otherwise). ISO tries safe new music chestnuts occassionally, chamber orchestration occasionally, but compared with most cities our size, Indy is very conservative and SAFE.

What do you think of Orkestra Projekt?

Orkestra Projekt is the great chamber music group in town!! Daring, challenging, hip, cool, experimental on many levels, talented committed players, and music director Jose Valencia is one in a million. Daring to spit in the face of conservative 'James Whitcomb Riley Indiana' and instead conjure up the notorious aura of ex-Hoosier, Ezra Pound ... and PROVE that new things in music CAN be exciting, fun, rewarding, and accessible!!

www.schellemusic.com

Perspektive.Vision

Friday, January 08, 2010

JANUARY 30.2010 7:30PM // EARTHHOUSE // 237 N EAST ST

Join Orkestra Projekt in exploring its next music Perspektive – Vision. An evening of music and art in a casual atmosphere, free light hors d’oeuvres and drinks with some of the coolest classical music audiences in metro Indy.

Pictures at an Exhibition will be performed and complemented with original artwork from students at Zionsville Middle School showcased throughout the performance. Heartland by Michael Schelle is an irreverent take on music depicting the seven Midwest states. The audience will enjoy this light-hearted set of pieces with titles such as: Zombies, Bluegrass Voodoo, and Ill-i-noise. A little theater is involved, including voodoo doll poking, audience-singing, gun shooting and other experimental craziness.

“Intimate and interactive, traditional art put through a contemporary blender”

It was TIME

Sunday, November 01, 2009

It was TIME

We have started our seventh season with a fantastic and beautiful evening! Many of our friends and fans of Orkestra Projekt were there.

Wow! We haven't stopped hearing about how people really enjoyed the new venue. We really enjoyed working and performing in Earth House. We were able to light up the ensemble, show some video with one of the pieces, and really get people involved with the performance.

We'd love to hear more from you about your experience.

Many people still say it was one of the best performances we have had. Comments have been made about how the pieces by Arvo Part were some of the most beautiful moments they had experienced.

Another friend had said she was afraid of an evening of minimalist music, afraid of not understanding it, afraid of it being difficult to appreciate. When paired with Jeff Hopper's video, she came to an understanding that she could appreciate this music like the water of a river that she enjoyed. Maybe now she understands our motto: fear no music.

And thank you to all who really got into the music-making with the Rzewsky piece, Les Moutons de Panurge. While we worked hard to practice it, we couldn't really predict the influence of so many of the audience members.

Keep in touch with us. Write to info@orkestraprojekt.com and let us know your personal experience with Orkestra Projekt. We'll be able to put some of these onto our site.

Images from our 6th Season: OP Rocks!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

We finally have added some images from our previous season, OP Rocks! Check out the Gallery for a full set of shots.

Our first show in January of this year called Shake was at Herron High School in a large room that they use as the cafeteria currently, but which has had many uses over the years; it provided a very warm feel. It was the first in a round of new venues for Orkestra Projekt after our home for our first five seasons - The Old Centrum - was forced to close its doors from lack of funding. The sound was tremendous, the atmosphere intimate, and the crowd a sell out (we turned away over 20 people that night because we couldn't fit anyone else in the room!).

Our second performance of the season called Agitate took place over two nights at the new Indy Fringe building in June. Two nights in the worst heat of the entire summer with no A/C didn't stop us from having nearly full houses each night. We had some challenging pieces, and the reaction was very strong...another case of OP reaching for a different classical music experience.

Our sixth season was short due to our issues finding a venue that would be right for us at the beginning of the year, followed by schedule conflicts. In the end, though, it worked out great. Both venues were incredibly hospitable to us, and we continue to look for ways to stay involved with Fringe.

So once again we're on the move: this year to Earth House, the progressive cooperative that is breathing new life into the Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church and turning it into a performing arts center. We will be here all season this year, and it is with great anticipation that we get to share our new digs with our loyal and growing audience! So come out Saturday, October 17 @ 7:30pm for the first of three shows for our seventh season: Perspektive.Time.

Penrod a Success!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Thanks everyone for stopping by the booth on Saturday to find out more about us, voice your continued support and pick up some candy! All of the volunteers manning the booth said turnout was huge, and we have over 100 people on the list who will be eligible to win one of two pairs of season tickets to our shows. We will announce the winners this week, so keep your eyes open for an email or letter from us. Good luck to all!

Penrod 9/12/09 and Season 7

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Could this really be lucky number seven?! Orkestra Projekt has made it to our 7th season, and we couldn't feel luckier or more excited about what we have in store this year!

First off, if you're out and about at Penrod this Saturday between 9am and 5pm, stop by the booth and say hello, grab some information about the upcoming season and sign up for our email contact list. You can hear all about our theme for the season (we'll keep it a secret online until after Penrod...gives you some incentive to stop by!) and chat with members of our board and some volunteers who love OP so much that they give up time on a Saturday afternoon to spread the love about OP.

Secondly, come back to the site after Penrod and purchase your tickets online for our first performance coming up Saturday, October 17, 2009 at Earth House. It's a new venue for us, but we'd like to be there a while. It's a space that oozes charm and drama -- perfect for Orkestra Projekt.

Lastly, we'd like to make a call out for support from you, our biggest fans. We bring you the best and brightest new classical music experience in an atmosphere like no other. We push the envelope in order to develop the minds of you: the audience of tomorrow. It takes a lot of money to pay the excellent musicians, rent music, pay for the venue, and get our name out there, and in today's economy...well, let's just say it's tough for everyone, and we understand that. If you would like to help us continue to be the most unique music ensemble in town, a donation of any amount, however small or big, would be a savior. Click under 'Support' on the right support our mission.

We hope to see many of you soon!

Summer Evening in White River State Park

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Summer Evening in White River State Park

...I think I lost 10 pounds that night. I felt tons of energy on the stage. I certainly didn't need any artificial enhancement. Some of the musicians definitely felt the energy, too, or, at least they felt the stage shaking while I was conducting.

I loved that young people were so eager to come up to the stage. We have a little saying in our Artistic Committee Meetings; fear no music. These young people were not afraid to come up and try their hand at the theremin.

And, I hope they had fun with those huge beach balls. I have to admit one little secret. No human being was involved with inflating those balls. The good folks at Bike Line in Broad
Ripple and Pauls Tire Service on N Delaware in Indianapolis helped with their tools.

I'm looking for pictures to post here. I'm also eager for feedback from the audience. I've received some from some connected fans, through Facebook and through e-mail. If you're reading this and would love to provide some feedback, please send an e-mail to info@orkestraprojekt.com and we'll be certain to read your feedback and mayebe even strike up a correspondence!

Well, I can't say enough what an honor it was to have the Mayor stay through the whole concert and for you in the audience to be so involved and engaged in the concert. I hope it was as good an experience for you as it was for me.

Now, on to finalizing plans for our upcoming season!