Did you play in Orchestra or Band as a kid? (Don’t deny it. Scientific research shows that 85% of indie music fans were in some form of embarrassing high school musical ensemble. Or Speech. You were all in Speech.) Does Orchestra/Band still conjure up memories of screeching cat noises? Teen girls in awkward 90s all-black Sister Wives-lookin’ dresses? The creepy orchestra conductor who idolized the 16-year-old first chair cellist? If so, you better check yourself. Because the Brooklyn Philharmonic is revolutionizing the way audiences think about symphonic music and they’re doing it like WHOA.
Last season, the Brooklyn Phil teamed up with Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def). This year, they’re working with Artist-in-Residence Ms. Erykah Badu as part of their Bed-Stuy series, where they expect to premiere arrangements of songs from New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War and other works. But that’s just part of the season: the Brooklyn Phil will also be holding an orchestra concert, chamber concert, family workshop, and neighborhood tour, all influenced by the local culture of Bed-Stuy, Brighton Beach, and Downtown Brooklyn, respectively. Other events include collabos with famous authors, performances of legendary works of film music, and rarely-performed Russian works.
More info is available at the Brooklyn Philharmonic website.
• Erykah Badu: http://www.erykah-badu.com
• Brooklyn Philharmonic: http://www.bphil.org
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