JAVS Fall 2006

sa te for random street violence with random street music. And an excuse for a bunch of violists to hang out and have being silly, something we do so well! Jn Boston , the four violists arrived at each location (a co rner produce tand , a food court, a pedestrian over-crossing, on top of four pil lars near a plaza and :H a bus srop) in formal att ire topped wirh orange sa fety ves ts, put up a and wich board explaining the project and also advertising for the Chamber Orchestra of Boston concert the next day, then played Katie's romposition, In Pmise of August Sundogs, rushing away before anyone noticed rhar rhey reall y were nor supposed to be there. Katie owns a traffi c barr·i cade for dange rous locations, but the performances in 13oston with COB violists Kare Vincent, Nat Farny, and David and Katie, were relatively safe-- except for annoy ing some FOX network securi ty and production staff by cras hing a Marge impson Mother's Day promotional event (with Marge in attendance along with a bevy of young women in bathrobes pass ing out roses) . At fi rst they believed the music was parr of rhe promotion, but the sryle and instrumentation probably tipped them ofr. Thar particular renditi on of Sundogs had a lor of ex tempora neous curs and an extra quick pack-up afterwards. The FOX guy

accord ing performers' improvisa tional incl inat ions and whether or nor rhey are coming for you. It will be available from MMB Music this fall. L DatJid Feltlm; violist and Musical Director ofthe Chambf'r Orchestrtt ofBoston, also plays with the Boston Pops Esplnnade Orchestra. Katrina Wreede, violist and corn pose~; teaches viola, jazz, and com position in OakLand and in artist residencies around the country. She is a former member ofthe Ji.mle lsland String Quartet.

the Drive-By event were des igned ro attract new audience members ro rhc ' OB concert, too. All in all , ir wa a very successful expres sion ol art , socia l commenta ry, fr iendship, smarr market ing, and rhe joy of being violists together. The American Composers l~orum helped sponso r rhe Drive-By Viola project in Boston with an Encore Grant, designed to pro mote repeat performances of under-performed works, pairing ensembl e and composers from different stares. In Praise ofAugust Sundogs was originally wrirrcn for a four-viola concert in Northern Califo rnia several years ago and , like much new music, was pre mi ered and rhen srulfed in a fil e cabinet. The Encore Grant and COB crea ted an opportuniry ro resurrect it and usc it in new and different ways. T he piece makes use of prepared viola (foi l under rhe strings ar rhe nut ro imi rarc a rambura drone), improvisation in parts 1 and 4, unusual percussive techniques, and a rarrle (one made of goat toenails preferabl y). Jr can range from 2-8 minute ,

in rhe black leather jacket wa kind of big and imimidating.

The COB concert the ncx r day included Katie's What Goes on in the Ether for string orche tra, so

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