If you don't dismiss the affair as an intellectual bore -- as stimulating as listening to Beethoven's body decay, perhaps -- you'll find the Festival of New Musics is in fact a rollicking affair, full of zany chords, off-beat cadences and pioneering instruments that challenge the way we ordinarily perceive music.
The festival is dedicated to showcasing the ample and overwhelming talent of Dartmouth's musicians, exposing the skills of undergraduate and graduate students, who often seem to be "banned to the basement of the Hop, underpublicized and underappreciated," according to professor Doug Perkins, a musician and an organizer of this year's event.
"There will be a lot of great things going on," Perkins said. "New acts, great visiting artists, and just overall a great sense of Dartmouth community will be present."
Perkins will perform with the Meehan-Perkins Duo, a percussion ensemble he co-founded in 2006 and describes as having "an almost pop sound" that "uses electronics to help furnish the rich, sonorous sound."
Carmen Caruso Gr '08 will harmonize with "the Carmenizor," an instrument she designed to allow her voice to simulate a one-woman orchestra, projecting inhuman depth and sound.
In addition, musician Courtney Brown Gr'08 will share her quest for a musical world that mirrors the macabre artistic works of Edward Gorey. The vacillating monotony of her piece, "N for Neville Who Died of Ennui," a line from Gorey's "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" (1963), will attempt to capture an artist's frustration in defeating the doldrums of everyday life.
The festival will also host Amy X Neuberg, an eccentric vocalist, best classified as "avant-cabaret." Imagine a classically trained blend of Liza Minelli and the Dresden Dolls -- raw, fresh and passionate. In New Zealand, where Neuberg has toured extensively, the Otago Times called her "a one-woman musical hurricane." Neuberg will contribute her vivacity and vocal style, reminiscent of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to the festival.
By highlighting up-and-coming artists, the festival aims to foster an atmosphere of creativity among students and challenge the conventions of classical musical. The more radical the act, the better.
The Festival of New Musics is not just limited to tonight's performance -- this past week there were two other related events, an undergraduate showcase and an electro-acoustic themed evening. This weekend there will be an additional two shows related to the festival.
"A Night of Improvisation" will take place on Saturday, when the festival will assume an off-the-cuff, jazz-like vibe. "The latest in improvisation," according to the Hopkins Center press release, will include faculty member Newton Armstrong, special guest Will Guthrie and campus band The Razorbloodz.
On Sunday, the festival will wrap up with a finale, reprising appearances by several special guests, including Dartmouth musician Jordana Kier '08 and professors Larry Polansky, Newton Armstrong and Doug Perkins.
The festival's headline show will take place tonight in Spaulding Auditorium.
