
Ivan Arteaga photo by Daniel Sheehan
The Seattle Composers’ Salon fosters the development, performance and appreciation of new music by regional composers and performers. Composers, performers, and audience members gather in a casual setting that allows for experimentation and discussion. Here’s a review by Ellie Rapp of the January 9 presentation at the Chapel Performance Space.
It seems a few times a year, Nonsequitur presents Seattle Composer’s Salon through the Wayward Music Series. We get the opportunity to hear local musicians perform their finished or on-going works. On January 9, we were led into a setting of inclusive collaboration.
A salon, based on the French word for ‘living room,’ is a conversational gathering – in this case, of musical artists. There was a pre-music Holiday Office Party to mingle with the cast, eat chips, and drink cider that surely set the stage for the casual conversation that ensued. (Wish I made it to that.)
When I arrived early on, it seemed all musicians were front and center playing out Ivan Arteaga’s composition. Multiple saxes led the dance of cacophonous tonality to set the mood for the evening. After Arteaga came Neil Welch (sax), Cole Bratcher (singer), and Matthew James Briggs (guitar).
Each performed a piece and spoke of their muse in palatable terms and invited both questions and comments. The questions that were fielded seemed to huddle us all closer to the stage and produced a deep sense of wanting continuance. It was as if the whole musical community, both performers and receptive listeners, were one entity, craving to be in dialog on a more regular basis.
It appeared that we all so enjoyed hearing what goes on in each musician’s head, as if we were in that ‘living room’ wanting to convene and chat forever.
The next Seattle Composers’ Salon is March 6, Chapel Performance Space.