Pierre-Yves Martel - Questions and Answers

I have been listening to and hearing about Pierre-Yves Martel for years, he's been on my to-invite list for quite a while. The reason for that is all about the viola da gamba. It's such an ancient, and more importantly and ancient sounding instrument, that I was intrigued to hear how it would fit into a freely improvised music soundscape!

I got to meet Pierre-Yves a couple of times as he traveled through Halifax with his "day job" band Constantinople. The improvised music world is so small, meeting people is almost a non-event! We often feel like we've met already, having heard about, sharing common friends or having heard the music of these folks. So Pierre-Yves and I sat down for sushi a few weeks ago when he was here with Sinha Dance, and we had a great talk about many things. He's a focussed, person, he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to make changes both small and large, to achieve his musical and life goals! I'm really interested to hear how that focus drives his improvisations. AND I'm really excited to bring Andrew Jackson into the mix! He's a player that's ready for anything, and I look forward to hear how our sounds mix and combine.

I recently asked Pierre-Yves some questions so we could all get to know him better. Here's what he wrote:

1. What instruments will you be playing in Halifax?

I'll be bringing my viola da gamba and a variety of small sound objects.

2. What do you like best about improvising with other musicians?

Creating music in the moment without any preconceived ideas.

3. Do you consider yourself a sound artist or a musician? Is there a difference?

To me, music deals with harmony, melody and rhythm. Sound art on the other hand is more about timbre and space. I consider I do both, depending on the context.

4. Do you know what the music will sound like in Halifax? What do you imagine?

Every performance is a unique experience both for the audience and for the musicians. I have no idea what the music will sound like, and that's what makes this so exciting to me.

See you February 11 at The Bus Stop Theatre!

Jan 31, 2015 at 11:20