Event Announcement

THE EXPERIMENT

Time and venue: Wednesday 29 August, York City Screen Basement Bar, 7pm

Tagline: Play what isn’t ready, walk away with a recording of the performance.

The Experiment is a night dedicated entirely to musical projects that aren't ready. Anyone can come and play a few bars of a new guitar riff, or play a verse that one can't think of a chorus for or finished material that's just still a little wobbly. The whole night will be recorded and available for web download the following day. Musicians can listen back and dissect their performance into tiny little pieces if they want to.

Local song writers Emi Jarvi and J Carmichael came up with such an original idea. At the Experiment, musicians can even discuss with the crowd about the composition process, in a safe place where new and raw ideas come to be born. This is really a place where one can get honest feedback from talented ears that will really listen.

The first Experiment was on 18th of July. There was an excellent turnout. The vibes in the room were outstanding. The crowd arrived laid back with open minds and extra patience. The Experimenting included - Emi Jarvi and J Carmichael playing a set full of live loops, Ewan Fisher and Jan Minx playing spacious guitar driven freedom, and Gaz Percival, a true example of what can be accomplished by one man and his computer. The event will become regular, always on a Wednesday.

In an interview, Emi Jarvi, one of the creators of the event, spoke to me about the Experiment:

WL: Where did the idea of the Experiment come from?

Emi Jarvi: J and I had been putting a lot of work into a new live set that we're putting together and it wasn't quite ready, it still had some kinks to iron out. We were really keen to try and perform our new material somewhere, but didn't really have anywhere acceptable. A headline slot would be too much pressure and we wouldn't do the crowd justice. An open-mic wouldn’t work because there's no set up time. Also there seems to be an unspoken rule of acoustic instruments and no extra bells or whistles (pedals, computers, vocal harmonisers, etc... there just isn't time). I'd been racking my brains trying to think of an acceptable place to debut a new project that isn't really shiny and ready for release. Then I thought of the EXPERIMENT at City Screen Basement Bar.

WL: Do you mind attracting ambitious but less talented players?

Emi Jarvi: I strongly encourage ambitious but 'less talented' players!!! This is a night that celebrates anyone who pours themselves into music. But I also ask the performers to be prepared for constructive suggestions and ideas regarding their stuff. I know how hard it is to listen to criticism about the things you've created, but it's an essential part of becoming better. If you're truly new to song-writing or performing, and your material will perhaps be 'more raw' than the rest, feel free to request that everyone keeps their mouth shut about it. Tell the crowd how new it all is to you, we'll understand! Also, there will be 'planted ears' in the crowd (a few people that I know and trust who are talented and educated about music) who are guaranteed to give your set their full attention and will be available to talk to you if you'd prefer 1 to 1 feedback. Also, if you don't want their set uploaded to the web, you just need to let me know and that's cool too.

Emi also said that the Experiment is not a place to get up on stage and bash out drunken slurred versions of Oasis covers, for instance. It's not a place to turn up and heckle musicians who have the courage to get up on stage. No one should be there to make the performing uncomfortable. Drunkards and mean mouths will be asked to leave.

Snaps from the Experiment.

North Yorkshire Artist: Teresa Stenson

Teresa is a short story writer and she lives in York. Asked why write, she said, ‘I’d like to become a writer who I want to read.’

Perhaps refusing to be torn between teaching and writing, she left her previous job as a teacher, to allow herself more time with the writing projects. She has always wanted to devote her time in this way since years ago.

Teresa is a self-confident writer. Recently, one of her short stories ‘But in the Voice’ has not only been published in the second issue of the Hum-drum Magazine, but it was made into a short film by Teresa and local filmmakers in York, including Miles Watts from Hum-drum/Miles to Go Productions.

Watch the film on MySpace.

The film ‘But in the Voice’ celebrates the result of combined art forms. The images portrayed are so vivid that the filming of her text enhances the fluency of it. Narrated and acted by Teresa herself, the film is viewed by her as a separate work from the original. Yet, interestingly, through this film, the audience are at the same time reminded of the fascination of story-telling. In this case it is told/acted by the author herself, with background music from Helen Batty.

Teresa’s short stories take up the vivacious pace one finds in her. She enjoys putting words together, listening to the sounds of them. As for a reason for choosing this genre, she said she saw value in writing with conciseness. It is an important feature that she enjoys working on.

Surely in the recesses of her mind there is a fount of creativity that supplies Teresa with ideas for her short stories. ‘York is a great place for creativity to come to fruition,’ she reveals. Her surrounding helps too, as apparently she is an excellent observer.

Depicting Emi Jarvi

Watching Emi on stage you soon notice like magic, she sprinkles in her music a little bit of childlike mischief, some traces of private secrets, and plenty of her natural delightfulness. She is eager to express meaning. As an observer, she finds inspiration in everyday experiences and stories from friends.

Her music moves you with the comfortable familiarity it carries. You take her in through ears and eyes, but she moves your other senses. She often leaves you wondering, How does she do that? Where does she come from?

Since singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at the age of two, Emi has sung her way into adulthood, as if she does not think it right to process words without their matching melodies.

[Click here to read the full biography of Emi Jarvi]