Monster Music Improv - Nine date Irish tour announced for children’s music improvisation show

Monster Music Improv

Touring October 2016

A music performance and visual adventure for ages 5+.

Monster Music Improv is a music improvisation and visual performance presented by The Ark and Improvised Music Company. A highly engaging, multidisciplinary, children’s show, Monster Music Improv will tour 9 venues across Ireland from the 20th - 31st October 2016.

Award-winning vocalist Lauren Kinsella and acclaimed guitarist Shane Latimer create jazzy melodies on-the-spot, while illustrator Patrick Sanders draws engaging cartoons via live projection. Interactive and spontaneous, Monster Music Improv is a dynamic visual and aural adventure with improvisation at its heart, specifically designed for younger audiences.

Opportunities for children to interact and improvise creatively has the proven benefit of helping them with self-esteem, social interaction and problem solving. Monster Music Improv encourages this type of activity, empowering a young audience with the potential of their imagination. “Developmentally, Monster Music Improv has strong implications for young musical minds as well as high level augmentation to the primary curriculum” says Kenneth Killeen, Director of Improvised Music Company “It showcases how we create music, that music is everywhere, and this ‘peek behind the curtain’ can be a creative catalyst for new generations of improvising maestros.”

A collaborative project developed over two years, Monster Music Improv combines the expertise of children’s cultural centre The Ark in programming and developing work for young audiences, with the experience of Ireland’s leading promoter and resource for jazz and experimental music Improvised Music Company (IMC) in developing and producing high level music performance.

Director of The Ark, Aideen Howard comments on the real need for ambitious programming for children; “Monster Music Improv was jointly devised by IMC & The Ark to address the lack of progressive live music for young audiences. Both organisations shared a vision to create a new high calibre music performance designed to both engage and delight young audiences, igniting their musical imaginations through jazz.”

Audiences can expect lots of spontaneous music fun as well as exciting interpretations of some well-known tunes. This delightful show, specifically aimed at encouraging the development of children’s imaginations through improvisation, is fun for the entire family with engaging spooky story-telling, creative music-making and high level of performance.

Come and join this musical adventure, excite your inner improviser and free your musical monster!

“Plenty of humour, rhythmic participation by all and first-rate improvised music and art” – Ian Patterson, AllAboutJazz

TOUR SCHEDULE

• Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick - Fri 21 October, 11am

• Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda - Sat 22 October, 2pm

• Solstice Arts Centre, Navan - Mon 24 October, 10am

• Roscommon Arts Centre, Roscommon - Tue 25 October, 10am

• glór Arts Centre, Ennis - Wed 26 October, 10.30am

• The Ark, Dublin - Thu 27 October, 10.15am & 12.15pm

• Island Arts Centre, Lisburn - Sat 29 October, 3.30pm

• Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford - Sun 30 October, 3pm

• Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge - Mon 31 October, 2pm

This tour of 9 venues is funded by an the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland

PERFORMERS:

Lauren Kinsella is a contemporary vocalist, composer, bandleader. Recently winning the title of Jazz FM Vocalist of the Year 2016 and winner of the 2013 Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize, her work has been reviewed in several countries including the USA, Germany, the UK, France, Norway, Switzerland and Ireland and she regularly appears on many international radio stations.

Belfast-based performer and illustrator, Patrick Sanders specialises in using cartoons and live drawing in performance as well as to document conferences, discussions and events. Most of his performance work has been devised for young audiences and involves elements of interactivity and improvisation.

Shane Latimer is a guitarist, composer and teacher based in Dublin. He plays 6 and 8 string guitars using not only conventional techniques but also preparations/manipulations and other extended techniques. He also works with sampling, analogue and digital synthesis and electronic processing and is a keen percussionist.