Entertainment Studies | Steve Hackman’s Brahms v. Radiohead Concert becomes Our Artistic Proof of Concept
By Kia O. Moore
Concert on Jan. 27, 2017
The Charlotte Symphony concert that I knew I needed to attend was coming to the Queen City--Brahms v. Radiohead. It was an orchestral and popular music mash-up that I knew would clarify, inspire and become a case study for the Hip Hop Orchestrated. However, a ticket to the concert was not in the budget. Then my mentor Charles Thomas hit me with a surprise last-minute email message.
Charles: “I have an extra ticket to the Brahms v. Radiohead Concert. You want it?”
Me: YES PLEASE!!!
The budding DJ in me and that musical mash-up ear of mine was ready to take in this live performance musical blending and mixing mash-up of Brahms and Radiohead taking over the Knight Theater.
Music-Induced Emotional Synesthesia
Knowing that I had a guaranteed ticket to this Charlotte Symphony Alt Sounds Brahms v. Radiohead sonic adventure had my synapses flooding with so many dopamine-filled musical memories.
My days first learning how to properly beat match at Kingston University of London at those weekly student organization meeting of the Kingston University DJ Society flew spun into my mind. Those late nights staying up playing in my Kingston Uni dorm room on my Ion DJ controller in the Tracktor software flashbacked into my mind. Those moments of pure wonder and excitement when building a setlist for my With These Hands DJ Academy DJ exams, and discovering two songs that seemed like they should not sonically work, but blend beautifully, took over my mind.
I knew the pure pleasure of experiencing the joy of the mash-up with a live symphony orchestra sending a wall of sound through my body was going to be awe-inspiring experience.
Indeed...IT WAS!
The Hip Hop Orchestrated Proof of Concept Rest in the People
There were two other unexpected awe-inspiring aspects of the Charlotte Symphony Alt Sounds Brahms v. Radiohead Concert. The mixture of the types of people that composed the crowd and the story of the creative process of the young conductor of the symphonic mash-up Steve Hackman.
To understand the type of mixture this symphonic mash-up concert brought out in the Queen City read the Charlotte Creative Loafing article Mary Deissler Brings a Little Hendrix and Radiohead to the Symphony.
To understand the vision of the sonic direction that Hip Hop Orchestrated will be moving toward as more funding and more instrumentalist come onboard watch the TEDxTalk of the Brahms v. Radiohead producer and conductor Steve Hackman Beethoven and Beyoncé: Who’s Violating Whom?
The Takeaway
This concert verified and validated that the concept of the orchestral mash-up will work and pull in an eclectic crowd of people. It validated that Hip Hop Orchestrated, using established tunes from old Western Music styles and new Western Music styles was the right route to go to achieve the core vision of Hip Hop Orchestrate.
Hip Hop Orchestrated has been created to disrupt and shift classical music culture & traditional art culture through Hip Hop music and Hip Hop culture. We are here to disrupt the notion that ‘classical’ is code for ‘classism.’ We are here to shift the belief that ‘cultural experiences’ are only luxuries connected to those in a high-income tax bracket. Art has the power to connect and unite us and create social capital to help people move up economically. Hip Hop Orchestrated will blend musical genres to connect people authentically.
Hip Hop Orchestrated can point to Steve Hackman to show those future funders and status quo doubters that Hip Hop Orchestrated will work and make a positive impact on the people we are working to reach.
