Local Classical Featured Artist – 4/20/20-5/3/20
Despite the fact that we’re all stuck inside, and aside from the occasional random overnight freeze, spring has sprung in Indiana. To celebrate spring, we’re digging into the CMI archives this week to bring you Rob Funkhouser’s “Three Peacetime Images for Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park” which was commissioned by CMI in 2018 for a “Music in Nature” event at park. The piece tells the story of the park’s creatures in three movements. In the first of them, percussion instruments imitate the sound of woodpeckers with varying rhythmic patterns, ranging from steady to sporadic. The second movement’s melodicas and alto saxophone stand in for frogs, croaking in the night. As a finale, Funkhouser raids the collection of Rhythm! Discovery Center, incorporating the one-of-a-kind “plank marimba” to evoke the visual excitement of lightning bugs through the audible sensation of mallets on wood.
Rob Funkhouser is a Butler graduate and Indianapolis resident who divides his time between composing, performing, and curating shows at various venues around the city. His performances vary widely, but often take the form of solo percussion or ambient electronics. He also collaborates with a wide variety of performers and artists. Most recently, and in addition to CMI, he has worked with Forward Motion, Corey Denham, and Los Angeles Percussion Quartet.
Connect with CMI Streaming’s Local Classical channel this week for Rob Funkhouser’s “Three Peacetime Images for Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park.”
Leave a Reply