Biography:

The focus in this program is on the fundamental rhythmic differences between European classical and American vernacular forms, using the rich historical connection to the traditional string quartet as the point of departure for a cross-cultural musical journey that begins with Beethoven and ends with.…TISQ! Turtle Island identifies the "back-beat" as the key, unveiling it in its various stylistic guises with the help of the audience, and then the quartet embarks on a simple and methodical layering of the basic building blocks employed in creating a jazz string combo, one instrument at a time. TISQ discusses the various techniques that allow it all to happen, including innovative percussive techniques, emulation of other instruments (saxophone, guitar, trumpet, bass, etc.), neo-classical phrasing, composition and arranging, and basics of improvisation. One of the highlights is an exploration of the American fiddle tradition, utilizing the second theme of Dvorak’s American Quartet. Also touched upon are odd meters in jazz ala Dave Brubeck, Hip-Hop/60s rock ala Jimi Hendrix, R&B ala Tower Of Power and clave rhythms of Latin American music. There is even a little fun with Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Throughout all, the back-beat rules.

This engaging and accessible presentation for children in grades K-6 utilizes the model of the family to help students understand how a string quartet functions and thrives. Turtle Island draws comparisons between the interactions of the quartet and the audience’s families, giving children a personal reference point that greatly helps them to gain a simple but profound understanding of the complete dynamics that drive musical groups. The children also learn to discern the many different styles the quartet presents, and young instrumentalists are presented with a new model of what is possible to achieve on string instruments. Members of the audience are invited to participate throughout the presentation, joining in rhythmic clap-alongs, dialogue with quartet members and a question-and-answer period following a rousing rock and roll finish. This presentation can easily be modified to include middle school students.

How often is it that young string students lose interest in playing simply because the musical options that are given have little relevance to their lives? The chance to improvise can be pure gold for such students. Turtle Island is fiercely dedicated to spreading the word that the bowed string instrument is one of the most versatile on the planet, and there should be no limit to what is possible to play and play well, be it Bach or the Beatles. To that end, the quartet offers masterclasses that fit every need, from one-hour sessions for beginners to week-long intensive jazz string seminars at educational institutions worldwide. Much of TISQ’s music is available in sheet music form for both string quartet and string orchestra, and Turtle Island also has study aids that they bring especially for teaching. However, because the printed page can distract students from using their ears and intuition in creating these new sounds, TISQ avoids relying too heavily on written materials. Ultimately, this experience can leave the student with a much deeper appreciation of the storehouse of European classical literature that we all treasure and wish to preserve.

In this lecture/demonstration, TISQ pays homage to the great jazz trumpeter and relentless iconoclast, Miles Davis. The presentation will focus on selections from the best-selling jazz recording of all time, Miles’ legendary “Kind Of Blue.” Interspersed will be related materials that exemplify the deep roots from which this masterpiece grew, as well as the subsequent blossoming of American musical genres that followed. With "Boplicity," from the recording "Birth Of The Cool," TISQ examines the relationship between Miles and the ‘beatnik’ movement that his new musical aesthetic came to be associated with. His piece "Milestones" was the first to use modal material as its harmonic basis, a reflection of Miles' interest in African and East Indian music which was generated by his strong desire to escape the tyranny of the European harmonic model that so dominated the Bebop era. With "Green Dolphin Street," the quartet touches on Miles' revival of the show tune as a medium for the highest level of artistic expression in modern jazz. And of course the group takes a long look at the phenomenon of "Kind Of Blue," using classic compositions from the recording such as "Blue and Green" and "So What" to establish a strong correlation to chamber music, and maybe help to explain why this recording appeals to such a wide audience. Davis’ legendary reputation for ignoring the entertainment aspects of jazz in favor of forcing the audience to focus on the music is examined in the context of the powerful influence of the civil rights movement on all aspects of society in his lifetime, especially in comparison with the extreme formality of classical music presentation that was typical of that era. This brings us full-circle to what we feel makes us unique in the world of classical music, and how wonderfully that corresponds with the life and work of Miles Davis.

Its name derived from creation mythology found in Native American Folklore, the Turtle Island String Quartet, since its inception in 1985, has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Cellist nonpareil Yo Yo Ma has proclaimed TISQ to be “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground — authentic and passionate — a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today.” Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with 20th century American popular styles, and by devising a performance practice that honors both, the state of the art has inevitably been redefined.

The Quartet’s birth was the result of violinist David Balakrishnan’s brainstorming explorations and compositional vision while writing his Masters Thesis at Antioch University West in 1983. The journey has taken Turtle Island through forays into Folk and Bluegrass styles, Swing Jazz, Be-Bop, Classical Indian forms, Funk and R&B, New Age, Rock and Hip-Hop, Bossa Nova and Salsa…a repertoire consisting of hundreds of ingenious arrangements and originals. The recipe also includes a blending of adventurous ingredients that creates completely new textures and forms. While losing none of the rhythmic force and groove structure that has always been the foundation of the group’s “American Vernacular” style, TISQ also pays attention to its Euro-Classical roots.

Another unique element of TISQ is their revival of venerable improvisational and compositional chamber traditions that have not been explored by string players for nearly 200 years. At the time of Haydn’s apocryphal creation of the string quartet form, musicians were more akin to today’s saxophonists and keyboard masters of the Jazz and Pop World, i.e., improvisers, composers, and arrangers. Each Turtle Island member is accomplished in these areas of expertise as well as having extensive conservatory training. As Turtle Island moves into the millennium and beyond, the dedication of TISQ to those areas is growing and expanding as never before.

One result of this dedication can be seen in Turtle Island’s phenomenal international appeal, particularly in Europe where chamber music and sporting events seem to have achieved parity. What was once termed “Alternative” chamber music now firmly inhabits the mainstream. TISQ members refine their skills through unusual and endemic “re-compositions” of works by the “old masters,” through the development of repertory by some of today’s cutting edge young composers, through performances and recordings with major symphonic ensembles, and through a determined educational commitment. Turtle Island String Quartet promises to be a string quartet for the next century.

David Balakrishnan (violin, baritone violin) is the founder of the group. He graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in music composition and violin and earned a Masters Degree in music composition at Antioch University West. His tenure with the TISQ has included several recordings for the Windham Hill Jazz label, a movie soundtrack, collaborations with groups like the Modern Jazz Quartet and the Manhattan Transfer, feature articles in People and Newsweek magazines, and concert, TV, and radio appearances all over the world. In 1989, Balakrishnan received a Grammy nomination for his arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" from TISQ's first recording. He has been awarded numerous composing grants including a composer fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, commissions from the Reader's Digest/Lila Wallace and Meet the Composer foundations. His seven-movement string orchestra piece "Spider Dreams" has been performed many times including the TISQ's live recording with the Detroit Symphony conducted by Neeme Järvi. His most recent orchestral composition, "Concertino For Jazz Violin And Orchestra: Little Mouse Jumps," was commissioned by conductor/violinist Marin Alsop and was premiered by the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and Alsop in September of 1995. David's composition, InterPlay, a four-movement work for mandolin quartet and violin, was premiered in December 1996 at New York's Merkin Hall by the Modern Mandolin Quartet with the composer/violinist. A recording of this piece by David and the MMQ was released in February 1999. His latest commission, awarded by a consortium of presenters headed by the Lied Center of Kansas City, resulted in a three movement octet for the TISQ and the Ying Quartet, and was premiered there in November 2002. In January 2003 David garnered a second Grammy nomination for his arrangement of “You’ve Changed,” from the latest TISQ CD entitled Danzón, featuring Paquito D’Rivera.

Evan Price (violin) grew up playing folk, blues and traditional jazz while studying classical violin. At age nine, Price began performing in his native Detroit--everything from a strolling gypsy violinist to a Renaissance court piper. By the time Price left for college, he had played with virtually every jazz, blues and string band in Detroit, as well as working in the city's top musicals. He has since performed with some of the masters of fiddle lore: Stephane Grappelli, Johnny Frigo, Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Johnny Gimble, Mark O'Connor, Buddy Spicher, Vassar Clements, and Alasdair Fraser, as well as a diverse array of pop icons from Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant to comedian Steven Wright. As a competitive fiddler, Price has been the U.S. Scottish Fiddling Champion, the Kentucky State Fiddle Champion, Canadian Junior Fiddle Champion, and Canadian Novelty Fiddling Champion. Price has studied the violin with Linda Cerone at the Cleveland Institute and with Matt Glaser at the Berklee College of Music, and has served as a member of the music department faculty at Wellesley College. Since joining Turtle Island in May 1997, his playing has been featured on three TISQ recordings: The Hamburg Concert, Art of the Groove, and Danzón. In addition to his work with Turtle Island, Price is an active performer with other Bay Area groups, most notably the Hot Club of San Francisco, a gypsy swing band with whom he recorded the CD, Claire de Lune. As one might expect from a Turtle Islander, Danny Seidenberg (viola), who joined the quartet in 1993, has enjoyed a varied and eclectic musical life. He made his solo viola debut at age 16 with the Pittsburgh Symphony as part of their Young People’s Concert series, and then went to on the Julliard School and a professional tenure in New York. Among the groups he performed with are American Ballet Theater, New York City Opera, American Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Orchestra of St. Lukes, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Philharmonia Virtuosi, Solisti New York, Dance Theater of Harlem, Soviet Emigre Orchestra, New York Virtuosi, Radio City Music Hall, many Broadway shows and multifarious chamber music. Danny has toured, performed and recorded with Steve Reich, the Village People, Liza Minelli, Tony Bennett, James Brown, Richie Havens, Led Zeppelin, and recorded with his own progressive rock group "Spy" for CBS Records, and improvisational jazz-fusion with "Szobel" for Arista Records. Mr. Seidenberg is also an accomplished pianist, performs extensively as a violinist as well, and as an early instrument specialist with groups including the Grande Bande, American Bach Soloists, Classical Bande, and LA Baroque. With Turtle Island, he has become a performer, composer, arranger and jazz educator of international stature. When Turtle Island rests, Danny is active in the Los Angeles and San Francisco recording industry and has played on dozens of major Hollywood films.

Mark Summer (cello) has been a member of the TISQ from its inception and is regarded-thanks not least to his phenomenal percussion and pizzicato techniques-as one of the outstanding jazz cellists of our time. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, he was a tenured member of the Winnipeg Symphony for three years, before leaving the orchestra to perform in several Canadian contemporary and Baroque ensembles, as well as his own group The West-End String Band. This developmental group performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1985, and went on to recorded Mark’s original music for CBC Radio. Returning to his native California to form the quartet with David Balakrishnan, Mark continued to perform original music while performing with the Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, the Oakland Symphony, the Oakland Ballet, and the contemporary music ensemble, Earplay. Mark has continued to develop a unique and multi-timbered style, which incorporates virtuoso jazz soloing, distinctive bass lines, and extensive percussive techniques adapted from the guitar. He has been the subject of feature articles in Strings and Bass Player magazine, and has published two pieces for solo cello, one of which, Julie-O , has been performed by cellist all over the world. In addition to composing and performing with TISQ, Mark has performed and taught at the Fifth and Sixth American Cello Congresses, the New Directions Cello Festival, and Cello Day at the University of Connecticut. He has recorded on numerous motion picture soundtracks, and performed and recorded with Linda Ronstandt, singer Toni Childs, Jeff Tamelier of Tower of Power, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and guitarist Will Ackerman. His recent cello exploits include a performance on Taos Mountain at 11,000 feet on a cello made of ice.

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