Saturday April 23rd and Sunday April 24th, I worked with people of all ages to create music on the spot in reaction to the historical Las Vegas Signs in the Neon Museum. I began with an interactive composition I wrote that involved teaching rhythms to separate groups, giving people percussion instruments to beat out the rhythms, and then groove with the parts I wrote out for piano, clarinet, and voice. Following that exercise, they broke out into small groups and chose a sign in the gallery. Their task was to create a composition together in reaction to the visual elements. Many of the groups used words and set them to a rhythm, and some people even added choreography and song. Closing each session, pianist Jae Ahn-Benton, clarinetist Ivan-Ivanov and percussionist Manny Gamazo played the shortened remix version of my composition Moments Shared, Moments Lost. It was such a fun event, and was a pleasure to engage with so many people (both locals and tourists) in the area! I hope to have the opportunity to do many more programs like this in the future!
Fox5 News:http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/share/22337701?token=7168c7d8-06e1-4ee3-b826-8150841096b6
Las Vegas Weekly:http://lasvegasweekly.com/as-we-see-it/2016/apr/27/neon-museum-jennifer-bellor/#/0
