For ±«Óătv music students, the ultimate test before graduation is looming: final recitals.
Guitarist Jake Danson-Faraday isnĂt just putting on a concert. He has commissioned three local composers to write new works for his 70-minute program of contemporary chamber music. ItĂs an ambitious and daunting approach for an undergrad, but he wanted the challenge in preparing for his professional career.
ĂThereĂs huge security in playing pieces that are historic and familiar Ă I didnĂt want to be the umpteenth guitarist to play the A Minor Fugue,â says the 24-year-old Haligonian.
ĂNew compositions require a great deal of effort; no recordings are available, so you canĂt really learn by listening to other people. No traditional resources exist, basically. So the stress level for me is pretty high right now!â
Danson-Faraday accessed scholarship funding to pay the composers to write these new pieces:
- God, a concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra, by fellow student John Bogardus
- Tango, for guitar and two sopranos, by professor Gary Ewer (BM Ă82)
- Shakey Ground, a solo guitar piece by Jeff Torbert (BM Ă04)
Two of these will premiere at his April 20 grad recital. When he first tested out the concerto at a February concert, audience members congratulated him on his bravery.
ĂI think their response was courageous too, because nobody really knows what new music is supposed to sound like,â he says. ĂPeople generally still see it as inaccessible. ItĂs a different tonal language, with extended techniques. ItĂs not predictable.â
He advises listeners to approach new music with Ăan absolutely open mind.â With each chord, every note has its own flavour and purpose. Expect to hear recurring thematic rhythms.
ĂDonĂt be intimidated by it,â he says. ĂThere will be melody, harmony, tone. ItĂs just in a new arrangement, thatĂs all.â
Expect some electronic elements too Ă in Halifax composer Bob BauerĂs piece, Suspended and Mobile (originally written for guitar professor Douglas Reach), Danson-Faraday is accompanied by audiotape. A narrator joins him on one piece, and a viola on another. HeĂs also dipping into the vaults, putting a fresh spin on J.S. Bach, with his own arrangements for guitar and marimba.
After graduating, he plans to dive into the international festival circuit. He loves to travel and aims to collaborate with more composers, dancers and multimedia artists in the future.
He comes by his passion for music genetically. His father Jim Faraday was a longtime percussionist with Symphony Nova Scotia, and teaches at Dal. His mother Ruth Danson (BAĂ70, MLISĂ93) is a music teacher at Springvale Elementary School.
Danson-Faraday first picked up the guitar as a young lad Ă his older brother was studying classical guitar but Ăhis interest waned, and the guitars were still there.â He loves the instrumentĂs portability and versatility; he plays many genres, and is a particular fan of jazz and blues.
But right now, itĂs all about chamber music Ă he hasnĂt had the new compositions for very long, so rehearsals are intense.
ĂAfter I graduate, one of my main goals isĂ to go outside!âÂ