Hiatus Kaiyote
During my graduate studies, my conducting teacher, Dr. Russel C. Mikkelson, asked the studio what they were listening to. Of course, the correct academic answer would have been "anything from the listening list that we were required to listen to" or "the next new wind band commission premiered by *insert school's* wind ensemble or symphony orchestra."
That question was unique because he always wanted us to listen to music outside of the medium. Yes, we needed to wrap our ears around the sound we wanted to create with our ensemble(s). Still, to him, every genre of music influences us as musicians, conductors, and educators in so many ways. Another phrase that has significantly impacted my music journey comes from Michael McIntosh, Battery Percussion Arranger & Caption Supervisor for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemount, IL. I met him when I was auditioning as a member for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, OH (he served in the same role there). We were on a water break from our brass block. I went to listen to the battery rehearse (they were crazy good - why not go listen to top-level musicians play), and he kept repeating, "All music has a groove, even going back to the beginning of time...all music has a groove". Constantly absorbing music and knowing that every second of music has a groove has significantly influenced my ear and how I get an ensemble from the rehearsal process through to the performance.
With all this said, I turn your attention to Hiatus Kaiyote, a jazz/funk/neo-soul/pseudo-R&B quartet based in Melbourne, Australia. A friend of mine introduced me to this group back in 2011, and they are just quirky enough to be one of the most infectious musical entities out there. Every track they release has an unmistakable groove, the dense polyrhythmically drive propels you efficiently throughout each album, and Nai Palm's voice is lush (and she does all of her backtracking...let that sink in). This band is just one of MANY artists that helped influence the way I put together one of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, the third movement of Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger, or when teaching a portion of new show material for the Mandarins (or any marching ensemble I have the privilege of working with).
Always be curious and find inspiration on the podium from other genres of music, and let the 'groove' influence your teaching/rehearsal.
Also, check out Haitus Kaiyote's newest track, "Everything's Beautiful."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd1dZoIuNQY
