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Victor Haskins’ musical evolution is so rapid that we can only capture snapshots along the way.
Refinement is the term he uses to describe the continued growth to this point.
Haskins, a trumpet instructor and director of the William & Mary Jazz Ensemble, will perform with trio Victor Haskins & Skane as part of the Ewell Concert Series on April 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Williamsburg Regional Library. increase.
Continuing his vision of listeners experiencing music as stories, pictures and emotions, it cannot be limited to calling it jazz or music. Haskins is currently celebrating his 10th anniversary since the release of his first album, ‘The Truth’.
Following the album “Showing Up” in 2019, “Ikigai” will be released in July 2022 and is currently being promoted. Ikigai is a Japanese word that loosely translates into English as something that is or is empowering or, depending on the interpretation, something that brings value and joy to life.
The trio members explore individual and collective energies on recorded tracks featuring Randall Farr on bass, Tony Martucci on drums, and Haskins on cornet or electrowinds.
“Showing Up, my first album with Skein, was the result of a certain level of mastery and expression using the tools I had, especially EWI and this particular ensemble concept,” says Haskins. says Mr. “Two things that have been valuable parts of my own growth since that release have been teaching others on different levels and approaching both the familiar and the unfamiliar in novel ways. It is a practice of oneself in the sense of teaching oneself a new way of doing things.”
Practicing the piano and working with melodies in terms of broader harmonies rather than strictly linear ones influenced the way he organized his thoughts while composing.
“I’ve continued to be more sophisticated in saying exactly what I mean to make my message clear,” Haskins said. I am not saying that the execution of is perfect, perfection is not the goal.…
“Being able to see the big picture from different perspectives allows us to make our own decisions.
Skein’s live performances are heavily improvised, and Haskins leaves plenty of room when writing music so you never hear the exact same sound twice.
“It leaves some openness for new experiences to occur in future iterations of performances of these songs,” Haskins said. Being able to have an infinite number of cohesive variations of what
Haskins wrote half of the songs for “Ikigai” in the summer of 2021 after embarking on an intensive period of in-depth music research, self-taught to play the piano during the COVID-19 lockdown .
“All the songs sound very different from each other, but at the same time there’s a certain vibe that connects them all,” said Haskins. “Some of the songs on the album were written years ago but have never been performed live.
“The new overtone knowledge I gained from my recent piano practice allowed me to formally complete all the songs to exist as a single work. It captures the process and effectively communicates both the living and ambitious aesthetics and philosophies I want to bring to the world.”
This includes playing music, experiencing others’ performances in a group, and observing how the audience reacts. The experience of recording Ikigai was also the first time Haskins personally arranged the equipment and in a live setting he facilitated the recording of all 10 tracks.
Haskins said, “It’s amazing in terms of producing the actual recording, honing the way the music is written and played as a unit, and integrating different elements into a performance that can move the audience emotionally. It was a learning experience,” he said.
Different songs come out each time, whether it’s an album or a live performance, so even familiar songs can be heard in a completely different way each time.
“Every time I play these songs, I get excited as a musician,” says Haskins. “We all go through and grow before we perform. Performance becomes this blast of new energy and we are essentially new to each song. And we Considering that we are having this experience as people who know these songs very well, of course the audience will have an equally novel and exciting experience listening to us.
“You don’t have to know anything about our music beforehand to get it. It’s like listening to
Jennifer L. Williams communication specialist
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