Picker tunes up for show

Ari Picker sighs when asked about the past few months" spent organizing the Project Symphony concert" which finally takes place Saturday after months of ""lots of coffee and e-mails.""

And all that is in reference to securing a venue and recruiting a 60-piece orchestra made up entirely of volunteers.

It doesn't even begin to address the process of composing an original symphony"" a project Picker described as both ""intimidating"" and ""a spiritual experience.""

He admitted a little bit of trepidation at the beginning.

He was" of course" staring in the face of the masters such as Bach and Mozart who are often the only names given consideration within classical music.

""Those guys are almost mythical figures"" Picker said. They were so good at what they did. I am very humbled by the whole thing.""

He tried to shape his mind to fit the traditions of a genre that is known for its discipline by immersing himself"" choosing five specific pieces to study extensively.

""I learned to shed my modern musical ear and try to think in more traditional melodies suited for traditional form"" he said.

I was trying to write in a genre that is absolutely horrifying to write for.""

""Some days I would just lock myself in a room and come out with a measure"" and some days it just poured out.""

That modern ear was honed by a youth spent playing in pop bands around Chapel Hill. A few years in classical composition classes at Berklee College of Music led him toward more orchestral and classical music.

He conceded" though that some pop influence sneaking into his piece was not only unavoidable" but intentional.

""I really wanted my melodies to be classic and memorable"" he said.

I think people could walk away humming it. It has a clear beginning and end. And that was on purpose.""

Leah Gibson" a UNC senior who will play cello in the orchestra and has worked with Picker's folk project Lost In The Trees for the past year" said those pop flourishes shine through.

""You can still hear the styles from his other projects" she said.

At times it sounds very much like a film score" and other movements have elements that kind of sound like hip-hop to me. I would describe the whole piece as catchy.""

Picker hopes his turn as composer will inspire others to both develop an appreciation for classical music and work on composing their own pieces.

""Part of the mission is to create resources for modern composers"" he said.

The more you know about it the more you might enjoy. Ultimately I hope Project Symphony can bring this music back into the mainstream by having the composers that are young and energized.""

In addition" the event has a charitable purpose with half of the proceeds from the event going to Chatham County Together" a mentoring and academic outreach program.

""I think there are just so many angles to approach this show" he said.

There's the fact that it's for charity" the fact that the orchestra is made up of members of the community and friends and also the fact that it's a new piece of music that's being performed.""

Ultimately he's most excited about the piece itself"" describing it as ""bombastic.""

And" after all of the work that's been done in preparation" Picker admits that he's no longer nervous.

""I was nervous a few months ago because there was just so much to do" he said.

Now" it's kind of just a question of whether or not I studied enough for the test.""



Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.