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2700fstreet · 9 years ago

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CLASSICAL / 2017-2018

Time for Three

Performance / Demonstration

So, What’s Going On?

Bach. Brahms. Beethoven. Beatles?

What happens when you cross classically-trained musicians with pop, bluegrass, jazz, gypsy, and country western music? When you hear Time for Three play you might be confused, but you’re also guaranteed a good time.

Not many classical music groups could pull off such an eclectic mix of music and still be taken seriously. But the trio Time for Three (Tf3) refuses to be pigeonholed into just one type of music. And they’ve never let being unconventional slow them down or lower their high musical standards. The result is an exciting, passionate playlist that breaks the barriers of classical music. That may be why Time for Three is called “America’s favorite classical garage band.”

Time for Three is made up of two violins and a double bass, the lowest-pitched string instrument in the orchestra. The group is a string trio—three string instruments that play a type of classical music called chamber music. A string trio traditionally includes a violin, viola, and cello (or sometimes, two violins and a cello). But Tf3, however, transcends the traditional.

Learn more about chamber music here.

Tf3 takes classical music to a whole new level. In fact, Tf3 loves to push the boundaries of what’s expected…and then pushes a little farther. It’s hard to even put their music in a category—classical, certainly, with a twist of country, gypsy, jazz, and even pop for good measure. They play almost any kind of music you can think of—no, really, everything. From Brahms to the Beatles, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift, nothing’s off limits. And don’t be surprised if their violins break into bluegrass fiddling or the bass picks up a jazz riff.

Much of what they do involves improvisation—a technique where music is created spontaneously—a practice that happens most often in jazz music. The group is also known for its unique arrangements of traditional repertoire and original compositions. But they also love to create mashups, blending two or more songs together. For example, for one concert they created a mashup of the Beatles and Romantic composer Chopin (SHO-pan).

Sound farfetched? Check out this mashup of Beethoven and Coldplay:

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Although its members are trained in classical techniques, you won’t find many conventional practices in their concerts. Each member draws on his own musical background, resulting in performances that mash up musical variations from traditional chamber music to Kanye West, and everything in-between.

You can also listen to the most recent Time for Three recordings on SoundCloud:

Who’s Who

Photo by LeAnn Mueller

“A party on stage, with some music and friendship thrown in.” That’s how violinist Nick Kendall describes his group. Time for Three was founded in 1999 by three students at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the group has performed in venues as varied as the music they play. From guest soloing with major symphony orchestras to music festivals, to opening for bands like They Might Be Giants, Tf3 has earned critical acclaim across the world. In fact, they’ve played more than a thousand gigs. They’ve done it all, from concerts in the most prestigious music halls in the world, to NFL games, and the Indy 500. In recent years, the group has made appearances with the Boston Pops, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and even performed live on ABC’s hit show, Dancing with the Stars.

Watch Time for Three on Dancing with the Stars here:

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Time for Three’s 2014 album spent seven weeks on Billboard’s Top 10 list of Classical Crossovers, and in recent years the group has been commissioned—paid to create an original composition—to write works in their distinctive style for multiple symphony orchestras. In March of 2016, PBS aired the Emmy®-winning “Time for Three in Concert,” a collaboration with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Universal Music Classics, and WFYI Public Media. The program brought together diverse musicians and the one-of-a-kind arrangements that typify Tf3’s musical calling card.

Preview Time for Three in Concert here:

Nick Kendall (violin), founding member of Tf3, has been making music since he was a toddler. He first picked up a violin at three-years-old, and was trained in a traditional Suzuki method, but never limited himself to classical repertoire. Whether he was making music on trash cans as a teenage street performer, forming pick-up rock bands in college, or preforming at prestigious classical gigs, Nick has sustained a passion for bringing new audiences to the world of classical music. His life’s work is to use music to bring people together, both onstage and off. Years ago Nick assembled a group of friends to form a group—eventually that group earned critical acclaim as the East Coast Chamber Orchestra. He believes that collaboration is a vehicle to bring classical music to a new generation of musicians and listeners.

Ranaan Meyer (double bass), also a founding member of the group, writes many of Tf3’s original compositions to compliment the trio’s traditional repertoire arrangements. Classically trained by some of the double bass’s most acclaimed teachers since age 11, he takes special interest in jazz and bluegrass music. Ranaan isn’t your typical professional musician, and he likes it that way. When he isn’t performing with Tf3, orchestras, and even folk singers like Joshua Radin, Ranaan is building his company. Ranaan Meyer Entertainment is dedicated to developing and educating young double bassists through workshops, camps, and publications. He also has a special interest in the acoustics of playing live and has developed his own amplification system.

Charles Yang (violin) is the newest member of Tf3. His violin stylings have the charisma of a rock star according to critics. He began his studies in Austin, Texas—where he now has his very own “Charles Yang Day”—and graduated from the Juilliard School of Music. Charles’s talent extends well beyond classical violin, providing crossover capabilities to Tf3 that include skills on electric violin and vocals. As a crossover artist, Yang actively seeks out a new audience for classical music by merging classical and popular music with a passion that lures listeners into his musical world.

Photo by Sven Mandel

Check This Out…

Time for Three is a trio of strings—two violins and a double bass. Although the instruments look, sound, and can be played differently, a violin and double bass actually have quite a bit in common. Both are wooden, have a similar shape (relative to their size, that is) and, of course, as members of the strings family, have strings that produce a musical sound when a musician causes them to vibrate. Watch for differences and similarities in the way they are held, played, and sound. Learn more about the string family here.

Unlike an orchestra, which has many instruments playing each part, Tf3 is made up of just three single instruments. Watch for how each instrument plays its own part, and how the individual instruments work together. Are there times when the sound seems “bigger” than just three instruments? Pay attention to how the musicians collaborate.

String instrumentalists have a couple of very specific techniques that they use when playing their instruments. Bowing (pulling the bow across the body of the instrument) and plucking (also called pizzicato, where the player uses a finger to pluck one or more strings) are the most common. What techniques do you see and hear from Tf3? Watch for unconventional and inventive techniques (think scratching, bowing, or plucking on a different part of the instrument, sliding up and down the strings, even using the instrument for percussion). How does this change the feel of the music? Watch Time for Three collaborate with string trio From the Top to cover Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” using both traditional and unique techniques:

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How do songs familiar to you sound different when played by a string trio? Does it help you hear anything different or new in the music?

Think About This…

The members of Time for Three seek out and experiment with new styles and techniques partly because they don’t take for granted that they will always have an audience for traditional classical music. They break the stereotype that excellent music can only be “classical” in nature. By doing this, they have been very successful especially in bringing classical music to young people. How is the group’s approach of trying out new styles and sounds meaningful to you?

Tf3 has been described as a classically trained “garage band.” Part of the garage band feel is the relentless energy and passion for what they’re doing behind their impeccable technique. Their motto is, “If we like it, we play it,” which has allowed them to cross musical boundaries. How can you apply this motto to your own artistic pursuits?

The guys of Tf3 are serious musicians, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. a href="denied:”https://www.facebook.com/Timeforthree/videos/10155977270817641/“Watch Nick and Charles improvise in a light-hearted improvised performance in an airport. Can you see why their performances might be described as “a party on stage?”

Tf3 covered Kanye West and Daft Punk’s “Stronger.” In 2014 the song was released as part of an anti-bullying campaign. Their message? “We are Time for Three and this is our story—the story of so many kids who every day face challenges to who they are and who they want to be: their dreams, their ambitions, their identity. This video is for you guys. Be strong. Stick with it. We did, and we are stronger for it.” Watch the official “Stronger” video here:

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Consider how music and other types of art can help you develop as an individual. Does it inspire you to become stronger?

Take Action: Create Outside the Box

Time for Three isn’t limited by the confines usually associated with classical music—in fact, they largely live outside those lines entirely. That’s not to say that the guidelines and structures of classical music are wrong. But Tf3’s motto of “play what you love” means that they take extreme joy in playing and performing pieces that don’t always fit inside the box. The group taps into their excitement for many different types of music and combines the parts of each that inspires them most. In doing so, they transmit that excitement and spread joy to their audiences.

What artistic pursuits excite and inspire you? Think about how you can take your artistic passion to the next level by thinking beyond the expected. Maybe you’ll experiment with new techniques in fine art, or try out an unusual meter in poetry or song. Or maybe, like Tf3, you’re ready to experiment with a new musical genre, or mash up seemingly unrelated tunes. Whatever you try, use the example of Time for Three to apply fundamentals you already know as you take your creation outside the box. Post an example on social media and encourage a few friends to do the same. Perhaps your experiment will involve collaboration. Use the hashtag #OutsidetheBox when you share.

Explore More

Go even deeper with the Time for Three Performance Extras.

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This performance is made possible by the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

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