2008 Woodie Awards
Octet mixes classics, hip-hop
Ben Watanabe
Issue: 5/7/08 Section: Entertainment
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The Young Eight arranged the evening's material to suit the diverse crowd and display their musical backgrounds.
For an hour and a half, America's only professional string octet kept an audience of 300 engaged and entertained. Bobbing heads, daydreaming gazes and grins were common among the audience of parents and children, students and staff and community members. After the performance, many of the still smiling and daydreaming audience members congratulated and praised the acclaimed and accomplished performers.
Seattle U Director of Chamber and Instrumental Music, Quinton Morris, said he believes the performance speaks volumes to the progress of fine arts programs and Seattle U's pursuit of the well-rounded individual.
All proceeds from the concert will help fund the new bachelor of music program. Morris considers being an entrepreneur as well as a musician as part of his duties, and cited bringing the Seattle Symphony to Seattle U as an example.
"We want to expand the horizons of Seattle U in building community," said Morris. "To have these high quality musicians on campus is a big deal; it brings in people from the community."
One of the artists Morris contacted to perform in Saturday's program was Toyia Taylor. The spoken word performer, a former Miss America 2000 contestant and graduate student in Seattle U's masters in arts and leadership spoke powerfully as her body complimented the music.
In "Blue Note Room" she opened her body with arms outstretched and head held high as she rhymed, "Rhythms that cause eargasms to come alive."
Later, in "Brooklyn Love" Taylor narrated the soul of Brooklyn through the voice of a beggar, with her face looking down demurely and her cupped hands held out. She then spoke as an idealistic young woman with dreams of fame and notoriety, her eyes gazing forward and exasperating her lungs to list all the clubs she would be seen in.
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