Capturing music on paper

Associated media

On 17 January at 8p.m. artist Julie Pickard is joining a talented group of musicians at a church in east London to try to capture on paper something of the experience of listening to their music.

The acoustic trio of Benedict Taylor, Daniel Thompson and Alex Ward are appearing at St Leonard’s Shoreditch Church to launch their newly released album Compost. The magnificent acoustics of this church make it the ideal space for this trio and Compost is a live recording captured in this church in the spring of 2011. The CD also marks the launch of the new improvised music label CRAM which is an independent, musician run label curated by Benedict Taylor. The trio will be joined by percussionist Javier Carmona.

Julie Pickard will be attending the concert as artist in residence. A dedicated visual artist, Julie makes drawings that reflect the improvised musical process succinctly and with a vulnerability which is evident in the music. Julie will be drawing throughout the concert and her work will be available to see during the interval and after the concert has finished.

Julie says:

Since about 2008 I've been drawing musicians, mostly playing free improv jazz and variations on background to free improv (some of the musicians are classically trained also). Gradually I've met various musicians and I met Daniel Thompson at a gig in late November/early December, and he could see right away an affinity between what we're both trying to do.

I'll be sitting (probably) at a place of my choosing rather than in the audience, although perhaps that's where I'll choose to sit! I start drawing when the musicians start playing, and I look at them rather than at my paper, so it's a completely 'blind' drawing of the energy and motion of the musicians, rather than what they look like. Rather than try to do something representational I'm trying to capture the energy and feel of what they're doing. But the visuals are essential as I'm drawing what I actually see. But what I choose to focus on and draw is based on what I'm hearing and seeing and what captures my interest. So I might focus in on a musician's hands or the instrument, or the fingers or some combination, sometimes the bowing action, drummers are particularly fascinating and difficult to draw.

When: 17 January 2013 8p.m

Where:
St Leonard's Shoreditch Church
Shoreditch High Street
Hackney
London E1 6JN