Colour My World deepblue

by Tony Robertson

I have stated before that some readers will suspect I have been living under a rock the size of Uluru when I admit to my ignorance of some of the acts performing throughout the Brisbane Festival.

I had heard of deepblue round the traps but  apart from the blurb on the festival program I had no idea of what to expect as I settled in for another night of music at the Spiegeltent last Monday.

What I got was  an all too brief  glimpse into the future of orchestral music. It is going to be bold, classy, fun, creative and harmonise with new technology in ways we are just starting to explore.

It is this last point that I would like to share with you  a bit more. This is not to diminish the musical professionalism of the young performers or their ability to take on the classics and contemporary composers with some real panache. Rather, I believe that the deepblue orchestra invite us into a new conversation about the performing arts and technology.

A good starting point is this video from  Ben Cameron,  the Program Director, Arts, at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation in New York, where he supervises a $13 million grants program aimed at the theatre, contemporary dance, jazz and presenting field

I was also taken by this clip from QUT providing some interesting background to the act.

So, what have I been doing since seeing deepblue orchestra in concert? I have been sitting at my computer watching their Youtube channel to see something again of the magic of a unique relationship between performers and audience that deepblue create in their performance.

I then discovered that I could check out individual members on their website, Here I went into Facebook fenzy. After all, who wouldn’t want to friend people who are described on their site as: “deepblue people are passionate people who want to make a difference and want every member of the audience to have an unforgettable experience.” And yes, I have to admit to a fave performer in Wayne Jennings who stunned me with his stilt walking with a cello as well as managing a few wild kicks with ease!!

The passion and performance that these young people  bring to the deepblue orchestra is more than entertainment. It is a commitment to community engagement and audience development.

Visit their web site and get involved by promoting their tours, workshops and support for regional and international young musicians.

So a huge thanks to the Brisbane Festival and the deepblue orchestra, not just for first class entertainment but for an introduction to a model of sustainability in the performing arts.

And a reminder to locals and those traveling to SEQ, join me  for another deepblue orchestra experience  NOVEMBER 6th IPSWICH, bookings ph. 07 3810 6100 or www.ipswichciviccentre.com.au

And for those further South, deepblue are playing at LISMORE on OCTOBER 9th, bookings ph. 1300 066 772 or www.norpa.org.au

By Tony Robertson for Critical Mass, Brisbane Festival's Review Blog : 15 Sept 2010