The pandemic has caused disruption of some sort in everyone’s life. Throughout the summer months, we’ve worked around the clock to put together an ambitious two-day Virtual Extravaganza—streaming live this weekend!—in partnership with Portland Piano International as our response to the current state of the performing arts industry and society at large.
One of the biggest artistic challenges of quarantined existence has been virtual collaborative performance. We’ve encountered substantial obstacles in attempting to recreate the synchronization of an in-person performance; alas, we are isolated across the country from each other.
Latency caused by transmitting audio over the internet can get in the way of achieving coordination in real-time. There are two causes to latency — the time it takes computers to process the audio data and the time it takes data to travel from the source to its destination. There are premium hardware and software-based solutions that can nearly eliminate the processing time, powering nearly real-time performance and recording between musicians located near one another (approximately 70 miles apart or less). But no matter the speed of our equipment or software, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light (thank you Einstein).
For us situated nearly 3,000 miles apart, this results in a 13-16 millisecond delay, which is not a satisfactory solution that would enable a live performance meeting our standards of synchronization. Not to mention, our bodies feel sound, and our timing in music hinges on that feeling. There are so many factors at play when we perform live together and any degree of latency is viscerally tricky to overcome.
So alas, we’re stuck with network traffic and trying to balance fluctuations from multiple locations with varied latencies. Even with the fastest available internet connections, sophisticated equipment, the support of Portland Piano International’s excellent resources, and a listener’s potential tolerance for the inevitable delays, we have been inspired to seek new creative solutions for this issue, all of which will be on display during this weekend’s performances!
Filming and recording at lightning speed, rapid costume changes, and editing on the floor. The show must go on!
We’ve captured the essence of a live Anderson & Roe concert experience by creating a virtual festival that’s chock full of interactivity, variety, and personalization. Everyone involved in this project was suddenly reinvigorated when we were instantly able to feel that heart-to-heart connection during our virtual rehearsal last week. We’ll be sure to share lots of behind-the-scenes details in today’s #TwoPianoTuesday chat on Facebook Live (6PM Eastern).
After months of hard work, we are extremely excited to share these unique, interactive events with you! Purchase your ticket for our two-day concert experience now. Join us on August 15 & 16 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT for the magic of live concerts, with all the spontaneity, risk, and connection we cherish. On the docket:
The world premieres of five new Anderson & Roe arrangements
Nearly a dozen brand-new music videos
Live performances of solo and duo piano music
A live appearance by the winner of our Maple Leaf Rag youth competition (featured in our playful three-piano music video)
Gerd Kühr's Corona Meditation performed by over 30 pianists from Portland & beyond
Piano miniatures of Satie narrated live by Portland-based luminaries
The opportunity to title our as-of-yet unnamed composition for multiple pianos based on Balakirev's Islamey
Our mashup up of Rach 2 and "All By Myself"
Trivia competitions
Curated commentary
Each ticket grants access to both performances—use the discount code “lizandgreg2020” for 20% off.
Our mission to make classical music a powerful and relevant force in our society is as important as ever. We could not do this work without the love and support from our inspirational families, friends, and fans. We appreciate all of you beyond words and cannot wait to connect with you in person again. Until then, we’ll connect as closely as the speed of light and the physical distance will allow.
See you this weekend! 💗
“Programming.” 🎹🖌