Scrap Arts Music's newest production, Children of Metropolis is a fast-paced, all-acoustic, live percussion show with sci-fi-inspired film and video projections. Five musicians perform with gymnastic agility and percussive drive, demonstrating mesmerizing musical skill while striking, moving and bowing hand-made, beautiful-sounding, mobile sculptural instruments.
Set in an other-worldly dreamscape, Children of Metropolis is inspired by the ending of Fritz Lang’s iconic 1927 cult classic film “Metropolis” in which the Great City is ruined by a human induced flood - but somehow the children survived. Children of Metropolis is a whimsical fantasy about what happened to one of those kids.
Children of Metropolis builds upon Scrap Arts Music’s distinctive art form involving percussionists performing all-original music on instruments hand-crafted from scrap materials salvaged from in and around Vancouver and Victoria, Canada on the Salish Sea.
High-energy choreography and a smattering of humor give this truly unique production broad international reach and intergenerational appeal.
"Experiencing the one-of-a-kind sounds of their handcrafted instruments may in itself be worth the ticket price. However, they complete the experience with well choreographed, well crafted and well performed pieces, that are artistically interesting and accessible enough to have great appeal and great value for school audiences and public audiences alike."
- Brian McCurdy , Former Vice Chancellor at Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis
About
Scrap Arts Music is the genre-defying percussion ensemble transforming SCRAP metal through the ARTS of sculpture and choreography to create unforgettable live MUSIC experiences. The Vancouver-based group captivates audiences with their athletic performance of a metallic orchestra of 145 newly invented instruments constructed from found materials. The result is an unexpectedly beautiful experimental pop percussion that is a delight to the eyes, ears, and heart.
Scrap Arts Music's innovative approach to performance is a synthesis of contemporary music & modern choreography with the global influences of Afro-Cuban Jazz, North Indian raga, and world percussion. The ensemble is sought after internationally by presenters ranging from symphony orchestras to contemporary music festivals; such as Philadelphia's FringeArts and the Belfast International Arts Festival, to name a few. Their high energy performances have been enjoyed by audiences in 17 countries including China, Korea, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
Scrap Arts Music's is committed to expanding the foundations of traditional and world percussion. Their unique sound and compositional style have garnered them numerous awards from the Canada Council for the Arts and their works Agreement, Synthesoid Plasmaton, and Phonk have been performed live over 2,500 times including the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Most recently the ensemble was granted funding from The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR) to record an album of 11 new compositions from their latest production, Children of Metropolis.
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Acclaim
“One of the most original, professional, fun, and high energy groups I've had the pleasure of presenting. They're great on stage and off and their outreach is fantastic. Good for adults, families and youth.
And so easy to work with!”
- Madison Cario, Former Director, Office of the Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology
“This is a wonderfully creative company composed of terrific people! I presented them in Madison, Wisconsin and was thrilled with the response. Sales were great and Audiences loved the work. Highly recommend.”
- Susan Crofton, Former VP of Programming and Marketing, Overture Center for the Arts
“Scrap Arts Music is one of my all-time favorite, family-friendly musical groups. Their inventiveness, energy, musicality, and fun are only surpassed by the genuinely lovely people they are. I've presented them multiple times and look forward to introducing them to the new community I now live in.”
- Charlie Robin, CEO, Capitol Theatre (Yakima, WA)