From Mexican marimba traditions to astronomy-guided composition, the vibraphonist explains how her album 'Of The Near And Far' maps constellations onto the circle of fifths to generate raw material for genre-defying new work.
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Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Patricia Brennan, a vibraphonist and composer who grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, playing salsa with her dad while listening to Hendrix and Zeppelin with her mom. She studied classical percussion at the Curtis Institute, performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Philadelphia Orchestra, then found her voice and career in jazz and improvisation.
Patricia’s latest album, Of The Near And Far, takes constellations from the summer sky and turns them into music. She superimposes the circle of fifths over star patterns to generate pitches, then turns them into compositions that reflect a voice as unique as the compositional approach.
Patricia’s ten-piece ensemble features a jazz quintet, a string quartet, and an electronic musician, all conducted by Eli Greenhoe.
Hot on the heels of her 2024 release, Breaking Stretch, which won Album of the Year and Vibraphonist of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll, Patricia's here to talk about finding symmetry between the cosmos and composition, why she carries a telescope wherever she goes, and how ancient myths and modern astronomy shape her work.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Patricia Brennan's album Of The Near And Far)
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[00:01:45] Early musical influences and parental tastes
[00:04:04] First musical memories and the power of groove
[00:05:04] Why the vibraphone: combining piano and percussion
[00:06:25] Composing process: piano, vibes, and improvisation
[00:08:17] Youth Orchestra of the Americas experience
[00:11:07] Moving from orchestral precision to improvisational freedom
[00:15:10] Finding common ground between classical and jazz
[00:18:48] The constellation system explained
[00:21:59] Branford, Connecticut: astronomy and composing retreat
[00:24:22] Time machines: astronomy and music as portals to the past
[00:26:02] Math as the connection between stars and sound
[00:30:05] The golden ratio and unexplainable patterns
[00:31:35] Engineering meets artistry: parental influences
[00:33:25] NASA's astronomical recordings and Contact
[00:35:19] Radiohead, Soundgarden, and nineties alt-rock influences
[00:39:13] "Andromeda": rebellion, collision, and dense layers
[00:45:26] Instrumentation: beyond "jazz quintet plus strings"
[00:47:18] String quartet as indispensable texture
[00:51:00] When the system needs help: leeway and limitation
[00:54:41] Life after Breaking Stretch's acclaim
[00:57:43] Current listening: Ligeti, Kid Koala, and Selena
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Visit Patricia Brennan at https://www.patriciabrennanvibes.com
and follow her on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/patriciabrennan84
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/patriciabrennanvibes
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/user/VibesBeyond/videos
Purchase Patricia Brennan's 'Of The Near And Far' from Pyroclastic Records → https://pyroclasticrecords.com/release/of-the-near-and-far
Bandcamp → https://patriciabrennan.bandcamp.com/album/of-the-near-and-far
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/of-the-near-and-far-patricia-brennan/ou2tovagznh9a
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1822369319
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://podcast.thetonearm.com
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