Rhys Chatham (ZXZW 2008) will give a workshop/masterclass and performance at WORM Rotterdam later this month. Chatham is a classically-trained composer from New York. After he got out of conservatory, he was a concert producer at a place in Soho called the Kitchen, Rhys founded the music program and produced people like Maryanne Amacher, Robert Ashley, Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros, and Steve Reich on the avant garde side of things; and Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and Fred Frith on the alternative rock side of things.

After a number of years as a concert producer, he got tired of producing other people’s music. Rhys had heard an early concert of the Ramones and was inspired by it, so he picked up electric guitar and made a composition called GUITAR TRIO in 1976/77 which combined the minimalist tendencies within which he had been working with a rock instrumentation and musicians.

He was introduced to electronic music and composition by Morton Subotnick in the late 60s, and in the early seventies he studied composition with La Monte Young and played in Tony Conrad’s early group. These guys are, along with Terry Riley, the founders of American minimalism; so Guitar Trio is a bit like Tony Conrad meets the Ramones! Also note his influence on Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth as well!

The masterclass will exist of two days of rehearsing & theory about the pieces (Guitar Trio and The Out of Tune Guitar No. 4) plus the performance in WORM on an event that is called POPULAR NOISE FOR THE MASSES on March 20th.

Practical:
In order to play in the concert, each guitarist (and the bass player) must bring a digital tuner and an electric guitar (and it would be good if the bass player would take a bass). Drums will be provided by WORM.

People that don’t play any of these instruments but would love to join…ask us and we’ll discuss with Rhys if he can use such an instrument (so don’t forget to tell us which instrument you play).

Times:
Thursday (March 18th) 17.30 – 10.00h
Friday (March 19th) 17.30 – 10.00h
Saturday (March 20th) 1200 – 1500h performance time; 2300h

cost for delicious dinner on Saturday.; € 5

Limited places available so respond quickly!!! (1 drummer, 1 bassplayer and a maximum of 10 guitar players)

MORE INFO: http://www.rhyschatham.net
if you want to join in mail to: lukas@wormweb.nl