Jazz performer Kevin Hunt FAQ

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more FAQ >> ceremony concept >> musical gear

At the end of last year, Kevin packed his latest musical project
‘Ceremony - a Celebration of Life’ in his suitcase and moved to the
USA to live for three months thanks to a A$10,000 scholarship
that he received from the Australian Elizabethan Theatre
Trust's Overseas Scholarships Fund.

During his three-month stay, Kevin studied the DorothyTaubman piano
technique with pianist Kevin Hays who is busy in New York working
with his trio, drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Doug Weiss.

Hays is also sideman with John Schofield, Eddie Henderson and
other great band leaders.

"The Taubman technique really helped relax my body,
in particularly my hands and arms while playing", Kevin says.

Listening and learning

Kevin says that his time in NY was very intense and productive, especially
having the opportunity to see musicians perform, including

Kenny Barron	Chick Corea	Xavier Davis
Elaine Elias	Orrin Evans	Al Foster
Steve Gadd	Tom Harrell	Barry Harris
Roy Haynes	Ahmad Jammal	Elvin Jones
Marc Johnson	Steve Kuhn	Brad Melhdau
Mulgrew Miller	Cecil Taylor	Jackie Terrasen
Miroslav Vitous	Buster Williams

Crafting Ceremony

One of the aims of Kevin's scholarship was to work
on the composition and orchestration
of his work Ceremony - a Celebration of Life.

Kevin studied composition with Mel Marvin at New York University,
and also with Anne Phillips and Paul Winter.
Mel Marvin specialises in opera and musical theatre
and Kevin says he was a great teacher in text construction and drama.

"Anne Phillips and Paul Winter are very active in
producing their ceremonial compositions in cathedral
spaces in NY. Their writing and productions are
very similar to my Ceremony, so it
was really interesting to study scores with them," Kevin says.

Kevin has now completed four of the seven movements of
Ceremony - a Celebration of Life and has
added more bells, text and voices to the work.

When the work is complete Kevin plans to record the new orchestration
and tour the production to Australian cathedrals performing with
community and professional choirs and musicians.

"Kevin is a very inquiring musician," says Warwick Ross, the
General Manager of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust (AETT).

"He is always moving forward and the Ceremony
project is an example of how Kevin follows an idea
and makes something of it.

"The Ceremony concept also has the potential to
involve audiences in secular concerts, and this creates a
bridge between music and the community," Warwick says.

What brought about the concept of Ceremony - Celebration of Life?

I think having spent so much of my life in ceremonies whether
they be religious (Catholic Mass) or simple home gatherings, or concerts,
I have wanted to create one myself. One that might
contain a lot of 'the world' or life - more than a specific dogma.

I am often asked about the equipment I use when I am touring

I tend to use an electronic keyboard setup.

Travelling a lot in aeroplanes, means limiting the set-up
to one keyboard, with a good, solid case. At the moment,
I am using a Kurzweil K2000, with the sample option, so I have
been able to sample my other keyboards into the one.
I also use a Kurzweil,' micro-piano' sound module, for an
excellent piano sound.

A small Gallien Kruger 100 watt amp, is the right size for
hand-luggage on the plane, and plenty of sound for a monitor on stage.

If I have the luxury of driving, I take extra keyboards for
more 'sound' options: Oberheim Matrix 12;2DX7s; TX802 module;
PSE Stereo AMP, 320 Watts; JBL, Etone speakers;
2 mixers, with midi control. Kawai R4 effects rack.

Any questions? Please email
Community Productions on kevin.hunt1@bigpond.com

If you would like to receive updates on Kevin's projects and special upcoming performances please email
kevin.hunt1@bigpond.net.au

If you prefer, you can also post your details to Kevin Hunt
Community Productions
PO Box 947 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

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