HOW DID YOUR ENSEMBLE, THE CHICAGO MODERN ORCHESTRA PROJECT COME TO BE?

CMOP is my creative vehicle for putting real-life sound to my compositions and that’s why I created it, as an afterbirth of Mantra Blue Free Orchestra which Fred Anderson helped me workshop at the Velvet Lounge for a couple of years. CMOP emerged when I received tacit approval from my AACM cohorts that I and this ensemble were ready to fly. We didn’t need their permission, per se, but they sanctioned and blessed the endeavor. CMOP is the most fully integrated new music ensemble in the country. Modeling inclusion not just racially, but breaking barriers regarding the marriage of classical and other creative forms. Too long have the genres been frightened by each other via unhealthy marketing ploys which keep audiences unaware of the beautiful hybrid possibilities in listening material.

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