Sitting in the basement of Gallery Connexion, the green and grey, dimly-lit walls set the mood for an artistic evening. Every Monday night, the Overtime Improv Choir comes together to create spontaneous soundscapes.
Tucked away in downtown Fredericton, this group is not your usual choral ensemble.
It all began a year-and-a-half ago when Joel LeBlanc took a trip to Toronto. There he met Christine Duncan, who directed an improvising choir.
An improv choir is based primarily on conduction cues rather than structured music. The group comes together like a traditional choir, but instead of performing rehearsed songs and reading sheet music, the art is created in the moment.
“She told me about this and I just thought it was an amazing idea,” LeBlanc said. “There’s a certain amount of transparency that comes with it. If you have never done anything in your life musical then this is for you. Or for the very experienced veteran-expert, this is also an equally valid place for that person. You can live on the same kind of plane.”
LeBlanc ended up composing a piece for the improv choir in Toronto, and from there he thought it would be interesting to extend the idea and create a choir in Fredericton.
“I like the idea of music being inclusive, not just for experts. It’s an opportunity for us to get together once a week and to hash out ideas.”
Everyone sits around a small set of tables, their eyes fixed on LeBlanc. He has a notebook in front of him and a recorder set on the table. As he taps on salt and pepper shakers, everyone goes around making different sounds at different levels. Everyone is focused on the task at hand.
“What will often happen, as long as you let them go, you will get this really complex and dynamic sound that gradually moves into a single unison sound,” LeBlanc said. “I am always trying to encourage people to maintain their own sound and be confident in it no matter what – for them to maintain their independence.”
The Overtime Improv Choir performed three concerts last year. They have a handful of cues and create vocals on the spot with free improvisation.
The group is open to anyone and it’s free of charge. You can show up for one week and come and go as you please.
“I am trying to encourage the idea of using improvisation as a way for everyone to make music together quickly, without having any previous knowledge of any kind of instrument or theory,” LeBlanc said. “Just giving it a crack. Most people are scared to death when they hear the word improvisation, but by doing this, I try to show that there is a lot more going on that you can work at and practice with.”
The Overtime Improv Choir meets every Monday night from 7-9 p.m. at Gallery Connexion.
