The concerts are free.
The workshops are free.
The live panel discussions are free.
Now that is an avant-garde music festival.
Now in its fourth year, the annual Casse-Tete Festival of Experimental Music always brings together an international roster of cutting edge players and composers, alongside the region's own talent. There has always been an admission charge, but festival cofounder and chief promoter Jeremy Stewart said the City of Prince George stepped up with financial support, so his reward to the community was to open the doors as widely as they would go.
"This, to me, feels like progress. We will try to keep it free forever," said Stewart, after successes and mistakes have supplied him with a formula he feels comfortable with, as he designs each festival from year to year.
It took awhile to figure out, he said, because it is a unique kind of festival. It showcases the most cutting-edge music writers, the musicians who push the envelope of melody, the performers who dance on the outer edges of music's rules. It isn't easy for the casual listener to take in, but it is heavenly for knowledgeable musicians and those with an ear for the unexpected.
"We are actually taking the lead in Western Canada for extreme music in places outside of major centres," Stewart said. Penticton is home to experimental musician Stanley Zappa (yes, related to Frank and family) who has been a fixture of support for the Casse-Tete Festival since its start, and Zappa is now setting up a similar festival in his town. Kelowna's experimental music guru Darren Williams is also drawing together these artistic forces. This expansion, said Stewart, "was something we pioneered here in Prince George and it is exciting to see how that is turning out, because the more these other places do similar events the more we can attract musicians to what we are doing."
Stewart is particularly excited, this year, that Casse-Tete has Jooklo Duo on the roster. This Italian act has been described as "like watching someone microwave jazz until it explodes all over the window in a yellow paste," and their Prince George appearance was the anchor date for visits to other communities in the province.
Francois Houle is another incoming artist that Stewart is looking forward to seeing. Houle, said the L.A. Times, is a "spectacularly versatile clarinetist who appears to have no limitations stylistically or sonically."
Other music attractions coming to Casse-Tete are, in alphabetical order (some are local, many are incoming): Isaak Andal, Kaia Andal, The Arkestral Kiharmonic Wudang Prajnagnostic Brahmanauts, Martin Bartlett Beat Farm, Christians, Deja Vous, Green Light Mausoleum, Jose Delgado-Guevara, Marina Hasselberg, Howl, Cathy Fern Lewis, Midden, Pg9o9, Rodney Sharman, Yawns A Fissure, Kathleen Yearwood, and various surprises, combinations and collaborations.
The event runs today through Sunday at The Exploration Place. The first two days begin at 7 p.m. and run into the evening; the second two days begin at 1 p.m.
