Sat 15 Jul Brisbane - Qwerty feat. Linsey Pollak

Posted on behalf of Linsey Pollak...

Hi Brisbane friends,
I'm writing to let you know that we are bringing our trio qwerty to Brisbane for a rare performance at The Festival Fringe.
Qwerty is one of the most unique and amazing performance projects that I have been involved with and I'd love you to experience it if you haven't already done so. It's a difficult act to "sell" and I've no idea how many people they'll manage to get along, so I thought I'd let you know about it. Please tell your friends.
Thanks and best wishes - Linsey

Venue: Basement, Metro Arts (109 Edward Street, Brisbane City)

When: Sat 15 Jul, 8.15pm & Sun 16 Jul, 6.15pm

TICKETS: $15 (Bookings: Metro Arts Box Office, 109 Edward Street, Brisbane City)

Qwerty
Qwerty is the amazing improvising wordsmith Peter Rowe with facilitated communication and soaring vocals by Terri Delaney and live looping of WX5 windsyth by Linsey Pollak.

Qwerty is unique. The process that occurs between the three artists is a first in Australia and more than likely a first worldwide. It is performance and musical risk taking in the extreme.

The lyricist, Peter Rowe has minimal verbal communication skills and uses facilitated communication (FC) to communicate with others. FC is a mode of assisted communication using a board with letters, numbers and some words on it, very similar to the set up on a computer keyboard.

It is on this board that Peter writes the lyrics. He improvises completely new songs by pointing to letters on the board that are read by Terri. This is done at breakneck speed that takes considerable practice and rapport. The words that Peter taps out are read and then sung by Terri. (Think about it a bit…….Peter is totally improvising a complete concert of song text, and……as Terri sings the words that Peter writes she is simultaneously reading the next ones). Her melodies are totally improvised in response to the music that Linsey is creating by improvising and “live looping” (playing, recording and building up complex layers of various sounds) using his WX5 (a midi windsynth).

All three artists agree that this is one of the most extraordinary projects that any of them have worked on…..they describe it as a process where the sense of self becomes blurred. The ego is consumed by the necessity of absolute group focus. It is improvisation in its purist form, where each performer must let go of any expectations or preconceptions. There must be no fear when stepping off the edge. It is a process that is undeniably liberating for the three performers.

When qwerty walk on the stage they don’t know where the performance will go. They have no idea of the song content or the musical style, let alone such details as key or time signature. Audiences are certainly taken on quite a journey, sometimes emotional, sometimes funny, sometimes philosophical, often intense and always musically eclectic. It is difficult for some people to accept that it all is being totally created in this way before their eyes and ears. Some people particularly find it difficult to understand and believe the process of Facilitated Communication. However it’s real…….extraordinary, but real

“Qwerty takes us on a journey through improvised words, music and voice that reaches into the soul. Few experiences are as deserving of being labeled 'A MUST' in the entertainment world as qwerty. With sublime aesthetic, playful dynamic and infinite imagination, this ever-ready team of improvisers Challenge the moment, themselves and their audience on the threshold between necessary thought Provocation and pure raw emotion. They have been a catalyst for more tears, laughter,hope and Inspiration than I've ever seen in an audience. The reason is because their work is disarmingly Real in every sense of our perception and its reflection on our existence. It is quite simply evolutionary art."
-Carl Pannuzzo

Qwerty first worked together as part of the “Horse to Water” project in 2004
They have continued as a trio since that time developing their unique style of creating song. They have performed at The Woodford Folk Festival (to standing ovation) and at the Music by The Sea Festival in Sandgate as well as various venues around the Sunshine Coast.