Verdandia: Bay Area Celtic music with a twist
"A match made in heaven. Allison and Andria truly touch the soul with their celtic twists on a wide genre of music. They sought out a venue and introduced themselves to us over a year ago and I am so glad that they did. Make sure to come and check them out. What can be better than a glass of wine, a savory souffle, and a harpist and violinist."- Jennifer
Tradition and the Non-Tradition of of Their Music
Traditionally we both have a lot of background playing music that is fully or partially “set” meaning, that the music has a structure, is rehearsed, and is delivered in a similar way each time. This is the standard for popular (and classical) music, as opposed to the purely improvisational nature of something like free form jazz, although some folk music Celtic is one of these straddles the middle a little in the sense that motifs (certain melodies, refrains, rhythms) can be set and yet played around with in the delivery. This makes the folk song, while recognizable, definitely different each time it is evoked. We both have a background in folk music as well as other genres, and were interested in trying to do something that was purely improvisational and yet had the melodic simplicity that the audience could hook into it and be carried on the emotion. This is very different that an improv style like jazz, which does not center around hooks or repetition, and tends to be more like a river moving from one place to another than a lake in which one can lay back and look around. To be able to create pieces where we bring people along and travel, all together, into this “lake scene”, is such an amazing, transcendent feeling. And like any profound shared experience, it breaks down barriers and reminds of of our common humanity.
Deep Roots in Ancient Music
Harpist Adria Amenti and violinist Alison Bailey Streich joined forces in 2008 and formed Verdandia. Verdandia is an improvisational duet that has it’s roots deep in ancient music. Our music draws from many genres including Celtic and Nordic folk, bluegrass, American folk music, jazz and pop. We play mostly private events and celebrations at the moment, but we do occasionally play public venues as well.
Transforming the Energy of the Listener
Verdandia seeks to create a shared experience with the audience. Healing. Transforming the energy of the listener. Creating a shared experience that creates community – our music brings down barriers and opens up channels of connection. Our bodies, minds and spirits respond to our environment. We have always felt that if you create an environment in which the body can relax, the mind can recharge and the spirit can release, then you can assist people in transforming their experience of living. It is our hope that the “balance” we might help people to rediscover within themselves, they might take with them and carry into the world. We have been fortunate to receive financial support through individual donations and grants from organizations such as San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, under the umbrella of Sonic Forest Productions, in order to help bring music to underserved populations such as the elderly and those in transitional housing. It is ironic that these populations, who each have so many extra challenges to deal with, are the ones who could benefit possibly the greatest from having an infusion of this sort of environmental “balance”. If we have any specific mission, I would say a big part of it at least is to serve these people and to bring them peace, joy and healing.
Upcoming events
Sanctuary Bistro Monday March 7th from 6:308:30pm! Make your reservations today by calling 510.558.3381
Community and compassion
For some time we held weekly “healing music” salons, called “Magical Music Mondays” in a local community center. It was open and free to all, and we invited people to come and be present with us, to be in a mindful space in which they could release that which they needed to release, and welcome in joy, health, strength, peace. This was all done just through the shared experience of music, and we would often begin by asking for a concept, a word, a picture or an emotion to play from. Unfortunately we no longer have a venue for this, but hopefully in the future we will be able to offer it again (please let us know if there is a local venue that you think may be able to host this!).
Tips for Living more Compassionately
Judgmentalism is the opposite of compassion, and arises as a defense mechanism in a world where we feel threatened and overwhelmed. I believe the more we understand ourselves and construct an authentic life around this understanding, the less judgmental we tend to be toward others and therefore the more compassionate.
Life Tips
Our body rhythms will respond to the tempo of music we are listening to. Listening to songs with rhythms and tempos that match the resting heart beat (for most people this would be roughly 70bpm) is freeing and opening to the body.
Anything Else?
I could probably subsist entirely on Sanctuary Bistro’s raw cheesecake.