To round out 2016, WKDU DJs wrote about their favorite music memories of the year. Here’s our last entry, and see Thursday’s, Wednesday’s and Tuesday’s posts.
Wil Schade (Fresh Frequencies)
Have you ever experienced music at such a high level that you can’t even enjoy it because your brain is too busy freaking out? …When your reactions to the music are so severe and so often, that you just give up on trying to comprehend everything and just let the music enter your head. It’s that moment of surrender that I experienced when I went to go see UK phenom Jacob Collier at Coda this past October 1st as part of his first ever visit to the U.S. After getting more and more popular on YouTube with his insane a Capella and instrumental arrangements, he ended up with Quincy Jones as his manager and a feature track on a Snarky Puppy album. The even scarier part is that we are the same age. As a musician, I felt this connection despite his grossly differing level of talent.
He was a one man show. Running around on stage going from instrument to instrument: bass, drums, keys, guitar, vocals, aux percussion–everything looping as he moved on to creating the next texture. Jazz, soul, hip-hop, funk, intricate rhythms, and dense harmonies encompassed the performance.
With our ability to respond to stimuli severely stunted, my friends and I left with a feeling of pure awe and existential hope for the future. We also left with a bond of shared experience.
I don’t have a doubt that this prodigy will be snagging countless Grammys throughout his career, as he is already nominated for 2 this February for vocal and instrumental arrangement.