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Spidey spectacular: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert' features live orchestra, DJ, film
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The Oscar-nominated 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse鈥 is taking things to another level with a unique mix of a live orchestra and electronic music and scratching by a live DJ.
It is all part of 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert,鈥 which can be experienced at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus.
Spidey spectacular: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert' features live orchestra, DJ, film
The event will feature the extraordinary film鈥檚 score and soundtrack, created by Emmy-winning and Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated composer, Daniel Pemberton, performed live by a range of musicians and instrumentalists. The music will be accompanied by the film playing on a giant HD screen. The film鈥檚 soundtrack was curated by Metro Boomin, and features Future, Nas, Swae Lee, James Blake, Lil Wayne, Lil Uzi Vert and other artists.
鈥 鈥楢cross the Spider-Verse鈥 is probably the most exciting, groundbreaking and impactful score I鈥檝e written,鈥 Pemberton said in a statement. 鈥淚鈥檝e always believed that there should be no barriers to music, but it鈥檚 rare to get the opportunity that you get within the 鈥楽pider-Verse.鈥 Where else could you have powerful orchestral themes side by side with punk drum solos, virtuoso record scratching next to twisted electronics, off-kilter whistling next to hip-hop beats?鈥
Globally-recognized musician, composer, producer and music director, Shelbie Rassler, will conduct the exciting show. Her compositions, arrangements and orchestrations have been featured at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The West End鈥檚 His Majesty鈥檚 Theatre.
鈥淭his is a really unique and exciting experience for audiences and something that is really one of a kind, because it鈥檚 not only this incredible movie that we all know and love, which is 鈥楽pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,鈥 but it鈥檚 also that immersive experience of having the full live orchestra playing the amazing soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton,鈥 Rassler said. 鈥淎nd then we also have a live DJ, really bringing the various genres and styles of music that the score has, really bringing it all to life. So it鈥檚 unlike anything you鈥檝e experienced before, and fun for all ages and families to experience live music together.鈥
Rassler said the film features many styles of music and the DJ is the cohesive bond that brings all of the elements together.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit of a balancing act in terms of thinking and precision because everything has to be so precise to what鈥檚 happening in the action of the movie,鈥 Rassler explained. 鈥淲hen you have all of these moving parts, all coming together, it鈥檚 really exciting and it feels like magic when everything lines up so perfectly. And so having that DJ really involved in the score, affecting how the orchestra sounds and how they鈥檙e playing, and sort of playing off the visuals and the film, it really just adds that extra layer of fun and interactive experience.鈥
Syncing the live music with the film is a feat in itself. It involves multitasking and using things like click tracks, which are a series of audio cues, to help synchronize everything.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a little bit of a juggling act to make sure that everything is exactly where it needs to be at all times,鈥 Rassler said. 鈥淲ith this tour, I鈥檒l be using in-ear monitors, headphones with a click track for a lot of the score, because it鈥檚 so groove-based and so in the action of what鈥檚 happening visually in the animation. It needs to be to the millisecond, synced up. So, we鈥檒l be using click tracks and various things like that.鈥
She said she also will be viewing the movie on a screen that will be located in front of the sheet music on the podium.
鈥淚鈥檒l have a small screen as well, so I can kind of keep track of the movie,鈥 she explained. 鈥淚t has certain indicators that are unique to the conductor cam, if you will, to sync up various hit points and things like that. It鈥檚 definitely a juggle and you鈥檝e got to keep track of many different moving parts. But it鈥檚 also possible and things like those click tracks are really helpful to kind of keep everyone in sync together.鈥
Rassler said being part of an experience like 鈥淪pider-Verse鈥 keeps her passion for conducting constantly growing.
鈥淚 think what is so amazing about conducting is bringing together so many different people from different life experiences and different backgrounds and them all coming together, sharing the same goal of creating this music and bringing to life the composer鈥檚 vision and what they wrote on the paper,鈥 she explained.
鈥淭hat is such a special and magical experience every time and getting to learn from musicians in rehearsals and learning something new every single night that we perform this piece, not only about, the piece itself, but also about myself as a musician and a conductor and all of those magical things that people talk about that really do happen.
鈥淚 really do feel that way about conducting. I couldn鈥檛 imagine a better opportunity than the 鈥楽pider-Man鈥 movie to have that passion be reignited for me.鈥
