Layers Behind The Curtain with Geneva Harrison (Nu Deco Ensemble, Y La Bamba, Rachel Goodrich)
Love Music More · hosted by Luke F. Walton (Scoobert Doobert)
Guest: Geneva Harrison
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Topics discussed
Host note
Geneva Harrison is a percussionist and producer who's toured with Y La Bamba, scored live stories for WNYC's Snap Judgment, and plays with Nu Deco Ensemble and Rachel Goodrich.
We trace her connection to Brazilian rhythm back to samba's own origins: born out of resistance, out of enslaved people finding a place to express themselves, and Geneva calls playing it a way of having a conversation with ancestors, with your own history and place. From there we get into the elasticity of rhythm she describes: steady and unsteady at the same time, human, tied to the environment and the culture around it, like a heartbeat. She also thinks groove complexity in supposedly simple rhythms is underappreciated.
The back half turns technical: how drummers and vocalists communicate live, the work of transcribing a vocal melody into percussion, and how one mix decision can be the difference between a song working and not.
Selected moments
- Geneva on Brazilian music 2:11 Geneva details her early exposure to Brazilian rhythms and their cultural significance.
- Emotional connection to rhythms 4:49 She speaks on the dreamlike quality of Brazilian music that connects deeply with emotions.
- Samba's origins 6:07 Geneva explains samba as a music born from resistance and joy.
- Rhythm's elasticity 9:14 They discuss how traditional rhythms can be both rigid and flexible.
- Live performance instincts 16:05 Geneva reflects on the communication between drummers and vocalists in creating dynamic performances.
- Transcribing vocal rhythms 22:44 She highlights the challenge and artistry of translating vocal melodies into percussion.
- Music's role in movement 35:18 Geneva emphasizes the importance of rhythm in facilitating physical expression through dance.
Selected excerpts
I really love that not just as someone who is a practitioner of music, but the core of it was from listening to music. I love that music puts me in a place where I can dream.
Samba is kind of at the root of so much Brazilian music... it is a kind of music that came out of resistance to union powers. Essentially, it was born out of slaves escaping their plantations and finding a home where they could... express themselves musically.
I think that's such a beautiful interesting thing of like you get to have kind of a conversation with ancestors with your history with your place.
I think the mix really can change every... whether a song is good or not in some ways.
Music is such a great channel for all of that... I think it can really help you.
I think there’s so much room for what that means that doesn't need to be bound so tightly to like perfect... it really depends on what the music is right?
I think that groove complexity even for the so-called simple rhythms is just underappreciated maybe in the popular sense.
FAQ
What are Geneva Harrison's influences in music?
Geneva credits her exposure to jazz, Latin, and Brazilian music from a young age, deeply influencing her rhythmic style and creativity.
How does Geneva Harrison define the elasticity of rhythm?
Geneva explains that elasticity in rhythm allows for a more organic and expressive performance, as opposed to strict adherence to a metronome.
What role does percussion play in live performances according to Geneva?
She believes percussion can significantly elevate the energy in live performances, creating a deeper connection with the audience.
These pages are host notes, not a full transcript. The episode itself is on the listen links above.