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The World Music Collective is a mixed instrumentation chamber ensemble consisting of internationally recognized performers, composers and improvisers from Washington D.C’s music scene. This group is built on the power of exciting compositions and community amongst musicians. Their latest single, “Caravan,” is a cover of an American jazz standard from the legendary Duke Ellington, reimagined through their lens.
The World Music Collective rendition of “Caravan” is a multi-instrumental track that takes listeners on an auditory journey. Instruments slide between the foreground and background as the track ebbs and flows through its influences.
“Our group explores different tonalities and approaches with our music. We come together through improvisation which is like having a conversation with music. When you bring in different cultural elements, it creates opportunities and challenges.” said Noah Getz, who plays saxophone and clarinet in the group.
The World Music Collective consists of six members including Noah: Deepak Ram - Bansuri, Cristian Perez - Guitar, Karine Chapdeline - Bass, Advait Shah - Tablas and Manny Arciniega - Percussion. Noah and many of the members of the group have been playing their instruments for more than 30 years performing in a variety of capacities. For Noah, one of the main reasons he enjoys being in the ensemble is because he learns something new from his fellow group members.
“One of my favorite parts of performing is hearing what other people will do. I love when I’m sitting there and I hear something really cool and unexpected. That sparks my creativity and interest. If I hear someone do something, I want to be able to replicate it or respond to it. And that goes back to the conversation and communication aspect of our group. These tunes are vehicles for that kind of expression. I really love hearing what the other group members do and that’s why it’s important that I’ve surrounded myself with great players.” he said.
The members of the World Music Collective have backgrounds in jazz, classical music and regional musical backgrounds, including Indian classical. For this ensemble, the term “World Music” is more than a genre label and group name, it encapsulates their musical landscape.
“For me, world music is an expression of improvised community music. There’s a social aspect to it. I came from a more western classical tradition. Some of our players come from a jazz and ethno-jazz background and some have a background in world music specifically. My desire to reach out and grab all of these musical influences has something to do with my restlessness as an artist but also my desire to reflect what is happening in our lives today.” he said.
Noah has previously played with members of the World Music Collective in settings where there were two or three of them. However, with this ensemble, he sought to expand and bring the musicians together for something bigger.
“The music community in Washington D.C. is fairly tight knit. After playing with each of these people in different contexts, I gathered them all together and we connected on a deep level. During our formation, we received a grant from the DC Commission of Arts and Humanities for the 2019-2020 season. We were rehearsing around February and March for a series of upcoming performances and then COVID hit. We reached out to the Commission and were able to use that grant for a short movie that is actually titled This Will Be The Year. Our bassist came up with that title due to the initial excitement of our group forming.” said Noah.
The World Music Collective performs a variety of shows in the DC area, including ones written by various musicians in the group. They also present collaborative projects with different groups.
The World Music Collective has already had a live listening and release party for their album Caravan with plans for a digital release soon.
You can experience more of the power of improvisation and community by keeping up with the World Music Collective on these platforms.
The Starlight PR Team thanks Noah Getz for taking the time to speak with us.
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