Rhythms of the city: music in public spaces brings communities to life

It’s often said that public spaces are the heartbeat of our cities.

What better way to infuse our communities with life than through the power of music?

Public places, whether parks, plazas or trails, offer more than just a place to sit and reflect; they are dynamic environments where communities gather, connect and just plain have fun.

So, what’s the difference between experiencing live music in the public realm versus a traditional venue?

We asked Yang Chen, a percussionist based in Toronto and coordinator of Labyrinth Ensemble. The Labyrinth Ensemble recently performed at Evergreen Brick Works as part of a multi-disciplinary collaboration with Mani Mazinani and Sanaz Mazinani’s larger-than-life stringed installation, Dastgāh.

Labyrinth Ontario regularly performs in public spaces, including their first series of performances that took place at Toronto’s Flemingdon Park through the Arts in the Parks program.

Tell us a bit more about Labyrinth Ontario

Labyrinth Ontario was started as a not-for-profit in 2017. Since then we have programmed concerts, organized workshops and shared videos of modal music traditions in the Greater Toronto Area. Our goals include promoting the study and enjoyment of the modal music traditions of Central, West, and South Asia, and the Mediterranean; providing high-quality training to artists working in these traditions in the GTA and further afield; delighting, training and surprising the ears of a growing audience; and developing southern Ontario as a global hub for performance and training in these traditions.

In what ways do you think performing in public spaces differs from performing in traditional venues? What do you enjoy about it?

Performing in public spaces has the unique potential to draw audiences that would otherwise not have known about Labyrinth. The act of going to a concert in a traditional venue is premeditated, whereas happening upon a performance in a public space can be a delightful surprise.

Often, playing in public spaces can feel more casual, which can make both the musicians and audience more relaxed, away from the social decorum of a concert hall. I really enjoy it when this relaxed feeling incites opportunities for audience members to be curious and approach musicians to chat and learn about the music.

How do you think musical performances in public spaces impact the community?

I think musical performances in public spaces enrich the surrounding community and bring a sense of vibrancy in togetherness. I believe that gathering in community, creating art and experiencing art with others is a part of the human condition. Living in a fast paced robustly economic city sometimes can feel isolating. Public space performances are a way of inviting people into living in community and exploring the richness of their neighborhood.

Are there ways that public spaces could be designed or managed to better accommodate and encourage musical or other cultural performances?

I think there are two main ways that come to mind for public spaces to encourage performances. Firstly, prioritize having resources to fund and host performances. This could look like an annual budget line item for artist fees, investing in sound equipment or researching local arts organizations to partner with.

Secondly, caretakers and curators of spaces can re-examine their space with play in mind. By this I mean, what area within your space could be activated for art making? What area do you want to highlight? What area would you like to invite people into? It is no secret that with the rising costs of living and real estate, arts spaces are dwindling in Toronto which causes artists to leave. But any space can be an arts-activated space as long as artists are considered, well-resourced and invited!

Can you tell us about your performance at the Brick Works and why you’re looking forward to it?

We’ll be performing an hour-long set alongside artist Mani Mazinani’s interactive installation “Dastgāh”. Dastgāh refers to the musical system of Iranian classical music consisting of modes highlighted through melodies to invoke various moods and flavors. We will be performing several dastgāh based compositions, some by Artistic Director and tar player Araz Salek, alongside other pieces from related modal music traditions. Most excitingly, Mani will join us on his playable installations!

I look forward to performing in a beautiful nature-oriented space alongside striking and accessible installation art. I hope audiences are curious about the music and hear something they’ve never heard before!