I’ve never been comfortable with the traditional idea of what a violinist is or should be. Maybe it’s that I always felt like I was playing an unwinnable game of catch-up with peers who’d attended prestigious pre-college programs as youngsters (there was no Juilliard in Hermiston, OR).

Or maybe my discomfort had more to do with feeling like I was a drummer in the body of a violinist. My friends know, and I’m not ashamed to admit, that I’m a huge yacht rock fan, and for me the band Toto is the shizzle. My brother Dan and I are both massive fan boys of Jeff Porcaro, Toto’s brilliant drummer, and yes, we geek out on this stuff… a lot.

This is why I’m over the moon with excitement about 45^th Parallel’s world premiere of a new work by my friend (and master percussionist and Pulitzer finalist) Andy Akiho, for whom the term “genius” is not an exaggeration.

Andy’s music is like a sonic Swiss watch, with intricate layers of simultaneous rhythms that create brilliant textures, unlike any music I’ve ever heard or performed. Andy’s mind works in wondrous ways, and playing his music is always a masterclass in virtuoso rhythm, not unlike (at least in my fevered brain) hearing Jeff Porcaro play Rosanna.

The opportunity to be there at the premiere of Andy Akiho’s latest work is an exciting, actually thrilling, prospect for both performers and audience alike.

 
The Score

I often get asked what Andy’s scores look like. Here’s the first line from his new work, to give you an example of what we use to begin assembling the piece:

Andy tells us everything we need to know to start this piece:

• It’s scored for 13 instruments, arranged in high/middle/low ranges
• The tempo is 90 = ¼ note or beat, with 90 beats per minute
• The time signature indicates that the primary beat (or pulse) is a ¼ note
• No surprise, the number of beats changes each of the first four bars

Frankly, this is about as simple an example of an Akiho score as you’ll ever see. Here’s a single measure from his piano quintet we played last year… that’s right, this is just one measure!

The Pocket

Back to Toto… One of the signatures of Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro was his legendary sense of groove. The beat is never rushing, never dragging, it’s locked into the perfect groove, or “pocket.”

This video isolates Jeff’s famous drumming in Rosanna. This, my friends, is a “pocket,” par excellence.

Andy’s music requires performers to seek the same sense of groove, something that quite frankly isn’t taught in conservatories. Being able to play in straight time is often considered boring in classical music, though I’d argue that it’s about time we classical musicians join the real musical world and learn how to find the pocket!

 
The rest of the program is pretty damn cool too

The other works on our program also follow in the minimalist tradition, including Steve Reich’s iconic Triple Quartet, a tour de force of minimalist ingenuity. Originally composed for the Kronos Quartet, this piece layers three string quartets (one live, two recorded by Pyxis Quartet) into a hypnotic interplay of rhythm and harmony. The result is music that feels both tightly controlled and expansively expressive, a hallmark of Reich’s groundbreaking style.

Daniel Wohl’s Holographic is a masterpiece of innovation, merging the acoustic with the electronic in seamless harmony. When paired with the visual artistry of Daniel Schwarz, the result is nothing short of transformative. This isn’t just music – it’s an experience that engages all the senses. Wohl and Schwarz create a universe where sound and light interact in ways that are as thought-provoking as they are mesmerizing. It’s a perfect example of how technology and art can come together to create something truly unforgettable.

The concert opens with Gemini Percussion’s arrangement of Metamorphosis no. 2 by Philip Glass, setting the minimalist tone for our exceedingly groove-oriented program. Part of a five-piece suite composed in 1988, it reflects Glass's ability to evoke profound emotional resonance through simplicity and structure.

 
In Conclusion

When listening to Toto, it’s important that you set the lyrics aside, because they tend to be the most insipid lyrics ever written. Seeking edification from Toto’s lyrics is a fool’s errand, one that is likely to ossify brain cells that you’ll need for something important later.

For me, the rhythmic value system they share with all the best studio musicians is what I seek to emulate when I have the opportunity to perform the music of Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Daniel Wohl, and Andy Akiho. We’re all speaking the same musical language.

Join us as we all ride the groove train on January 28th at the beautiful Patricia Reser Center in Beaverton!

New Year, New Akiho
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
7:00-8:00 PM @ Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
Click here for ticket information

Ron Blessinger
Violinist, Oregon Symphony & 45^th Parallel Universe Development & Production Coordinator, Curator of Special Projects, 45^th Parallel Universe