Historical Woodwinds at the Cirque Du Soleil
Interview with Wayne Evan Hankin
In January 2004 I became acquainted with Wayne Hankin in Los Angeles. His professional life and particularly its activity with the Cirque you Soleil interested me much, and so we remained in E-Mail contact. When we again-met in May 2005 in Boston, the idea developed to present this unusual musician to Tibia readers. From many questions and responses, here is printed a completed portrait.
I came by the events of the 11th September 2001 to Cirque du Soleil. Beforehand I was a freelance musician for the early music scene in NY, but the destruction of the World Trade Center led to the musical life of New York recovering slowly. My income sank rapidly and I only had small savings to which I could fall back on. In this situation my colleague Tom Zajac drew me to an ad on the Internet: "woodwind player with early music background, with experience in playing Dudelsack, shawm, crumhorn, and other woodwind instruments of the Renaissance wanted for a job in Las Vegas".
I wanted New York's active culture and was reluctant to venture out to the barbarian Vegas, but the ad made me curious. I drove to headquarters in Montreal, and presented a 3 and a half hour audition with all my instruments in tow. One week later I received a 66 page contract, not for Las Vegas, but for a new show eventually titled Varekai, which was in development.
Within a month I pulled stakes in New York, meaning saying goodbye to the early scene for the moment. In exchange I adopted the Cirque greetings of pop, latin and world music player. The familiar keys of C, D, F and G were out and in came keys of Bb and B minor which are not exactly friendly keys on an instrument like the rauspfeiffe for example.
Instead of written music I would be improvising in Ab major on soprano recorder and renaissance flute. My usual haunts of concert halls and cathedrals would be replaced by a circus tent. My musical world changed considerably.
Actually the relationship between early music and circus is still relatively unexplored. Circus music is based mostly on currents of its respective epoch, thus constantly changing as a result of times and fashions. Circus music is hardly played today on early instruments compared to the instruments one finds mostly in bands. This modern music is a result of the spectators, it's reason for being is due to the circumstance, so that it will not turn out negligable in the circus environment.
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance however circusish presentations on instruments at that time were common. We today connect modern circus music with a calliope, or a trapeze number accompanied by it's famous ditty or the even more famous tune that starts with the running chromatic line in the band style of Sousa, just as we associate clowns in mini autos or bears driving past us on motorcycles.
How then does an early musician fit in a modern circus? The answer lies in strengthening the period instruments through modern technology. Plus, being versatile, as were period musician's then. This is helpful. I am an early wind player but I branched out from simply playing recorder. And like the instrumentalists from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, I play several instruments. That was completely normal then and is today comfortable with many professional period musicians. The Circus can work with that, plus a hefty sprinkling of special effects to enhance the situation. Keyboards today have a vast array of orchestral sounds and effects and that goes for an instrument like electric violin. I am however proud that I don't rely on electronic extensions. All the instruments I play in Varekai are acoustic.
Circus can handle a variety of musical styles beyond the stereotypical brass band. World music for example, if appropriate visuals are accompanying it. In the show O one notices a kora player set against a background depicting the African Savannah. In my show Varekai, I play a large tenor bagpipe called the großer bock set against a dark mysterious forest. The public comes with the expectation of new experiences, so you have to offer them something. This is where Cirque du Soleil's principles are grounded.
There is a period where the gestation of techniques and ideas come together. Originality and creativity are the goals that need to be met. We're not there to duplicate previous successes in the manner Disney does. The concept of Cirque is to bring the most talented people together and from there develop something new. In my opinion, this works for Cirque most of the time, especially if the circus traditions are adjusted to fit the ambience of a theater. In Varekai there was a mix of new rehearsal forms with proven and unproven acts mixed in; for example a man dancing on crutches or the Russian Swing. These new forms have their roots in traditional contortion, acrobat, and clowning arts. Contortionists go as far back as Ancient Egypt and Rome. So what is old becomes new again plus a good shot of cutting edge sets, costumes and projections.
Excerpt from Tibia Magazine: 4/2005
Interview with Wayne Evan Hankin
In January 2004 I became acquainted with Wayne Hankin in Los Angeles. His professional life and particularly its activity with the Cirque you Soleil interested me much, and so we remained in E-Mail contact. When we again-met in May 2005 in Boston, the idea developed to present this unusual musician to Tibia readers. From many questions and responses, here is printed a completed portrait.
I came by the events of the 11th September 2001 to Cirque du Soleil. Beforehand I was a freelance musician for the early music scene in NY, but the destruction of the World Trade Center led to the musical life of New York recovering slowly. My income sank rapidly and I only had small savings to which I could fall back on. In this situation my colleague Tom Zajac drew me to an ad on the Internet: "woodwind player with early music background, with experience in playing Dudelsack, shawm, crumhorn, and other woodwind instruments of the Renaissance wanted for a job in Las Vegas".
I wanted New York's active culture and was reluctant to venture out to the barbarian Vegas, but the ad made me curious. I drove to headquarters in Montreal, and presented a 3 and a half hour audition with all my instruments in tow. One week later I received a 66 page contract, not for Las Vegas, but for a new show eventually titled Varekai, which was in development.
Within a month I pulled stakes in New York, meaning saying goodbye to the early scene for the moment. In exchange I adopted the Cirque greetings of pop, latin and world music player. The familiar keys of C, D, F and G were out and in came keys of Bb and B minor which are not exactly friendly keys on an instrument like the rauspfeiffe for example.
Instead of written music I would be improvising in Ab major on soprano recorder and renaissance flute. My usual haunts of concert halls and cathedrals would be replaced by a circus tent. My musical world changed considerably.
Actually the relationship between early music and circus is still relatively unexplored. Circus music is based mostly on currents of its respective epoch, thus constantly changing as a result of times and fashions. Circus music is hardly played today on early instruments compared to the instruments one finds mostly in bands. This modern music is a result of the spectators, it's reason for being is due to the circumstance, so that it will not turn out negligable in the circus environment.
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance however circusish presentations on instruments at that time were common. We today connect modern circus music with a calliope, or a trapeze number accompanied by it's famous ditty or the even more famous tune that starts with the running chromatic line in the band style of Sousa, just as we associate clowns in mini autos or bears driving past us on motorcycles.
How then does an early musician fit in a modern circus? The answer lies in strengthening the period instruments through modern technology. Plus, being versatile, as were period musician's then. This is helpful. I am an early wind player but I branched out from simply playing recorder. And like the instrumentalists from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, I play several instruments. That was completely normal then and is today comfortable with many professional period musicians. The Circus can work with that, plus a hefty sprinkling of special effects to enhance the situation. Keyboards today have a vast array of orchestral sounds and effects and that goes for an instrument like electric violin. I am however proud that I don't rely on electronic extensions. All the instruments I play in Varekai are acoustic.
Circus can handle a variety of musical styles beyond the stereotypical brass band. World music for example, if appropriate visuals are accompanying it. In the show O one notices a kora player set against a background depicting the African Savannah. In my show Varekai, I play a large tenor bagpipe called the großer bock set against a dark mysterious forest. The public comes with the expectation of new experiences, so you have to offer them something. This is where Cirque du Soleil's principles are grounded.
There is a period where the gestation of techniques and ideas come together. Originality and creativity are the goals that need to be met. We're not there to duplicate previous successes in the manner Disney does. The concept of Cirque is to bring the most talented people together and from there develop something new. In my opinion, this works for Cirque most of the time, especially if the circus traditions are adjusted to fit the ambience of a theater. In Varekai there was a mix of new rehearsal forms with proven and unproven acts mixed in; for example a man dancing on crutches or the Russian Swing. These new forms have their roots in traditional contortion, acrobat, and clowning arts. Contortionists go as far back as Ancient Egypt and Rome. So what is old becomes new again plus a good shot of cutting edge sets, costumes and projections.
Excerpt from Tibia Magazine: 4/2005