Back in April Sid, who’s (among other things) a member of the M6, a vocal ensemble that interprets the work of Meredith Monk, contacted me about doing some PR photography for the group. I said yes, and that I wanted to stick around for rehearsals too.

And so on two hot afternoons in May I climbed up five sets of stairs to take a peek into the world of the M6. The six of them – Sasha, Sid, Emily, Holly, Toby and Peter – get together about 1x a month. The music is only partially notated, and so a lot of rehearsal time is /thinking/ about the music – trying things out, debating how it should sound and why, and scribbling notes on the sheet music. I really liked watching the dynamic between all of them.

Amazingly, this is a side project for all involved (main involvements range from singing opera to choreographing dance). The M6 is 4 years in the making, even though coordinating upcoming rehearsals is almost an hour-long process each time.

Sid was telling me that the composer, in her 60s now, has been thinking a lot about how her work will outlive her. She’s been the main performer of her work, but now she’s now spending more time collaborating with people who want to help her interpret her work, like the M6. Here and there you also catch little glimpses of the loft and Meredith’s presence in the photos.

To hear their music, check out this video. And check out the photo slideshow too.

<3,
Kat

P.S. When the Dude first meets Maude in the Big Lebowski, that singing/breathing/chanting she does when’s she’s doing her naked painting – that’s Meredith Monk. Yes.