A mix of music and history

Bringing together synthesizers, wailing violins and singing drunken men, Penn alumnus and former University Scholar Uri Caine sampled his music and spoke to over 30 students and administrators at the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Monday afternoon. Gathered in the ARCH's Fireside Lounge, audience members listened to Caine's reflections on Penn, Philadelphia and most notably, his music. Caine, a 1981 College graduate, spun off a style completely of his own, building upon the themes and pieces of great classical composers such as Mahler, Schumann and Wagner. "I take classical music and use it as a springboard for my improvisation," Caine said. Most recently, he tackled Bach's "Goldberg Variations," adding his own variations to the piece. He sampled compositions for audience members by playing selected excerpts from his CDs. Besides traditional jazz music, Caine said he tied in all his musical experiences to his improvisation. For instance, a percussion-driven techno-style variation of the Bach piece was a direct influence from the synthesizer-heavy music he heard while growing up, Caine said. Caine's spectrum of instruments includes much more than the typical jazz band. He has used a classically trained violinist, a DJ, a bebop clarinet player, a drunken choir and poets reading in foreign languages. In developing his music, Caine said he takes the original ideas of the composer and enhances them, pushing the limits of the interpretation of the music. Caine could not stress freedom and open-mindedness enough Monday. He said that when he attended Penn, the University did not take jazz seriously. At the time, the Folklore department taught the subject. Caine added that, ironically, people who theorize about music look condescendingly upon the people who actually play the music. It is an academic mindset that Caine said he struggled against in his formative years, while establishing himself as a legitimate musician. "Music is a profound thing," Caine said. "It's totally abstract but totally emotional. It's different from teaching mathematics." The audience was impressed. "It was really great," Engineering junior Michael Krouse said. "I read about him in a newspaper but never heard him before." Sponsors of the event were also pleased. "Having read about what he did with Mahler and Bach, it was amazing to actually hear the music," said Susan Duggan, associate director of University Scholars. "I thought it was fantastic."