Jeri Brown| Photo courtesy of M.O. Johnston
"Sometimes on the stage, sometimes in the studio, all around the world. And through my travels and research collaborations, I’ve become an ambassador for Concordia — as well as for vocal improvisation."
As an atonal vocalist with an operatic background, a clear voice and a four-octave range, Brown has been involved with chamber orchestras, contemporary classical composers’ works, unusual instrumental ensembles — and countless students during nearly 30 years at Concordia.
It all started with her grandmother.
“She was a great cook, but she didn’t always have the ingredients she needed. Sometimes she’d be making a cake but didn’t have eggs. She didn’t freeze and say, ‘I can’t do anything because I don’t have the perfect situation in front of me.’ She’d invent a new recipe instead.”
Brown explains that that same attitude can be translated into performance art through improvisation, and what she calls the “vocal ecosystem”.
“By fragmenting yourself into something, or stepping into an environment where you keep your eyes and ears open, you can engage with your fellow musicians and audience in a totally new way. But to get into that world you have to be interested in experimentation and aware of your vocal ecosystem,” she says.
Brown's collaborator: Fulbright scholar Baron Tymas | Photo by Concordia University