Studio Synergy: A Musical & Art Collaboration by Joel Schroeder & Katie Dridan
12 March 2022 at Carclew Ballroom
Review by Emma Knights
When I was looking at the Adelaide Fringe guide the artwork for this performance immediately grabbed my attention. Upon reading the description and discovering that it was music inspired by art inspired by music, I could not wait to see it having long enjoyed collaborations between visual arts and music. I attended the premiere performance and, as can sometimes happen with first performances, the show did start late. This should improve once they are fully settled into the space. Once we were allowed entry, I went on a journey through photos, paint, pencil, lino prints, soil and branches. One wall held up boldly poetic lyrics and the other had gentle colours and hidden meanings. The artworks by Katie Dridan and Emma Spowart, were thought-provoking and drew you in to take more than one look. I wanted to immerse myself in the worlds of them. I am not sure if it was intentional or not but the fact that some art was framed and others weren’t really highlighted differences in the works and added a little wonder.
I chose, once the concert started, to sit at the back upon the rugs on the floor to be close to some of the art whilst hearing the songs. Emma Parker’s poetry and Joel’s spoken words over music were poignant and the short video of the place where one song was created showed that these young artists are grounded and thoughtful. There were many chords and melodies that caught me, an Honours in Popular Music graduate, off guard and I was delighted by that, as was the audience.
Joining Schroeder on stage were Parker on cello and Jennifer Trijo on keyboards and vocals. I wonder if a slightly smaller venue would encase this work in a better way. The ballroom is a lovely venue but it did feel like there was a lot of unused space. Schroeder’s vocal timbre in the lower registers is reminiscent of early The Whitlams albums and his vocal range is wide and his songs reflect this. Sadly, some of his upper register was flat and it did detract from the music he and his fellow musicians were creating.
As an artist fund grant recipient, I hope that this show is successful enough to obtain a music director and/or vocal coach for future performances as the songs demand and deserve it and I wonder what Schroeder could achieve with further development. There is a lot of potential there and I did leave with a copy of his CD in tow.
I love the concept of this collaboration and hope that this show, and future new versions, are developed.
3.5 stars
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Feature image – Jennifer Trijo
