An Unscripted Night of Musical Magic

Later this month, a first-of-its-kind live concert — THIS IS: the moment — will take place at THIS IS RED event space (605 East 9th Avenue in Munhall), uniting a contingency of talented folks working together to create musical magic.

Joe Maggiore, CEO of The Moment and Conduction, sums up the unique August 19 event: “This is your favorite music you hear from a DJ live — performed, in real time, by 40 musicians. A full night of exhilarating dancing to disco, pop, electronic music performed by a 40-person orchestra.”

During this completely spontaneous production, DJs and musicians will interact using a new software called Conduction.

“Essentially, a DJ can drag and drop songs using a normal DJ interface,” Maggiore explains, “and every time they drag and drop a song, it’s sent out to musicians directly as sheet music in real time.”

The crew did a demo back in November with 16 musicians controlled by three DJs. The upcoming August show will prove a significantly scaled-up version of that first collaboration.

All of the musicians featured will be local — a 40-musician group of Pittsburgh creatives who are undergrad or graduate music students. The DJs, on the other hand, will come from all over, after an open call was put out throughout July.

“In the month of August,” Maggiore says, “they’ll learn how to use Conduction, and then there will be one rehearsal the week before the show.”

Then, on August 19, the big debut.

So, what exactly makes this a first-of-its-kind performance? “There definitely have been DJs in the past that have attempted to perform with orchestras,” Maggiore comments.

“You can see groups like Synthony or Heritage Orchestra that have tried this kind of performance. The thing is that, in these shows, it’s completely scripted. If you see how they do the performance, it’s all printed sheet music – they read the music front to back.”

This crew’s production, in contrast, will involve spontaneous performances by the DJ who picks and chooses songs in the moment, then has it sent out as sheet music. “So in essence,” Maggiore says, “it’s as if a 40-person orchestra was playing as nimbly as a jazz group.”

“One musician could be playing the bass line from one song while the DJ is transitioning into the next song and having all the horns play the second song’s lick. So this is truly a first – a DJ actually controlling and performing with an orchestra in real time.”

Participating musician Jake McCormick’s primary instrument is the saxophone, yet he doubles on both flute and clarinet. In the fall of 2022, Maggiore had reached out to him, thanks to a recommendation from mutual friend Alex Price. “I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in one of the first performances. and have been playing with variations of this group since then,” McCormick says.

Prior to his first performance with the group last fall, McCormick had never done or experienced anything even close to this before. He’s very much looking forward to the August show. “Because this is my third time performing with the group,” he says, “the excitement far outweighs the nerves.” He’s most thrilled to meet and make music with so many other incredible Pittsburgh musicians.

Guitarist Alex Price also can’t wait for the live experience. “The Conduction show is incredibly unique, as it involves a ton of musicians from a wide range of backgrounds playing music that is sent out to them in real time through a tablet or laptop,” he says. “The compositions can be pre-programmed or arranged live in that moment. It’s very cool to see the idea come to life here in Pittsburgh.”

Having the performance unscripted, of course, comes along with several unknowns. “I think there is something really connecting about the fact that it is completely spontaneous,” Maggiore says.

“What makes the performance of a DJ or jazz ensemble or any live performance so incredible is the interplay between the audience and the performer. A DJ so critically reacts in real time to what an audience wants in that moment – and it brings you as an audience member into the moment more.”

So with this show, attendees get the incredible connection of a DJ performing unscripted in the moment, combined with the electric energy of a 40-musician dance orchestra. “In a lot of ways,” he says, “it’s the best of both worlds.”

“I think readers should attend,” McCormick encourages, “because this event is the perfect mix of high-quality musicianship and technology, without either one compromising the quality or purpose of the other. I can guarantee that this event will generate a high level of excitement and energy.”

There’s already talk of future shows; in fact, on August 19, attendees will hear an announcement about a fall happening. One hint? Dancing robots.

The dress code for THIS IS: the moment will be nightclub attire, but Maggiore offers one other piece of advice: “Come ready to dance!”