Grant Supports New Performance Poetry Project

Poet and musician Robert Alan Mackie is known for his innovative use of the double bass to mimic the sound of his speech. In 2018, he spent 10 weeks composing a new body of work.

Performance artist adds to unique body of work

Robert Alan Mackie’s art is performance poetry that includes the use of the double bass. In fact, the heart of his performance poetry project robertalanfuturehearts is the use of the double bass to mimic the sound of his speech as the main support to his text. The tonality, timbre and density of the accompaniment provide aesthetic context so his compositions can be interpreted both linguistically and sonically. In 2018, he released an EP, Little Reminders. A Canada Council grant helped him begin to compose a new batch of works soon after.

Bringing Norwegian music traditions to Canadian audiences

Mackie experimented with translating concepts from traditional Norwegian music, working daily for 10 weeks to produce about 45 minutes of conceptually and sonically unique material. His goal was to develop methods of bringing Norwegian music to audiences in relatable ways, sharing his connection to the music by creating original poetry that is unique in rhythm and form. He looks forward to sharing his work with audiences and musicians at home and abroad.