Yuson Shao turned campus of Shanghai Conservatory into music revels

Yuson Shao, a sophomore studying composition at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, turned the campus of SCM at downtown Shanghai into music revels on July 2nd when his first music theatre Brushwork and Gravity was staged on the square of SCM on Fenyang Road.

The evening show, delayed by half an hour due to unexpected weather conditions, drew hundreds of spectators including some prominent professors, and the watch of a patrolling police vehicle, a normal procedure for the law enforcement to maintain social order in a large public gathering. They were all curious about the banging, chanting and dancing, an effort to awaken interpersonal connectivity in music making, according to Yuson.

Around 40 players, mainly instrumentalists, percussionists, singers, dancers, electronic musicians, and sound engineers, were engaged in the outdoor performance. It took Yuson, who produced his work, four months to prepare for the premiere of his 50-minute piece, mobilising his fellow students, securing funding, renting musical instruments and equipment, and getting approval from the college administration.

Its three movements are constructed to reflect inspirations he was exposed to as a teenager: those ranging from paintings by Chinese French painter Zao Wou-Ki to experimental music by Joseph Schwantner.

"It's all about connections. Brushwork is the fundamental element of calligraphy. It can be interpreted as the connection and relationship between strokes in calligraphy, and hence can be extended to individual notes. Gravity is the connection between minor and major keys. One finds gravity also in the way people are attracted to each other. The work is structured on both elements crucial to music making, also relevant to the way how we channel our affection in daily life, " Yuson explained.

In order to attract a large audience, Yuson went even further to produce tote bags with its main visualisation licensed from a Henan based artist whose unconventional way of brushwork Yuson greatly admired. The design dominated the poster and banner, and the tote bags which were sold at the SCM souvenir shop.

Complimentary alcohol-free drinks and snacks were offered throughout the show, which was free to attend.

Over half an hour into the music, the final movement of Brushwork and Gravity opened its floor to spectators where they were encouraged to move, shout and dance accompanied by rhythmic music. Dozens of the audience made their way close to the performers, and moved their bodies with them. Among them was Prof Xu Jianqiang, a veteran composer and professor teaching at SCM. In a sing-along attempt, he even asked for a microphone, only to be told all the microphones were being occupied. The crowd cheered when the music gained momentum till the show was over.

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music pushed to promote this outdoor event and branded it as the administration's initiative to make serious and contemporary music more accessible.