Table of Contents
1. "Hedgehog House" - a musical about life, home and sustainability
Introduction:
Marijampole Art School finalizes each academic year with a musical choreographic performance created by the joint efforts of students and teachers. In 2023 it was “Generation Z”, on May 15, 2024 the premiere of the musical “Hedgehog House” was held for the public of the city. This musical performance was staged in January-May. It addressed several important issues. The creators of the show put human existential problems in the first place, they were looking for the answers to the questions “Where is our home?” Is it where we live, where there is peace and joy, where it is cozy, warm and extremely good to just be? Where is our heart?’
The second problem is the effort to unite all the creators of the musical performance – artists, musicians and choreographers.
And the third, no less important topic – sustainability in creativity.
1.1 Resources, materials:
The creators of the performance are artists and teachers born and raised in Marijampole, the participants are students of art, choreography and music programs of the art school. Thus, by combining them, the performance was an integration of all the subjects taught in school.
Secondary raw materials were used for scenography. The clothes of the heroes were sewn not only from new materials, but also from used clothes, many elements of the performance were created from household items already used and still usable.
1.2 Implementation of the idea, sustainability:
The art teachers and students of the school collected and accumulated cardboard boxes for a good month, from which 4-meter constructions were made: hedgehog house, oven, furniture, dishes. The house was artistically carved, wheels were attached to the structures and furniture, so that it could be pushed and transformed the scenography. The used construction pallets fit beautifully on the stage, and the furniture (tables and beds) were used not only as scenography elements, but they helped choreography pupils to perform expressive dance compositions. The cardboard (paper) texture itself is very warm, pleasant to the touch. These details are very light, so with the help of lighting, extremely beautiful effects were obtained.
To depict a burnt house, scraps of materials were used, after attaching them from the other side of the structure and turning the structures around.
Now these structures are placed in the school hall. Since this room has acoustic problems (very high echo), the goal is to “absorb” the sound with the help of constructed boxes. Also, with the help of lighting, different moods can be created and this will be useful for other events. Furnace, furniture, etc. will serve as interior details. Consequently, the scenography of the play will continue to serve other school needs.
The characters of the performance – hedgehogs – were dressed in black disposable raincoats, and spikes were made with the help of rubber bands. This outfit will also be used outside during the outdoor events as rain protection.
Thus, the entire scenography was created from household items already used and still usable. It is a great proof of sustainability that everything can be resurrected to a “new” life.
1.3 The originality of the use of music:
The dance music for the performance was created by experimental music creator Gintas K. It is a mix of sounds heard at home, noises, fragments of well-known musical works, ordinary instruments, various sound effects, obtained by processing tapes with computer technology.
As the author himself said, avant-garde, electronic, industrial, noise, electro-acoustic and modern academic music merge here. With the music of this creator playing, the students of the choreography program did a lot of improvisation, playing with movements, putting together the choreography.
The other music of the performance was also redesigned, adding modern rhythms, other stylistic elements – to make it as interesting as possible for young children to perform. There are also several examples of academic music.
When creating this kind of performances, creators are united by the pursuit of originality, creating art as an alternative to the routine of everyday life, and the desire to improve. Through music, dance, and art, students are taught the meaning of life, innovation, and sustainability.
1.4 Lithuanian Musicians Implement Green Ideas
Introduction:
Green and sustainable ideas come into the world of music as well. How do Lithuanian musicians and members of the music industry take into account ideas that promote the preservation of nature? You can hear about the love of nature, the nurturing of nature and the great (meta)physical mysteries that exist in forests, lakes, rivers, meadows and all living nature in frequent interviews of the music creators. Reggae music group Ministry of Echology says that ecology is an integral part of their everyday life. It is also worth mentioning that the tendencies of a close relationship with nature are particularly pronounced among artists who create ethno music and field recordings enthusiasts. These two areas were combined by Donatas Bielkauskas, who presented the conceptual work “Dying. City. For life”, with which he invited to reflect on the relationship between the city and nature, to look for ways to the coexistence of these two poles.
1.5 Resources, implementation of sustainability:
As for the green ideas reflected in the artists’ works, it is obvious that there are not many direct attempts to refer to climate change, to call for the protection of nature. In the album “Rainbow People” of the group “Uprising Tree” sounds the ideas of nature conservation, as well as in the debut album “Liar who fell in love with the truth” by Mantvydas Leon Pranulis and the track “Global Warning” in it, which uses G. Thunberg’s speeches as compositional details fragments.
In 2019 Juozas Milasius released the record “Electric & Acoustic”. The album, released in a limited edition of 213 copies, has different covers. And these covers are old album covers brought to new life. Juozas, with the help of his friends who are responsible for the disposal of discarded vinyl, got a lot of old vinyl records, the total number of which probably exceeded a ton. Juozas chose from this material and molded something new. He sculpted the covers of his upcoming album, thus bringing new life to the works of the past that were on the verge of non-existence. The record launch event also featured a special exhibition/installation where visitors, encouraged by the author, could reflect on the issues of recycling, survival, aging and more questions.
Attention has been drawn to the importance of recycling materials by the drone/ambient music project “Skeldos”, whose wonderfully deep album “Ilgės” had its cassettes packed in boxes made of recycled paper. Andrius Simkunas also followed this path with his outdoor recording project “Sala”, presenting a vinyl record in “paSala”.
Daina Pupkeviciute offered a beautiful promotion with the help of music. Artist creating drone/ambient style music in 2020 presented the album “Budynes. Sonata for the Fading Light”, which she dedicated to reflect on the disappearing ecosystem, to draw attention to the fragility of the environment around us. But the idea was accompanied by a beautiful and caring gesture – all the money collected by the album’s author on the Bandcamp platform went to the Sengire Fund, which contributes to the preservation of old forests.
Lina Zilinskaite, a stonemason and pedagogue, actively emphasizes nature conservation in her activities. In 2020 she lived and worked in Iceland for five months. During this time, she performed a musical performance in the cave of the largest European glacier, Vatnajokull, in order to draw attention to the unstoppable melting process. But next to that, she participated in the scientific-environmental project “Ocean Missions Iceland”, during which she cleaned the coasts of Iceland and helped study the Atlantic water.
Composer Linas Baltas has been interested in the topics of ecology and sustainable consumption for many years, and last year he actively talked about the upcoming release of his album “Beehive”, dedicated to the topic of global warming. L. Baltas sought to transfer the idea of ecology to the album publishing process, so the aim is to produce physical copies of the album only from environmentally friendly materials.
The music business is closely related to the production of paraphernalia. This is expressed not only in the form of various clothes, but also in key chains, mugs, etc. “Golden Parazyth” member Giedrius Sirka, whose relationship with nature is extremely well known to many and has managed to become legendary, last year presenting the album “Empatijos” said that in the name of preserving nature, he gave up souvenirs with album attributes.
1.6 Efficiency and benefit:
The internet is full of articles about the most sustainable music festivals. Global trends are such that festivals are changing the way they operate with nature conservation in mind.
Observing the communication of Lithuanian music festivals, almost many of them mention environmental friendliness. Galapagos, Braille Satellite, Karkle, Kilkim Zaibu, Menuo Juodaragis, Tamsta Festival, etc. in one way or another, they hinted or still hint at friendliness towards nature and encourage to leave the festival places with as few traces of human activity as possible. Most of the time, it all boils down to simple no-littering and respectful behavior in nature. Plastic dishes from Lithuanian festivals have largely disappeared. So Lithuanians are really advanced when it comes to not littering and using non-polluting dishes.
However, there are also festivals that look more broadly at ecology. In 2004 the international chamber music and ecology festival “Land of the Disobedients” initiated by pianist Rokas Zubovas and his friends. The festival in Nida surprises not only with its cultural program, but also with its constant care for nature. The organizers organize ecological plein airs, have held a garbage campaign for several years (bringing a bag of garbage collected on the beach allowed free entry to the concert), and in 2020 the musicians of the Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra were brought by the electric bus “Dancer” produced in Klaipeda and invited everyone who wanted to get acquainted with the lightest and most environmentally friendly buses in the world.
1.7 The Interaction of Heritage and Rock in Music
Introduction:
Old Lithuanian songs do not die. They are revived and performed by various folk music groups and bands, but modern music creators are also not indifferent to it. Examples of the combination of folklore and rock are the Lithuanian folk rock groups Skylė, Pievos, Atalyja, Zalvarinis, Kitava, Spanxti, Marga muzika, etc.
Perhaps the most prominent folk rock band is “Zalvarinis”, formed in 2001, combining Lithuanian folklore with heavy rock and metal. It combines heritage, modern music rhythms, the pursuit of sustainability, and the implementation of ecological ideas.
1.8 The interaction of heritage and modernity:
“Zalvarinis” is an expressive folk rock group from Vilnius, one of the most famous modernized folklore groups in the Baltic States.
The group’s founder, manager and music author is Robertas Semeniukas. “Zalvarinis” is archaic folklore, its interpretations and modern music styles, from blues to rock or world music, synthesis. By combining folk art with contemporary music, a contrasting and unique sound is obtained. When creating and arranging songs, musicians are inspired by bands and artists such as Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Miles Davis, Frank Zappa and many others. In 2001 composer and producer R. Semeniukas gathered the members of two collectives – the metal group “Ugnelakis” and the ceremonial folklore ensemble “Kulgrinda”, arranged 9 folk songs and recorded the group’s debut album called “Zalvarinis”. The word “zalvarinis” comes from the words “green” and “copper”, so it is sometimes called a combination of two words “green copper”. One of the group’s most important goals is to revive already disappearing Lithuanian folk songs. Currently, the group includes vocalists – Sigita Jonynaitė, Viltė Ambrazaitytė, Robertas Semeniukas, and session musicians assisting in the concerts. The band’s energy and rock’n’roll, bluesy groove gets everyone moving. Therefore, it is not surprising that the group appears at various rock music festivals, not only in Lithuania and Latvia, but also in the United States of America, Great Britain (one of the most prestigious English festivals “The Henley Festival”), Estonia, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, China. During its twenty years of existence, ten music albums were recorded, group played in almost all Lithuanian cities, participated in concerts commemorating the “Baltic Road”, Independence Day commemorations in Lithuania and abroad. The band’s music is featured in movie soundtracks, radio stations, television, and is also included in the music exam question for high school graduates. The group’s repertoire includes folk songs from various regions of Lithuania (“Dijuta”, “Bitela”, etc.). “Zallis warris” performed in reconstructed Prussian language. The group’s stage image is “matched” to the name – authentic brass jewelry and brightly colored linen clothes, authentic shoes, long loose hair. The songs performed by “Zalvarinis” have many nature and tree motifs.
1.9 Sustainability:
“Man is an inseparable part of the whole creation, we came from there, it nourishes and carries us. In folklore, you can find a lot of metaphors, various comparisons of a person with a tree or a plant. Plants and trees are like our second names or sources of life,” says Robertas Semeniukas. “I like Lithuanian folk songs, because they have a deep archaic charge, there lies mysticism and philosophy of life, the magic of sutras draws you in and doesn’t let you go, you want to spin with them to infinity. We strongly support the “Century Groves” project. This is very important and meaningful work. The history of our country is inseparable from the forest. The forest protects and nourishes to this day. Let’s respect what we have, plant trees, set a good example for the younger generation and everything will be fine!”
The “Zalvarinis” group has always supported the ideas of ecology and sustainability, and tries to participate in campaigns and festivals related to the problems of natural pollution. Former ensemble vocalist Ineta Meduneckytė since 2018 manages public institution “Etnoprojektai”, it is the dissemination of ethno-oriented music projects, educational activities, trainings not only in Lithuania, but also all over the world. Now she is actively creating and performing with the ethno project “Folk trio”, and since 2019 she has been organizing the annual ethno festival “Folk ratu”.
1.10 Originality, search for novelty.
“Zalvarinis” does not avoid experimenting and collaborating with the most famous rock, jazz, and folk professionals, so in 2014 the group rocked even the World Lithuanian Song Festival when they performed their songs together with the combined choir of the Song Festival participants.
The joint work for Lithuanian skrabalai and electric guitar “Skrabalrock” was born rather unexpectedly, when the musicians guitarist R. Semeniukas and skrabalai player Karolis Sileika met. Skrabalai – trapezoid shaped wooden beds of various sizes, carved from wood – oak, ash – are a traditional Lithuanian percussion instrument.
Sharp guitar riffs, rock pulsation, folklore, its interpretation and synthesis of modern music styles, all this – “Zalvarinis”. Lithuanian song traditions, fire and modern influences of not only rock, but also blues and world music create an unforgettable, powerful explosive musical mix.
