Not every rock band can play with an orchestra. But the Kent-based indie folk rock band, the Speedbumps, who perform with the Canton Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Canton Palace Theatre, have an advantage. Bassist Kevin Martinez, who has a Masters Degree in Music Composition from DePaul University, developed the full score for every section of the orchestra in preparation for the show. He’s come up with strings, brass, woodwind and percussion sections so the orchestra can play the band’s music.
The two groups first performed together in October of 2012. The symphony’s Executive Director, Michelle Mullaly thought the collaboration would work. “The Speedbumps’ sound definitely lends itself to being backed by an orchestra, and what we discovered through our collaboration is that the Northeast Ohio audience is hungry for symphonic adaptations of popular music created by homegrown artists,” she says in a press release. Tickets are $18 to $28.
This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2015.
