Project Trio Interview: SXSW 2010

Project Trio isn't your typical classical ensemble. Despite honing their craft at the Cleveland Institute of Music and a collective resume that includes stints with the Houston Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, Project Trio's Greg Patillo [flute], Eric Stephenson [cello] and Peter Seymour [bass] have a decidedly different sound. Bred in Brooklyn and performing and this year's SXSW, the group takes a classical base and seamlessly incorporates bits of rock, jazz, hip-hop, and Americana into it – creating a modern instrumental fusion of genres. Fittingly, YouTube fanatics may recognize Patillo from his breakout pre-Project videos, which featured him revamping the theme songs from Inspector Gadget and Super Mario with – believe it – a beatboxing flute.

Describe your sound.

Seymour: High-octane chamber music. We have a sound completely unique to ourselves. This comes not only from the instrumentation of flute, cello and bass – but also from our love of diverse genres of music. We're a fusion of classical, jazz, rock, hip-hop, salsa, folk, and everything in between.

How did Project Trio form?

The three of us met at school in 1997 at a classical music conservatory at the Cleveland Institute of Music. We all had interests outside of classical music, so naturally, we all ended up playing together. After school, we all went our separate ways and had different musical careers, but when Greg's flute video blew up on YouTube, we knew that we could and should make something happen. Greg and Eric both lived in NYC, so I moved to the city. From there, we recorded our first album and started booking gigs.

What's the story behind the name?

Project Trio started as a non-profit organization called PROJECT. We all lived in different towns, so we wanted a way to get together and make great music and affect the community. The plan was to meet up three or four times a year in different cities, and put on education outreach concerts that would feature our style of music. Once the trio got legs, we added the "Trio" to Project, because it was much more searchable on Google.

Biggest musical influences?

Bach, Beethoven, Mahler, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Edgar Myer, Bela Fleck, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest. Pretty much all of the amazing musicians of the last four centuries.

For three musicians with such varied backgrounds and musical styles -- what's the creative process like?

We are constantly composing and working on new music. We compose more like a rock band then a classical ensemble. We all sit in a room, everyone brings ideas to the table, and we don't leave until we think we have something good.

Tell me about Project Trio's community outreach efforts.

Education and outreach is a huge part of what we do. Over the last four years, we've played for over 40,000 kids -- aged Kindergarten through college -- in cities across the country. We believe that music inspires creativity, and every kid out there has creativity just waiting to be released. We're passionate about spreading the love of instrumental music, and introducing live music to audiences that usually don't get to hear live music.

What's in your SXSW survival kit?

The bass, cello, flute and luggage already fills up the whole car -- so hopefully we won't need anything else.

After the festival, what's next for Project Trio in 2010?

Playing shows all over the place: we'll be in Michigan, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York before the end of May. We have also concerts planned in Australia, Costa Rica, and the U.K. for the summer.

What's an album that the three of you can agree is one of the best of all-time?

Glenn Gould, 'Bach,' 'Goldberg Variations.' Or John Coltrane, 'Giant Steps.'

Any guilty pleasures?

We're huge Howard Stern fans. We listen to him like crazy on the road.

Most memorable "Only in New York" moment?

Our first gig in NYC was at a place called "The Box." It was a wild show that started at around 2:00 a.m. There were some pretty crazy things that went on there: twins and midgets and transvestites – and Project Trio. Quite a show!

Melissa Harrison is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.