FLINT, Michigan — Flint audiences will have the opportunity to experience a groundbreaking fusion of classical music and Hip-Hop when
Ensemble Mik Nawooj brings ‘The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience’ to the FIM Capitol Theatre on Friday, March 7, at 7:30 PM. The performance will feature original compositions that sample from classical and Hip-Hop genres, presented in an immersive setting reminiscent of the New York scene where Hip-Hop was born.
Under the artistic direction of composer/pianist JooWan Kim, the ensemble blends the worlds of Hip-Hop and classical music to create ‘Metamusic.’ The orchestra features resident MCs, a lyric soprano, and a diverse array of instruments, including woodwinds, French horns, strings, piano, and drums.
Born in South Korea, Kim moved to the U.S. at 20 to study composition at Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2003, and later earned a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory in 2006. While there, he experimented with fusing chamber ensembles and rap which led him to establish Ensemble Mik Nawooj in 2010, a group that merges classical and Hip-Hop, earning national recognition from BBC, PBS, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal.
In this exclusive Q&A, Flintside spoke with JooWan Kim about his creative journey, the challenges he's faced in bridging diverse musical communities, his vision for the future of Ensemble Mik Nawooj, and what people can expect at ‘The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience.’
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Courtesy photoJooWan Kim.Flintside: What inspired you to merge Hip-Hop and classical music in such a bold and unconventional way?
JooWan Kim: “At my master’s program for composition, I wrote a novelty piece that had a chamber ensemble with a rapper for the semester-end student composers concert. It was my way of giving a middle finger to what I felt was an oppressive aesthetic of contemporary concert music. Aside from the expected anger from my teachers, I was surprised to find out the audience loved it. Following the show, my MC at the time insisted I make an album with him, so I spent the next 6 months writing an hour of music that I really didn’t understand - it was completely accidental.”
Flintside: One of your goals is to erase stigmas around classical and Hip-Hop audiences. Have you encountered any resistance from either side and how do you address it?
JooWan Kim: “Not usually from the classical side though probably they’re not saying much due to the existential decline in their cultural power in the contemporary world. My guess is that they probably don’t like it! (laughs). The orchestral musicians we work with, however, often were surprised by the rigor of writing and the aesthetic commitment they can sense from the compositions.
From the Hip-Hop heads, definitely pushback. For a lot of people, Hip-Hop is not just music but a culture that attaches itself to one’s identity in a profound manner. The way I write doesn’t quite serve the Hip-Hop form in the conventional sense.
For instance, there isn't a regular 16-bar rhyme scheme. There are often insertions of long instrumental sections within a piece. There are usages of odd meters like ¾, and ⅝, sometimes followed by meter changes within a phrase (think about a rapper who has to rhyme over 2/2 followed by 5/4 - a nightmare). The pieces are very long compared to normal pop songs let alone Hip-Hop (there’s a piece that’s 25 minutes long we had to shelve as it was too much).
All these can be jarring if you’re expecting something like what legacy acts do with orchestras, essentially the classical elements (instrumentations) cosmetically serve the Hip-Hop aesthetic while the presence of symphony orchestra is often completely superfluous.
We find ourselves always pushing the envelope and feel that we’ve been about 10 years ahead. It seems like things are finally catching up with us. So, I guess a bit of a drawn-out answer to your question - we have been dealing with the resistance by continuously making new works regardless of short-term loss or gain.”
Flintside: This Flint performance features musicians from the FIM Flint Symphony Orchestra and the Dort Honors Strings Quartet. How do you approach working with new musicians who may not have experience blending these genres?
JooWan Kim: “The good thing about our music is that it’s all written down and as long as they can read, they should be able to realize the feeling that’s within the score. It really allows people who don’t immediately get Hip-Hop music to experience the visceral power without committing to being a Hip-Hop head. Conversely, it allows people who don’t normally listen to classical music to experience the awesome range of symphonic colors while hearing the familiar rhythms they are used to.”
Flintside: What can audiences expect from the show at the FIM Capitol Theatre? Is there a particular moment in the performance you’re especially excited for?
JooWan Kim: “Except for the performance which will be rigorous and excellent, the show is very relaxed. I often talk between the pieces to chat about the background of the music, about the process of how I write, etc. It has the comfort of the living room folk shows, the grandeur of symphony shows (okay, maybe that’s a bit too much) [but] you get the idea. We do have an amazing Turf dancer who will knock your socks off. He has worked with everyone including Kendrick, Brittany Spears, you name it.”
Flintside: Hip-Hop and classical music have deep historical roots. How do you honor both traditions while pushing their boundaries?
JooWan Kim: “The obsession we have in the quality of performance for both genres and the standard for authentic representations of them are quite high. For instance, we only work with MCs that are real masters of rhyme. It has to be someone who can rhyme on meter changes, in odd meters, and willing to go outside of their comfort zone, which narrows the candidate pool down a lot.
In addition, the parts for the instrumentalists are not easy — it’s not impossible but it’s not simple. It’s truly one of a kind and a new experience that people who participate can be happy with for both Hip-Hop and classical lovers.”
Flintside: What’s next for ‘The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience?’ Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about?
JooWan Kim: “We just started our pre-production on the third documentary. Past three years, we’ve produced and released two documentaries, securing distribution on PBS & Voice of America. The next documentary is about our most ambitious project, a Hip-Hop opera I wrote over 15 years ago but couldn’t execute due to its immense scope. In addition, the film is about immigration and the role of immigrants in forming the identity of the US.”
Tickets to ‘The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience’ are available online, at the FIM Ticket Center box office at FIM Whiting Auditorium and FIM Capitol Theatre, or by calling 810-237-7333.