Martin Perret | Residency

September - December 2021 — Music

Swiss percussionist, composer and band leader Martin Perret will be in South Africa on a residency from 24 September until 21 December 2021. He is interested in learning about the country’s many musical traditions and histories from local musicians.

“This residency offers the unique opportunity of deep listening: to hear and experience the myriad of genres from South African musicians linking musical traditions and contemporary forms,” Martin explains. “The process of deep listening begins with a series of questions: Does a local musical history inform the work of artists? If so, how is it embedded in their work? If not, is omission a deliberate choice? Or rather, is there a tension of will between looking back and a focus on the present or future?”

While in South Africa, Martin plans to meet with local artists to observe and discuss the influences that shape their sound. He will record collaborations that emerge through these encounters, and gather these into a shared digital library. The aim for this library is to create a free resource of varied material that musicians can use or alter to build new musical content.

Martin says that collaborating with musicians practicing varied musical styles and genres has positively impacted his composition skills and musicianship. In his own practice, he is constantly searching for new methods of expression and augments acoustic sounds with electronic instruments.

BIOGRAPHY

Martin Perret (b.1988, Switzerland) is a drummer, composer, educator, and band leader. L’Anderer is a musical project helmed by Martin that fluctuates its sound in accordance with its rotating constellation of musicians. What remains consistent through each iteration is the drive and energy to integrate the strength and talents of the performers in Martin’s compositions.

Martin is also a dynamic participant in the creative and avant-garde contemporary music scene, having collaborated with a broad range of artists: French actresses and theatre directors Claire Deutsch, Isabelle Vesseron and Lola Giouse; Swedish saxophone player Otis Sandsjö, Dutch french horn player Morris Kliphuis, Swiss guitar player Franz Hellmüller, piano player Marie Krüttli; and film directors Adrien Barazzone and Roman Hüben.

Martin is an instructor of music theory and practice with a focus on percussion. He studied with Marcel Papaux at the Lausanne Conservatory Jazz Department, and in Lucerne with Norbert Pfammatter and Gerry Hemingway. He has a Master in Jazz Performance with Minor Composition as well as a Master in Musical Pedagogy.

Portrait ©️Lena Schmid