A collective of musicians, creating collaborative art through the meeting of minds
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"Before Language" - Performed at Chisenhale Dance Studios
MOC + movement specialist Niamh McKernan
07.03.14
Inspired by a two week Research and Development period in Sri Lanka, Music Off Canvas and Niamh McKernan present 'Before Language'. /before-language.htmlThe performance piece presents a playful manipulation of every day materials and the human body to explore the transformative song and dance of nature, communicating an ethos that art can be found around each and every one of us.

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"Chasing the King of Hearts" - Performed at Belgravia Books.
17.09.13
@PeirenePress
Commissioned by Peirene Press, Music Off Canvas composed two short pieces in response to "Chasing the King of Hearts" by Hannah Krall. The pieces were performed alongside readings from actress Briony Reiss for the launch of the book in English print.

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"Playing the Rookery" - Performed at The Rookery, Streatham Common. 
MOC + dancer Imogen Bland, artist Jo Lewis, actor Paul McLaughlin
13.07.13. 
@Rookery100
Commissioned by the Friends of Streatham Common, Music Off Canvas take on their largest collaboration yet, involving an actor, a dancer and an artist. Inspired by memories from local residents and the beautiful garden, MOC create a piece for the Rookery centenary celebrations. Aided by local school children with whom MOC have created "processions pieces" including costumes, movement and music, the performers will lead the audience around the garden to different 'stages' where MOC will perform with each collaborator in turn.

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"Human Triptych: Maestropants!" - Performed at the MBF Emerging Excellence Showcase, Platform 33, NonClassical and Women of the World Festival Southbank Centre.
MOC + Physical Theatre specialist, Emma Miller
08.05.13 + 03.04.13 
@WeArePlatform33 @MusiciansBFund @Nonclassical @WowFest
"Maestropants!" follows the journey of George, a music lover who dreams of being a composer.  She finds herself in charge of two musicians and together they discover their own musical language.


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"Human Triptych: Roundabout" - Performed at Platform 33 and Nonclassical Night.
MOC + Physical Theatre specialist, Emma Miller
03.04.13 
@WeArePlatform33 @Nonclassical
"Roundabout" playful introduces a variety of outrageous characters and their approach to creating modern art.  Each character takes to a canvas to make their mark, delivering a sensory overload of musical treats, absurd bodies and lots of paint!


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"Looking for Samuel" - Performed at the Albany, Canada Water and the V+A Museum.
MOC + Poets, Malika Booker and Dorothea Smartt
25.10.2012 + 05.10.2012
@V_and_A @RCMCareers @TheAlbanySE8
Commissioned by the Royal College of Music and the Victoria and Albert Museum, 'Looking For Samuel - commemorating the death of a musical genius' draws on the musical works and events of the composer's life. Poetry and music fuse to create a powerful piece, created collectively by all artists.

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"This is My Legoman I bought When I was 5" - Performed at Purcell School for Young Musicians
MOC + Artist and Creative Writer, Tamarin Norwood
07.08.2012
@soundandmusic @PurcellSchool
Tamarin Norwood joins Music Off Canvas for the Sound and Music course for young composers, presenting a performance as a culmination of the results of the workshops and offering the composers an insight into collaborative processes and their use in music composition.

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"Glissando" - Performed at Salisbury Arts Centre
MOC + Sculptor, Candida Powell-Williams
24.07.2012
@SalisbryArts
Commissioned by Salisbury Arts Centre, Music and art unite in this site-specific commission exploring humans' historical desire to fly. Playing on mythology, technology, dreams and mechanical shortfalls, 'Glissando' is animated by colour and humour with a performance by Music Off Canvas for the Candida's exhibition opening night.

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"Blocks" - Performed in the Britten Theatre of the Royal College of Music, the Elgar Room of the Royal Albert Hall and St. Pancras International Station
MOC + Dancer, Natasha Hubert
24.05.2011 +
Based on the 'Neue Sachlichkeit' movement in Germany in the 1920's.
This movement in post-war Germany was a reaction to the emotiveness that comes with conflict. It is an attempt to break free from the confines of war torn life. Here the instrumentalists surround and torment the subject who in turn fights and struggles to escape the cluthches of despair and pain. The pauses and silences are highly intense and provoke feelings of unease. Towards the end of this work the performers close in upon the victim and the stamping reminiscent of the marching soldiers leads to an inevitable close.

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"Clocks" - Performed in the Britten Theatre of the Royal College of Music, the Elgar Room of the Royal Albert Hall and St. Pancras International Station
MOC + Dancer, Natasha Hubert
24.05.2011 + 
Based on 'The Persistence of Memory' by Salvador Dali (1931). Dali's infamous paintings encaptures melting clocks and creates a distorted feeling of time. Using metronome pulses at different speeds, the group use a repetitive haunting melody and are controlled by the dancer representing time. As the sounds change, different aspects come across and the ticking metronomes are strangely calming.

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"Men In Cities" - Performed in the Britten Theatre of the Royal College of Music, the Elgar Room of the Royal Albert Hall and St. Pancras International Station
MOC + Dancer, Natasha Hubert
24.05.2011 +
Based on Robert Longo 'Men in Cities' series (1979). The series of paintings depicting businessmen and women were an inspiration to creating this rhythmic and entertaining narrative. Each performer becomes a city worker and as the piece develops the repetitive motif become angular and confused. By the conclusion the individuals have become controlled contorted by the lives they lead.

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"Painted Feet" - Performed in the Britten Theatre of the Royal College of Music, the Elgar Room of the Royal Albert Hall and St. Pancras International Station
MOC + Dancer, Natasha Hubert
24.05.2011 +
Based on 'Contra Composition' by Van Doesburg. The painting uses strong colours which is recreated by the performers appearance; red, yellow, white and blue. The dancer worked with the musicians initially to create a dance based on a chosen colour. This meant that the musicians were only seeing the results at the time of performance and the painting created by the dancer's feet is completely unique.

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