String instruments are usually placed in the classical music category. But by infusing classical music with Latin jazz, pop, R&B and folk styles, the Turtle Island String Quartet produces a sound that breaks with the conventional uses of its instruments.
The Turtle Island String Quartet will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $18 to $26 for the general public and $14 for youth and students, and they are available at the Hult Center Box Office or on the Internet at www.hultcenter.org.
Cellist Mark Summer and violinist David Balakrishnan founded the quartet in 1986, and soon after, they added violists Danny Seidenberg and Evan Price. The name of the quartet comes from an ancient Native American term for the North American continent, Summer said.
“It was David’s brainchild,” Summer said. Balakrishnan composed the music for his masters thesis at Antioch University West, but there wasn’t a group to play the music, he said, and “I was looking for a way to express myself.”
He said Turtle Island is creating its own style of music using the musicians’ favorite styles.
“It’s something totally different than what you’ve heard in either jazz or classical music,” said tour manager Christopher Joy.
He said the string quartet’s form, which was originally rigid and classic, has been turned into something new.
“There are different ways of playing an instrument,” Joy said. He added that Summer sometimes plucks the cello as if it were an upright bass, and the violinists sometimes use their instruments for percussion.
“You can pretty much make anything work,” Summer said. Some people assume that only certain types of songs can be played by a string quartet, he said, but Turtle Island tries to show the different styles that can be incorporated into the music.
Summer described their sound as being influenced by many different music styles, including jazz, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, chamber and Indian music.
“It gets old doing the same thing,” he said, adding that it becomes more like transcribing music than playing it. For this tour, Grammy Award-winning composer Paquito D’Rivera will join Turtle Island and add a Latin flavor to the quartet’s various rhythms, playing the clarinet and the saxophone.
“It’s a wonderful thing to play with (Paquito),” Summer said. He said Turtle Island has touched on Latin themes before, but Cuban native D’Rivera gives them a deeper understanding of Latin music.
Turtle Island recorded three songs, including their centerpiece song, “La Jicotea,” with D’Rivera for their new album, “Danzón.”
“This concert is very special,” he said. “Paquito is just an amazing player.”
Turtle Island has played in several countries around the world and has become well-known internationally, Summer said.
“We like to travel — see the world,” he said.
In addition to its performances, Joy said the group also engages in educational activities in some of the cities they visit. They have conducted classes for aspiring musicians, lecture demonstrations and discussions with kids about music.
“They try to show kids, especially, that there’s a lot of things you can do (with music),” Joy said.
Turtle Island will hold a master class, entitled “It’s About Time,” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Beall Concert Hall. The class will be open to all students.
“It’s a great opportunity to see them up close,” said Fritz Gearheart, a violin professor at the University’s School of Music.
Gearheart said music students often become bored with violins and cellos because they don’t realize the versatility of stringed instruments. He said Turtle Island shows students that they can play anything from Bach to the Beatles.