How can classical music appeal to young people who love hip-hop? Combining the two is what George Evano has done in the Bach Remix, an introduction to this year’s 2006 Oregon Bach Festival. This year the Bach Festival was looking for ways to help raise ticket sales by making “old, dead, white guy music” more appealing to a younger generation, Evano said.
Evano, director of communications for the festival, sought help from students in the University’s School of Journalism and Communication in coming up with ideas on how to market the festival more effectively.
“It came from a student idea; it’s been basically produced by a lot of student grunt work,” Evano said about the Bach Remix, which will be held Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Heritage Courtyard at the Oakway Shopping Center. The event will be sponsored by the Oakway Shopping Center and local hit-radio station KDUK-FM.
Evano visited a journalism class and presented advertising students with the problems the festival faced: declining ticket sales and not enough interest from young people. Students presented several ideas, and choosing between them was a difficult task because each one offered something different, Evano said.
Journalism student Melvin Goo’s marketing idea stood out from the rest. Goo suggested local disc jockeys could take Bach compositions and remix them using their own talents. This challenge gives DJs an opportunity to show off their skills, and it brings a modern twist to classical music, Evano said.
“This music by Bach has just as much heart, just as much material, and just as much stuff to work with than any beat they’ve got in their, you know, modern arsenal,” Evano said about the three DJs who will compete at the Remix.
On April 11 eight DJs competed and now the three winners, DJ Soulution, DV8 and DJ Smuve have been given a vinyl copy of the Philadelphia
Orchestra’s arrangement of Bach’s “Little” Fugue in G minor. DJ Soulution (Sharif Lindel) and DV8 (Danny Straton) are University students. DJ Smuve (Bobby Green, Jr.) is a former University music school student now active in the Eugene music community, according to a press release.
The DJs have until today to come up with an original spin, scratch, mix and beat of Bach’s classic piece. The first-place winner will be awarded $500 in cash and a chance to perform on June 30, opening night of the Oregon Bach Festival. Each DJ will be judged on creativity, showmanship and how well they capture the essence of Bach, Evano said.
There will be a panel of three judges: Caitriona Bolster, from the classical radio station KWAK-FM; Michael Kay, a DJ from KDUK-FM; and Dana Valakai, president of Allen Hall Advertising, who helped promote the event.
Evano said the journalism students’ work has contributed to the success of the event.
“It’s just been so great, so exciting working with the Allen Hall Advertising kids as we, you know, blend their ideas or what they think would be right with some of my experience,” Evano said. “You’re in the performing arts where you need the support; you need a lot of people involved.”
In addition to the competition, the University’s women’s a cappella group Divisi will perform the opening act for the Bach Remix, and the men’s a cappella group On the Rocks will close the event. Attendees can also reap the benefits of several giveaways, including two-for-one Oregon Bach Festival discount coupons to select concerts.
One of the great things about Bach’s music is that even though he is an “old, dead, white guy,” his music still appeals to many people today and has found its way into choral structures of modern music, Evano said. He hopes the Bach Remix will appeal to a younger crowd and prove to them that hip-hop and classical music are more related than some realize.

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