{"id":9869,"date":"2024-12-07T22:22:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T04:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=9869"},"modified":"2024-12-07T22:27:22","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T04:27:22","slug":"dream-house-vandever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/dream-house-vandever\/","title":{"rendered":"Dream House: A Conversation with Kalia Vandever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Western literature has long noted the disconnection between perception and reality. In 1175, French monk Alain de Lille “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold.\u201d Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare carried this thought through The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) and The Merchant of Venice (1596-1598), respectively. Now, centuries later, the division of what seems and the reality of what is continues to be a topic of fascination, especially as it pertains to interpersonal relationships. Most recently, Carmen Maria Machado\u2019s memoir, In the Dream House<\/em> (Graywolf, 2019), explores these themes where what may be romanticized as \u201cperfect\u201d to outsiders in reality was a stream of horrors of physical, mental, and emotional abuse. The book also provides a foundational basis for Kalia Vandever\u2019s \u2018In My Dream House,\u2019 which her quartet – with Mary Halvorson, Kanoa Mendenhall, and Savannah Harris – will perform at Roulette on December 11, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vandever is no stranger to the disparity between idealization and reality. A graduate of Julliard, the trombonist received a formal education in music that would be the envy of many. But while she learned significant lessons and forged great relationships there, her time at the University also had a dark side as she survived racism, sexism, sexual harassment, and misogyny. While her experiences differed from those of Machado, both share manifestations of an evil hidden by a glamorized perception. As the author found expression and release in the written word, Vandever has also found, at times, a similar solace in music. Thus, Vandever’s interest in In the Dream House is more than that of a casual reader. There is a connection to, and deeper insight into, the weighty themes addressed therein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the themes of “In My Dream House” are emotionally weighty, the audience will be fortunate to hear the artist address such raw and serious matters. Vandever’s solo work – including on her album, We Fell In Turn<\/em> (AKP, 2023) – can emanate a melancholic beauty. Her music is often deeply lyrical, exuding humanity in a way beyond the strictures of her slide. And as a frequent collaborator with popular artists – including Lizzo, Moses Sumney, Jennifer Hudson, Japanese Breakfast, Demi Lovato, and Harry Styles – Vandever can draw upon a language that can convey emotion to a broader audience who more readily connects to mainstream culture. In many ways, the trombone is still a somewhat underexplored instrument in improvisation-based music, and Vandever is a refreshing voice on the instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We sat down with Vandever to discuss the quartet, their upcoming performance at Roulette, and her solo work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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