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Chromic Duo and NY Philharmonic’s Team Up For Augmented Reality Concert Experience in NYC

Chromic Duo Lucy Yao and Dorothy Chan – are teaming up with the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program for a project entitled “Emerald Futures” where they will combine the performance of the original compositions from the young composers (ages 12-16) with an augmented reality sound walk through New York City. The augmented reality experience will be available to anyone who would like to participate via the app Gesso (available on iOS and Android) starting on July 2nd.

An innovative way to experience music and storytelling, the walk will give listeners a multi-sensory experience as they experience the freedom of exploring the city while immersed in the sounds of original compositions. The scripted audio sound walk will lead listeners on a path through the city from New York’s Central Park to the Lincoln Center using a GPS trigger to create site-specific concert experiences, accessible to the participant at any time.

The experience culminates with Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s “We Belong Here” mural as a moment of reflection and response to ending AAPI hate. Phingbodhipakkiya created the “We Belong Here” campaign to confront the surge in bias and xenophobia against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – a cause that Yao and Chan are also supporting in their forthcoming work with Mott Street Girls to support local Chinatown businesses that have been impacted by the rise of AAPI crime. “In the wake of exclusion, noticing how much oppression there is in our world right now, we want to create a hybrid experience to experience concerts in public spaces that is the epitome of accessibility and inclusion,” says the duo. “We are motivated to create spaces where stories can be told to foster a deeper understanding of humanizing perspectives.” Through their own self-discovery as first and second-generation Asian Americans, Chromic Duo understands how expansive the diaspora is and how it fails to describe who they truly are. “By having so much that is undefined, part of the beauty behind this project is to create moments where there is a grey area- where sound is met with a strike of lightning in color, where the history of NYC is reflected on through a contemporary narrative of music by the next generation of young composers and thinkers,” says Yao.

Overall, Chromic Duo hopes that this reflective music and narration will allow participants to immerse themselves in an experience that brings to light the stories and perspectives of people and communities around them so that they can be inspired to respond based on empathy instead of biased judgment. “We also hope to inspire the young composers of this program to lean into their curiosities, and always be questioning and challenging the norms of how things came to be,” says Lucy Yao. “We often ask ourselves, ‘how can we use music as a positive force and tool to bring people together?’ Music has the power to take your perceived biases and understanding of the world and challenge them.” By bringing a new perspective on how participants perceive their environment and connect themselves within their communities, they are excited to see how it can interact with music to create innovative ways of “going through the motions” in an amplified manner that allows for new connections to happen.

About New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program:

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An afterschool program through the School Partnership Program for grades 7-10, the Very Young Composer’s Program exposes students to the instruments of the orchestra, nurtures their inherent creativity, and culminates with original works performed by members of the Philharmonic. Students with or without musical backgrounds create, notate, and hear their very own music performed by Philharmonic musicians — often the full Orchestra — with the help of Philharmonic Teaching Artists serving as mentors. The VYC idea is rapidly catching on as it has reached children on four continents in countries including Korea, China, Japan, Venezuela, Spain, and Finland. VYC students in various American cities are exchanging “musical postcards” with these children around the world.

About Chromic Duo: Chromic Duo is an award-winning electronic toy piano duo that brings new audiences together by creating new connections between classical music, electronics, and multimedia. “Tackling large issues with toy pianos” – Chromic pushes the possibilities of genres and performance by recontextualizing classical music in multimedia work inspired by the multitudes as third-culture-kids discovering their voice within the vast Asian American diaspora. The duo composes and reorchestrates indie, classical, ambient, and electronica into arrangements that use any combination of keyboard instruments – ranging from the toy piano to melodica, toy horn, audio-reactive installations, and instruments that link sound to color and movement. Widely known as creatives in other aspects as well, Chromic Duo has projects ranging from collaborations with the New York Philharmonic Young Composers Program, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Educational Initiative, working in collaboration with the Design Museum of Chicago for two world premiere pieces during the pandemic, and other virtual experience collaborations that bring light to Asian-American identities and racial power structures. They were recently announced as the winners of Concert Artist Guild and Young Concert Artists Trust – opening doors for prestigious debuts at famous international venues like Carnegie and Wigmore.

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Connect with Chromic Duo:

Website | Instagram | Spotify

More information on the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composer’s Program: 

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Natalie is a journalism major with a focus on Entertainment and Music who aspires to become a Content Creator For Honk Magazine. Eventually, she wants to be the Publisher or Editor-in-Chief of a major Publishing House. She loves helping people find their voice and passion for writing and journalism, and she can always be found with coffee in hand, editing another article.

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Artist Spotlight

Loris Tils delivers a dazzling, jazzy, groove bomb on latest release “Mustache Pete”

Loris Tils

Loris Tils’s new single, “Mustache Pete,” is an upbeat instrumental that feels more like a full musical experience than just a song. The track takes listeners to a thrilling place where Jazz culture, Funk attitude, and high-energy Disco all come together. “Mustache Pete” is all about the groove. The beats are tight, the basslines are catchy, and the music tells stories in a fun way. Its Jazz roots are undeniably classy, and they are perfectly balanced by the raw power of Funk and the constant push of Disco. The result is a song that alternates between polished sophistication and lively dancefloor energy, keeping listeners engaged throughout.

What makes “Mustache Pete” stand out is its character. It sounds like the instruments are talking to each other, giving and taking style, confidence, and charm with each note. The groove is short, but it leaves a lasting impression that makes you want to hear the song again right away. This instrumental music evokes vivid scenes and feelings without using words.

Loris Tils is a master of rhythm and texture, creating a soundscape that is both fresh and classic. “Mustache Pete” not only pays tribute to classic influences, but it also brings them back to life with modern energy and artistic skill. If you like jazz, Funk, disco, or just good music, you have to listen to this song. Loris Tils makes a bold and colorful statement with “Mustache Pete,” a groove that knows no language. It is a song that makes you want to dance, makes you happy, and makes you want to hear it again. It is an instrumental piece that stays with you long after the last note fades away.

Connect with Loris Tils on Spotify || Instagram || Soundcloud || Facebook

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Artist Spotlight

AZSH rises through the storm with an unstoppable spirit in latest release “On My Way”

AZSH

AZSH (pronounced “Ash”), a Miami-based dance pop soul artist, has a new single called “On My Way” that’s a declaration of strength rather than a typical song. Using her unique “Miami Pop” style, AZSH combines sultry vocals, emotional honesty, and cutting-edge production to create a moving song that speaks to people who feel let down, unsure, or as if their dreams have been put on hold. “On My Way,” is a reflective anthem with a smooth 110 BPM groove. Centered on resilience and personal evolution, it’s a soundtrack for the in-between moments perfect for listeners moving forward with purpose.

“On My Way” is all about not giving up. It captures the emotional weight of disappointment, getting through hard days, and the will to keep going no matter what. AZSH is honest about problems and turns them into strength, using each setback as a reason to grow. The song shows a quiet confidence that grows over time. It shows that change doesn’t happen all at once, it takes time, belief, and inner strength.

The track sound fits with AZSH’s artistic style. Her voice is warm and expressive, flowing perfectly over a smooth, soulful, and uplifting production. The music conveys a sense of movement, which aligns with the themes of progress and moving forward. This song works just as well when you’re alone, thinking about things, as it does when you’re listening to an uplifting playlist to improve your mood.

“On My Way” is an important part of AZSH’s growing story as an artist and storyteller. It represents freedom, change, and happiness, not as ideas, but as real things that come from hard work and determination. In “On My Way,” AZSH shows that being strong doesn’t mean failing, it means being able to bounce back after each failure. This song is for people who know they haven’t reached their goal yet but are sure they are making progress toward it.

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Connect with Azsh on Spotify

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