Green Cello: Deliciously colorful music

Coming up with funky concert names like “Green Cello: Rated PG for Language and Low Violins” is one part of Crystal Young –Otterstroms job as one of the co-founders and marking director for the Salty Cricket Composers Collective. It’s all part of the season for the Salty Cricket.

“Marketing is my day job, and I have a lot of fun with it,” said Otterstrom. “’Green Cello’ is actually connected to the original name we wanted to call ourselves: Green Jello. This concert is kind of a tribute to that early name. The ‘Language’ is a reference to the fact that some pieces involve a singer, and the ‘Low Violins’ [a slant on violence] are of course, violas and cellos!”

The Dec. 20 concert moves away from traditional classical music and brings a new type of music to Utah’s musical landscape.

“The composers of Salty Cricket are so diverse, it’s hard to really describe all that you’ll hear,” Otterstrom said.
“Loosely, we’re all part of the New Music [sometimes called Alternative Classical] tradition. You’ll hear some very traditional and tonal works, as well as some avant-garde works. There is everything from the spiritual to the profane on the program. “

Utah’s innovative classical music community appears to be overshadowed by large classical works, but the Salty Cricket Composers Collective seem to have, at the very least, found an audience while spotlighting local composers and instrumentalists. Many of those involved are members of the Utah Symphony. This concert series provides another opportunity for Utah’s musicians to expand their reach.

“For any cultural community to grow and be successful, it needs new art, new creations to reinvent it and grow it,” Otterstrom said. “You need more than excellent and artistic performances of the works of dead composers. You need new works by living composers.”

This new musical experience begins at 8 p.m. in the Black Box at Rose Wagner Theater.

“Our shows are funny, interesting, serious, challenging, fun, new, original, etc., and we try to communicate that through our marketing copy as well,” Otterstrom said.