Act from YSU tries to stand tall

The trio has released its first full-length recording.

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — It is a cliché among music writers to say a band defies categorization.

Except when the band is Giants of Gender.

The experimental Youngstown-based trio discards all traditional forms and is heavily improvisational.

At times their music sounds like it comes from another planet, or is, at the least, a soundtrack to an abstract film or even a horror movie. Others might just hear the cacophony of a jazz band warming up.

And listeners are often divided into one of two camps, based on what they hear.

“Some people immediately hate it,” said Jenna Barvitski of Boardman, who plays violin and viola for gog. “Others find it intriguing or interesting. We’ve also played shows where people don’t really seem to know there’s a concert in session, and so they ignore it obnoxiously.

“Our music isn’t always easy to digest. It requires thinking, so it turns some people off immediately and interests some people immediately.”

The band has found a niche playing in art galleries, and performs regularly in Youngstown, Cleveland and Columbus and elsewhere.

“Since we are improvisers, the setting of our performances greatly influences the way we play and what we play,” said Barvitski. “Since our music is a form of art music, it makes sense for us to perform in art spaces. It’s a good fit for our music and ensures that those who come are there to listen.”

Giants of Gender recently released their first full-length recording, titled “giants of gender,” on San Francisco-based Edgetone Records. To mark the event, the act will perform at 6 tonight at the McDonough Museum of Art on the Youngstown State University campus. Also scheduled to play is Italian artist Patrizia Oliva.

In addition to Barvitski, the giants consist of Kyle Farrell of Concord (percussion and vibraphone) and Andy Meyer of Canton (woodwinds). The act came together in 2006 at YSU, where all three members were music students.

“We came together as a result of a void in the creative musical outlets we were each seeking,” said Barvitski. “At first, we were just searching, experimenting with our instruments in nontraditional settings and formats.

“We created an environment for ourselves in which we all felt comfortable playing whatever we felt compelled to play. While this may seem like a simple concept, it is not at all the typical mindset for the majority of musicians. We slowly evolved from an aggressive, rigid, rhythmic-based instrumentation of drumset, tenor sax and amplified violin to a more refined textural aesthetic with our current instrumentation: soprano and alto saxophone, B-flat and bass clarinet, violin, and vibraphone.”

The Giants are growing greater by complementing their sound with another visual element: dance. The trio is working with a choreographer on a large-scale piece that it will present at the New Genre Festival in Tulsa, Okla., in March.

XThe Giants of Gender’s recording can be purchased online at iTunes, eMusic, edgetonerecords.com and at live shows. To learn more, go to thegiantsofgender.com or myspace.com/thegiantsofgender.