THE PRODUCTION: Passion x Science = Entertainment
Brain Chemistry For Lovers is the brain-child of Grammy nominated vocalist Valerie Day. Inspired by a National Geographic article about love and the chemicals in the brain, she conceived a multi- media performance piece that takes on this universal theme, with a twist - the performance incorporates the discoveries of todays neuroscientists, who are finally crossing into the territory of the poet, the philosopher, the songwriter, (and the comedian!), to explain the feelings associated with Romantic Love.
Brain Chemistry for Lovers considers the stages of a relationship (Lust, Attraction, Attachment, and Rejection), connects them to the brain chemicals occurring in each stage (Dopamine, Seratonin, and Oxytocyn, among others) and then expresses each through familiar selections of American popular song.
In collaboration with pianist Darrell Grant, filmmaker Jim Blashfield, arranger/orchestrator John Smith, and Oregon Health Science Universitys senior scientist Dr. Larry Sherman Ph.D., the story behind the strongest human emotion is told through music, narrative, animation, and quotations from writers and philosophers through the ages.
Romantic Love has been the inspiration behind mankinds greatest artistic achievements from the Taj Mahal toTin Pan Alley. Brain Chemistry For Lovers combines the artistic perspective with the scientific, engaging,entertaining, and captivating audiences with a fresh new look at humanity's oldest conundrum.
Who needs physics when weve got Chemistry? from Peggy Sue Got Married
THE PERFORMERS:
Valerie Day
Vocalist, percussionist, arts education advocate and parent, Valerie is an artist who revels in creating work that marries seemingly disparate disciplines and ideas.The child of a physician father and lyric soprano mother, Valerie's concept for Brain Chemistry For Lovers is the natural outcome of a life that began with one foot in the world of science and the other in song.
Valerie first appeared on the worlds stage with the 80s group NU SHOOZ. The bands first single, I Cant Wait, became a smash hit in Europe then made its way back across the Atlantic where it landed at the top of the Billboard charts. NU SHOOZ went on to record several other hit singles, sell more than a million records worldwide,
and was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 1987.
NU SHOOZ success was followed by extensive work as a session musician, vocalist and percussionist for a bevy of artists including the Oregon Symphony, Woody Hite Big Band, jazz great Dave Frischberg, and pianist Tom Grant.
Currently Valerie and her husband John Smith co-lead the 10 piece NU SHOOZ Orchestra. Their recording "Pandoras Box" will be released later this year.
Darrell Grant
Performer and composer Darrell Grant has built an international reputation as an artist and educator over the courseof his twenty-year career. Since being introduced to international audiences in 1988 as the pianist in vocalist Betty Carters trio, Grant
has performed extensively both as a sideman with such jazzluminaries as Betty Carter, Tony Williams, and Roy Haynes, and as a bandleader and solo artist throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Grant's 1994 debut Black Art was selected as one of the years top ten jazz CDs by the New York Times, and his seven albums as a leader have received both critical acclaim and topped jazz radio charts. He has been a featured guest on the BET on Jazz television program, and has performed on Marian McPartlands Award-winning Piano Jazz series on National Public Radio. Grant is a Professor at Portland State University where he also directs the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute.
The Brain Chemistry Trio is the connective tissue between the heart and the head in Brain Chemistry For Lovers. Comprised of vibraphonist Mike Horsfall, drummer Gary Hobbs, and bassist Kevin Deitz, this trio has performed with some of the most well known names in jazz including The Stan Kenton Orchestra, Anita ODay, Kurt Elling, Dave Frishberg, The New York Voices, Dave Brubeck, Herb Ellis, and Bud Shank. These wide ranging and talented players have performed in classical and pops concerts with chamber and symphony orchestras and continue to share their knowledge with the next generation of musicians in universities and at jazz clinics throughout the Pacific Northwest.
THE BRAIN TRUST:
Jim Blashfield is a filmmaker, director and media artist who works in live-action, animation and combinations of the two. He is the recipient of a Grammy, a Cannes Golden Lion, and several MTV awards,
as well as the Regional Arts and Culture Councils Media Arts Fellowship. Current projects include two multiple screen public art installations and the dream film More Evidence for the Existence of an Archetypal Goat King and Margarine of Air, a film about mistakes.
John Smith
Arranger, composer and orchestrator John Smith has created works for chamber orchestra, jazz bands, film, dance, and
hundreds of commercials. A prolific writer (graphic novels and fiction), visual artist, and songwriter, Smith wrote and co- produced the iconic 80s anthem "I Can't Wait" - a song that still plays somewhere on earth every 11 minutes. The album Poolside sold over a million copies worldwide, and his band NU SHOOZ was nominated for a best new artist Grammy in 1987. John is currently the Music Director for the Nu Shooz Orchestra.
Dr. Larry Sherman Ph.D.is a Senior Scientist in the Division of Neuroscience and an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the OHSU School of Medicine. He has over 60 publications in the areas of developmental neuroscience, neurodegenerative disease, and neuro-oncology. He lectures on numerous topics in neuroscience in public forums and is the President of the Oregon Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. Dr. Sherman is also an accomplished classical and jazz pianist, and has played in numerous musical groups since the age of 14.
Lyndsay Hogland has been a theatrical production manager, producer and designer for over 13 years. She actively collaborates with multiple performing arts groups including BodyVox, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, and the Platform International Animation Festival. She is proud to be a founding coach for PlayWrite, Inc., which uses the power of art to transform the lives of marginalized youth, and believes in fighting for a world in which every voice is heard.
