

Andy Akiho's "Aka" Steel Drum Performance
Clip: Season 50 Episode 15 | 2m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
Andy Akiho performs his trio "Aka" for bass, drums and steelpan drums.
Composer Andy Akiho explains to host Scott Yoo how living in New York City shaped his composing and performs his piece "Aka."
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Major series funding for GREAT PERFORMANCES is provided by The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Sue...

Andy Akiho's "Aka" Steel Drum Performance
Clip: Season 50 Episode 15 | 2m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
Composer Andy Akiho explains to host Scott Yoo how living in New York City shaped his composing and performs his piece "Aka."
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Subscribe to the Great Performances newsletter to keep up with the latest full episodes to stream, exclusive content, and more!It's kind of fitting that you lived here.
Yeah.
I mean, I lived all over New York, but when I moved here is when I was really becoming a composer, not just a performer.
I really started defining my voice here in this neighborhood.
That's where I wrote my first kind of composition, and that was "Aka."
That's an early piece.
Very early.
So is "Aka" a piece that you still play today?
Yes.
It's I think every time I play it, it's a different instrumentation.
Anything from a solo to full orchestra.
All right.
We're going to hear that one today.
Oh, yes.
We'll hear the trio version.
Ken Asalta is going to play drums and Linda Oh on bass.
♪♪ ♪♪ I was starting to get a picture of Andy's creative process using bits of jazz, classical and alternative music as his inspiration.
♪♪

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Major series funding for GREAT PERFORMANCES is provided by The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Sue...