Photo courtesy of RYKODISC Experimental rock artist Elvis
Costello is UCLA’s first artist-in-residence, a position
designed to bring artists to Westwood who will partake in different
events and interact with students.
By Chris Moriates
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
There is a new man roaming the campus, and he isn’t just
another freshman.
UCLA can now add pop superstars to its long list of attractions,
as Elvis Costello enters the Westwood community as the
university’s first-ever artist-in-residence at Royce
Hall.
One of the most critically acclaimed artists of modern music,
Costello was chosen to help create the new artist-in-residence
position and develop the new face of the performing arts
department.
“The position is to introduce somebody into the program
that will add something to the program, to the performing arts
year, to the school, but past that it is really going to be down to
them on what that means,” said David Sefton, the performing
arts director, who invented the artist-in-residence program.
“It’s not going to be like, “˜You must do eight
concerts and they must be quarterly.’ I am not putting any
stipulations on people at all.”
The artist-in-residence program will allow artists to choose to
create their own works, engage in collaborative multi-disciplinary
endeavors, or act as curators.
Partaking in several projects throughout the year, Costello will
be accessible to the UCLA and surrounding community.
The first of these programs, and the only one that has been
officially announced, will be performances with the Charles
Mingus’ Orchestra on Sept. 27 and 28 in Royce Hall. The
11-piece ensemble is a unique jazz group that performs entirely
acoustically. The performance will feature new arrangements of
Costello songs and Mingus pieces.
“Elvis has written lyrics for about five new Mingus tunes
specifically for this event,” said Sue Mingus, who assembled
the orchestra in 1999 in memory of her late husband.
“Mingus’ music is very open and it demands that artists
come in and bring their own identity. You better have something to
say when you play Mingus’ music.”
The artist-in-residence position is a unique opportunity that
will allow Costello to explore different musical paths.
“We want to keep it very loose,” Sefton said.
“We will hope to get him to do something with the school. We
will get him to talk to the students and will do some sort of
lecture thing with him. But really it is all up to him.”
Costello also brings a sense of prestige to the performing arts
program. A veteran of the international music scene, Costello
emerged in 1977, during the U.K. punk era, with his debut album,
“My Aim is True.” His music is credited with helping to
invent the New Wave movement of the early ’80s.
Born Declan MacManus in London, Costello was raised in
Liverpool. Since his debut, he has released more than a dozen
albums.
“I think he is a spectacular songwriter and that has been
apparent all through his career, since his introduction on the
scene in the ’70s,” said Mitchell Morris, a professor
of musicology. “He is a marvelous songwriter.”
Costello has recorded and appeared with Sam Moore, Bob Dylan,
Neil Young, The Chieftans and the Count Basie Orchestra, among
others. He also appeared in Mike Meyers’ “Austin Powers
2: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” performing a version of the
classic “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” with Burt
Bacharach.
Costello’s term at UCLA adds a new chapter to his long
career. According to Sefton, Costello has an open attitude toward
musical experimentation, which he will display during his term this
year.
“He will absolutely benefit UCLA,” Morris said.
“We can listen to all the CDs and albums we want, but there
is no substitute for live music. I think that it is important for
students to watch him live and see how he moves his body and he
creates his music.”