We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maya French and Lysander Jaffe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Maya and Lysander thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
One project that comes to mind is “Welcome Here,” a music, storytelling, and interactive art project that we toured throughout Maine in 2022. “Welcome Here” wove together personal stories and shared wisdom from Maine’s Wabanaki, Congolese, and Puerto Rican communities. Led by three matriarchs and guest musicians from each community, the program was anchored in themes of “motherland, “mother tongue,” and “mother love,” exploring our relationship with the natural world, cultural and linguistic traditions, and dreams for the future generation of our grandchildren. “Welcome Here” was performed in seven different locations around Maine, for over 5000 audience members.
In 2023, we recorded our latest album “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which is themed around American protest songs from the early twentieth century to the present day and featured two amazing vocalists, Nicholas Phan and Farayi Malek. We finished the year with “Noisefloor,” a very unique collaboration with the contemporary dance collective “little house dance” and composer Courtney Swain. With original music by Courtney and new choreography by little house dance’s director Heather Stewart, this project seamlessly integrated music, dance, composition, and improvisation – we had dancers interacting with the musicians and holding our instruments, and musicians moving and improvising with the dancers. We are planning to release the album and tour this program more widely in 2024.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Palaver Strings is a musician-led string ensemble and nonprofit organization based in Portland, Maine. Now entering its tenth season, Palaver has established itself as a forward-thinking ensemble whose mission is rooted in community and creative programming. One thing that makes Palaver unique is our musician-led structure: we have twelve Co-Artistic Directors who share musical leadership, taking turns leading rehearsals, curating programs, and choosing collaborators to work with. Many of our musicians (including Maya and Lysander) also hold administrative roles. Because of this musician-led structure, our performance programming is really diverse and eclectic, and driven by the passions and life experiences of musicians in the group.
Each year, Palaver presents a full concert series, performing in Maine and around the country; we’ve performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, National Sawdust, and a Lullaby Project celebration at Carnegie Hall. Our most recent album Ready or Not (Azica Records, 2022) has received acclaim by publications such as The Guardian and BBC Music Magazine. In 2023, we joined the representation roster of Ariel Artists, and we are excited to see this open up new performance opportunities.
Palaver was founded in Boston when many of our musicians were still in conservatory, and unsatisfied with many aspects of that experience. In addition to high-level chamber music, we were really interested in creating our own educational programs, and tried different pilot programs and feasibility studies to see where our skill set might line up with community interest and needs. It became clear that there was a lot of interest in string education programming in Maine, where many of our musicians grew up or have family connections.
In 2019, Palaver officially moved its base to Portland, Maine, and opened up the Palaver Music Center, which now serves over 200 Portland-area students each year. We offer Early Childhood Music, string instrument lessons, and group classes at our downtown teaching location. We offer generous scholarships, instruments to practice at home, and practice and transportation support to serve students holistically and set them up for success, and our student body increasingly reflects the vibrant diversity of the Portland community. We believe all families should have access to the benefits of music education, and are excited to grow our programs every year.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Palaver’s mission is to strengthen and inspire community through music. We believe that music has the power to bridge divides, create connections, and foster understanding. Our goal is to break away from the traditional confines of classical music and bring it into spaces where it can have a meaningful impact. By engaging new audiences, addressing social justice issues, and amplifying underrepresented voices, we strive to create a more inclusive and connected community through the transformative power of music.
Our values:
We were trained to play behind closed doors, in formal halls, for a select few who already “get it.” Once we saw how powerful music can be in hospitals, classrooms, shelter, and parks, we asked ourselves why we play and what music is for:
Music warms our hearts and minds.
Music meets us where we are.
Music thrives in dusty barns and empty warehouses.
Music crosses genres and breaks down barriers.
Music lifts up unheard voices and untold stories
Music responds to a changing world.
Music invites us all in.
So come on in.
