Ceci n'est pas:
The Treachery of Images
A Note about the Music:
The music on this page are demo versions of some of the songs included in Ceci n'est pas: The Treachery of Images. Sarah Eide is currently working on full arrangements.
Project History:
I developed this piece at CAP 21 Theater while I was a writer in residence. (February 2013) At that time MOMA was featuring Renee Magritte's art. I was working on a topic for my residency project about the rejuvanative properties of art and went to the museum seeking inspiration. As I walked into the gallery I was immediately hit with an electric emotion and I knew what I wanted to write. I decided to incorporate Magritte's surrealist scattering of reality into the project to take the audience on a journey through a wild, troubled mind searching to heal. Since it's inception I have brought on collaborators who have added their own layers of meaning to the work. I find absolute beauty in art's ability to speak universally and also to touch with nuanced specificity. "Ceci n'est pas" this is not my life it is merely an imperfect reflection of it.
Our Vision:
Ceci n'est pas: The Treachery of Images is a multimedia piece based on the artwork of Renee Magritte. It combines art, animation, music and to depict the subconscious mind as it interprets paintings.
My goal with this piece was to create a visceral representation of surrealism that encompasses the senses and pulls the audience into the art.
Our Team:
Kelly Izzo Shapiro - Creator, Songwriter, Lead Vocals
Kelly Izzo Shapiro graduated Summa Cum Laude from the music conservatory at SUNY Purchase. She has committed herself to writing at least one song everyday for the last 10 years and now has written over 4,000 songs. Alice Unraveled, Kelly’s first musical, was performed as a developmental reading at the acclaimed New York Musical Theater Festival in June 2013. Her second Musical, Silk & Cinders, was produced in Rochester, NY in April 2018. Kelly was a writer in residence at the CAP 21 Writer’s Residency in February 2013 and is a Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest winner (2009).
For more information visit: https://www.kellyizzoshapiro.com/
Sarah Eide - Arrangements, Piano, Vocals
Sarah Eide is an award winning composer of film and game music, a classically trained pianist, and a touring singer-songwriter. Her most recently released album, “Dreams On Hold” (May 2019) has received high praise from fans and critics alike. Her classical training coupled with a love for roots, blues, jazz and folk has led her to compose music and write songs that are beyond the confines of any one genre. Sarah’s resume is just as diverse as her musical influences – including her collaboration with YouTube sensation Alan Becker of Animator vs. Animator, co-creating the Fishwife Tales project with award-winning poet, Jennifer Jean and writing music for rising star children’s author Laurel Nakai.
For more information visit: http://saraheide.com/
Danielle Izzo - Choreographer, Dancer
Dani Izzo, originally from Rochester, NY, graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a BFA in Dance and a BFA in Acting. Her love of learning has led her to study with world renowned choreographers including Doug Varone, Jon Lehrer and Terry Beck. Dani is currently a DC based dancer and performer. She has been featured as a principle dancer with Kista Tucker Insights since 2018. See an example of her work here.
Mike Kaupa - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Jazz trumpet player Mike Kaupa has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Among others, he has performed with Jorge Rossy, Ben Monder, Mark Murphy, Gary Bartz, Luciana Souza, Joe Locke, Mel Torme, and Ray Charles. Mike holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Fredonia State University and a Master of Music degree from The University of Miami. He is currently on the faculty of The Harley School, Finger Lakes Community College and Eastman Community Music School.
For more information visit: https://mikekaupa.wixsite.com/mike-kaupa
Kyle Vock - Upright Bass
Kyle Vock is a bassist and teacher from the 1000 Islands Region of NYS. After finishing a Masters degree in jazz perfromance from The Eastman School, he has been freelancing and teaching in the Rochester area for the past decade. He currently works at Nazareth College where he directs the Rock Ensemble and teaches bass lessons and History of Rock. Kyle also teaches at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.
Mikhail Shapiro - Guitar
Mikhail Shapiro is a Rochester-area guitarist and singer-songwriter. His influences include The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Bob Dylan. Mikhail currently plays shows with his wonderful wife, Kelly Izzo Shapiro.
Samples of his work can be found at https://dreamreelmusic.bandcamp.com/
Katie Knusvig - Violin, Vocals
Katie is a violinist, vocalist, and composer. Katie is the winner of the Minot Symphony and Fargo-Moorhead Youth Symphony Concerto Competitions, was the concertmaster of the 2016 ND All-State Orchestra, and was the recipient of the National Orchestra Award. After graduating from Davies High School in 2016, Katie started her college career at the Eastman School of Music studying violin performance with Juliana Athayde. Besides classical music, Katie has a love for jazz and folk music. She has completed 3 independent studies in jazz with the ESM Jazz faculty during her time at Eastman, as well as performs in a number of folk/alternative bands in and around Rochester, most commonly with her alternative folk band, Copper Hill. She graduated from Eastman May 2020.
Austin Retzlaff - Animation
Austin Retzlaff is a visual projectionist, graphic designer and writer in Rochester, NY. He has previously created visuals for local artists such as Lost Wax Collective and Daggz. His work can be found at www.behance.net/austinmiles or via Instagram at @austin__miles.
You can see an example of his work for this project here.