Standing at the intersection of classical music, Americana and singer-songwriter is Time for Three. Comprised of violinists Charles Yang and Nick Kendall, and Ranaan Meyer on double bass, the trio’s charismatic and energetic performances have earned praise from NPR, NBC and The Wall Street Journal.
The group will return to Walton Arts Center on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 pm as part of the Coca-Cola Night Out Series. Ahead of their performance, we asked them some questions about their story and inspiration.
What is your favorite part of touring and performing?
Now more than ever in our career, we are a band that loves building community through our music. The act of performing goes much further than just making certain we do justice to the music – which we take very seriously and spend a lot of time preparing and rehearsing.
When it comes time to be on stage, we use the music to communicate amongst the three of us, but also send the energy into the audience to create that unexplained but felt “X factor” interaction. In the end, we hope that people come away more empathetic and joyful, and if so, all the preparation has been worth our time!
How did the name of your group come about?
When we started, we were still at music conservatory. At this point, TF3 wasn’t a serious band at all, just a place to jam together and make extra cash. We were on our way to play a gig and about 15 minutes away from the venue, we realized we didn’t have a name.
We all considered ourselves uniquely on the same page musically, yet we were each distinctly different personalities. So, we thought it would be fun for the emcee of the event to welcome us by saying, “now ladies and gentlemen, it’s Time for Three!” Never did we imagine we’d be a full-time group, and never did we ever think to have such a fulfilling and creative life as we do now!
You have been to Walton Arts Center before, so what are your favorite memories or local places here in Fayetteville?
We love Fayetteville so much! Really looking forward to being back for the local brews, food and the community there who loves the arts!
Do you have any pre-show rituals or warm-ups?
A good nap, coffee, light snacks and just before walking out, fist bumps with each of us and our tour manager, Dave Ross, without whom we’d be nowhere!
Pick 5 words to best describe your work.
Heartfelt, joyous, soulful, empathetic and generous
What songs, artists or genres of music are you currently listening to?
Currently, we’ve been searching out music from as many living composers as possible. After the success of our last album recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the huge amount of satisfaction that came from bringing new music to life from Jennifer Higdon and Kevin Puts, we are hungry for more collaborations with creators and composers!
What are some unique or memorable experiences you’ve had while traveling around the world to share your music?
A few highlights would be playing the famous Musikverein in Vienna, Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, our concerts with the Czech Phil and our recording sessions with our beloved Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by our fearless and incredible Maestra, Xian Zhang.
Don’t miss Time for Three on Jan. 24. Tickets are $18-25.