On March 2, for one night only, Pangaea offered a special tasting menu, with fine wines carefully selected to enhance each course. Professor Mott composed an original piece of music to accompany each course, as well as interludes between courses -- a suite of 15 short works in total.  
 
Mott performed these works live during the meal, together with his musical partner, concert accordionist Joseph Petric, with whom he has performed for ten years as the duo Erosonic. 
 
In composing the music to match the culinary creations, Mott says he was inspired by the sonic associations arising from consideration of taste, texture, fragrance and visual stimulus. A ‘bright’ tone, for example, might suggest a vividly-coloured dish, while a course of caribou might evoke music that is dark, dense and wild. He is also seeking to maintain an ideal balance between the music and the food – they are equal players in this event. Diners thus had the opportunity to savour what was truly a one-of-a-kind sensory experience.
 
The creators and producers didn’t, of course, have that opportunity; they had to rely on reports to know how well the experiment worked! As Mott says ruefully, “The tragic thing for me is that I didn’t get to experience it.” 
   
Mott is a charter member of the faculty and former Chair of York’s Music Department, where he teaches composition, performance and jazz. Hailed as "one of the most influential figures in Canadian jazz" (Ottawa Citizen), he is acclaimed both as an innovative composer and a dazzling performer on baritone sax – often solo but also in various ensemble formations. In both capacities, he routinely pushes the boundaries of the art form. 

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For further information, please contact: 

Jeff Ball, Media Relations Department, York University, 416-736-2100 x 22086, jball@yorku.ca