Catching the Moment: Lars Potteiger

Recording can often be a challenging hurdle for the artist— it's hard to be 'productive' on demand. For some, though, the recording space is just the recipe for success. Reading's own Lars Potteiger recently joined me in WXAC 91.3 FM studios to discuss the making of his 2016 album titled In the Moment. For Lars, the unique quality found in improvised music is central to his craft as a pianist. He describes In the Moment as having been composed from a series of "musical sketches". Lars tells me he first built the musical foundation for the album outside the studio, piece by piece— connecting the dots 'in the moment' (referring to the studio space) to form full-fledged compositions. In the Moment is a synthesis of Lars's musical prowess and passion as he directs the listener, brick by brick, along his musical path.

Listening to the recording, I see an afterimage of sorts, re-discovering a milestone of achievement on the long, meandering trail Lars continues to pave with his music.

© Lars Potteiger

Lars's sketch approach to In the Moment challenges many popular trends in the music industry. The freedom is what helps jazz stand apart from other genres. Lars reflects on jazz, stating, "There is a magical quality you get from improvised music...". When music is improvised, it is not a stationary product; each experience is unique, free of replication. I equate Lars's "magical quality" to the feeling of any great explorer. Lars has a manner of inspiring his listeners to embark on their own unique journey— a feat he accomplishes by pushing boundaries, even from within the viewpoint of 'jazz'. Traditionally, jazz improvisation starts as a melody, allowing musicians to improvise around a particular framework. This often limits how far the listener can deviate from the sounds that they hear in the music. Lars's process, as he describes it to me, resembles the stages when realizing a vast landscape. The musical signal and surrounding "noise" are a complete sound portrait constantly in flux, inviting a personal journey amongst existing and imaginary waypoints.

However, Lars is not always teetering on the edge of definitions and forms. At Reformation Lutheran Church, Lars leads as the in-house choir director and musician. In this role, he works to connect his audience intimately with the music. That is not to say he steps out of his artistic shoes. The truth is just the opposite. Each hymn Lars plays becomes an organic composition, its characteristics determined by those in the choir, and also in the pews. Lars ebbs and flows with his congregation, egging them on in some cases while softening their passions in others. He guides them like gently, like a shepherd, using their presence to explore different qualities of prayer within the music. Oftentimes, choir directors work to simplify the musical experience. On the contrary, Lars has a talent for using the voices of his congregation in the complexity of his music. One of Lars's particular gifts lies in his use of chordal substitution, particularly when dealing with musical punctuation. His ability to shift mood and tone at melodic pauses invites the congregation to be a part of his musical conversation.

Many roots of jazz can be traced to The Church. It was the artistic backbone of the Civil Rights Movement. It continues to be a heritage in urban faith practices, especially. The nature of one's faith is not a point of concern when recognizing this. If anything, there is a strange comfort in the dissensions surrounding jazz as an art. It's something that has become tied to life itself. It is something that came out of the depths of America's maw and travels the world in subtle, yet proud defiance. Jazz speaks to the nature in people: 'the need to be heard', and Lars plays as evidence of its profound and expansive influence.