What are The Goat Rodeo Sessions? Why are goats doing rodeo? And did I choose it to be this week’s musical moment because it has a funny name? Maybe.

The Goat Rodeo Sessions is a 2011 collaborative album by Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer Chris Thile, and featuring Aoife O’Donovan. It wont the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album and the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The compositions are credited to Meyer, Thile and Duncan, with ‘Here and Heaven’ co-written with Aoife O’Donovan.

So, what is a goat rodeo? The term refers to a chaotic event where many things must go right for the situation to work, a reference to the unusual and challenging aspects of blending classical and bluegrass music. Another way to think of it is if you imagine a long road and each time there is a fork, the right decision is made, thus you get a goat rodeo.

In the music, you are immediately welcomed into an unusual sound world of bluegrass music with a classical twist. Technically-speaking, the music is incredibly hard and part of what makes this music a ‘goat rodeo’ is knowing that one simple wrong note or trip up for any of the musicians could easily result in a break down and everything falling apart. It is chamber music at its epitome! Everyone is a soloist, and communication and listening is key. Despite this, listeners get an overwhelming sense of happiness and friendship emanating from the music and ultimately, it boils down to a group of friends having fun and making music. This album is a joyful reminder that music doesn’t have to be so serious and can be just great fun to play.

Maki Gajic Murata, Composer in Residence