Ari Poutiainen
Encyclopedia
Ari Poutiainen is a Finnish contemporary jazz
violin
ist, violist
, composer
, and researcher. He is famous for using a rare, hybrid 5-string viola
(both acoustic and electric) beside violin
, his main instrument
. He often plucks either instrument with his fingers while holding it like a guitar
. This instrumental approach enables him to produce unconventional chords and sounds on violin and viola.
in 1999. His original, modern jazz style is also based on long studies abroad - in Denmark
, France
, Germany
, Sweden
, UK, and the US. Beside his career as a performing jazz violist, he has been a successful composer and arranger. In Finland
, he has led the groups called Soul Small Instruments, Another & Fast, NoneAlike, The String Thing, and Open Strings. His groups called Ardency and Farther-Out are currently active. He is a central figure in the anarchistic marching band called The Bad Ass Brass Band. Poutiainen has worked and performed, for example, in Benin
(West Africa), France
, Germany
, Russia
, and the US.
Poutiainen also gained his doctoral degree on jazz violin from the Sibelius Academy in 2009. His dissertation, Stringprovisation - A Fingering Strategy for Jazz Violin Improvisation, focuses on fingering, shifting, and position playing, which are among the key issues of left-hand violin technique. The study presents a unique fingering strategy, targeted to formulaic modern jazz improvisation. The strategy excludes the use of open strings and relies instead on so-called schematic fingering. This advanced fingering approach reflects well the tactile and kinesthetic aspects of violin playing, and idiomatic patterns can be effectively performed with it in all keys and violin positions.
As a pedagogue and researcher, Poutiainen has specialized in bowed string instrument improvisation, having taught the subject at different levels and institutions. He has also published scholarly articles and given conference presentations on jazz violin history and improvisation.
Those indicated with [i] listed in Elonet.
All written in English, except those indicated with [i], which are written in Finnish.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, violist
Violist
-Notable violists:A* Julia Rebekka Adler * Sir Hugh Allen , conductor* Kris Allen * Johann Andreas Amon * Paul Angerer , composer* Steven Ansell * Atar Arad * Cecil Aronowitz...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and researcher. He is famous for using a rare, hybrid 5-string viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
(both acoustic and electric) beside violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, his main instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
. He often plucks either instrument with his fingers while holding it like a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. This instrumental approach enables him to produce unconventional chords and sounds on violin and viola.
Musical career
Poutiainen gained his MA degree from the Sibelius AcademySibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
in 1999. His original, modern jazz style is also based on long studies abroad - in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, UK, and the US. Beside his career as a performing jazz violist, he has been a successful composer and arranger. In Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, he has led the groups called Soul Small Instruments, Another & Fast, NoneAlike, The String Thing, and Open Strings. His groups called Ardency and Farther-Out are currently active. He is a central figure in the anarchistic marching band called The Bad Ass Brass Band. Poutiainen has worked and performed, for example, in Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
(West Africa), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the US.
Poutiainen also gained his doctoral degree on jazz violin from the Sibelius Academy in 2009. His dissertation, Stringprovisation - A Fingering Strategy for Jazz Violin Improvisation, focuses on fingering, shifting, and position playing, which are among the key issues of left-hand violin technique. The study presents a unique fingering strategy, targeted to formulaic modern jazz improvisation. The strategy excludes the use of open strings and relies instead on so-called schematic fingering. This advanced fingering approach reflects well the tactile and kinesthetic aspects of violin playing, and idiomatic patterns can be effectively performed with it in all keys and violin positions.
As a pedagogue and researcher, Poutiainen has specialized in bowed string instrument improvisation, having taught the subject at different levels and institutions. He has also published scholarly articles and given conference presentations on jazz violin history and improvisation.
Selected discography
- The Bad Ass Brass Band: The Bad Ass Brass Band (2010)
- Levykauppa Äx: 20 Vappu-suosikkia/The Bad Ass Brass Band (2010)
- Farther-Out: Tuo (2009)
- Heinäsirkka: Heinis Goes Classics (2008)
- Montevideo: Come Clean (2006)
- Montevideo: Against the Grain (2006)
- The Groovy Eldorado Ensemble: Schokobananen/Groovy Eldorado (2006)
- Sue Van Doe: Elämä (2005)
- Teemu Raita: Kuuleeko maa? (2004)
- Max Savikangas: Extraterrestrial (2003)
- NoneAlike: More Than a Mirror (2003)
- Liisa Lux: Liisa Lux (2002)
- Nat Newborn and the Lounge Lions: Under the Umbrella (2001)
- B-Band: Hear the Truth (2000)
- Jyväskylän yliopiston sinfoniaorkesteri: T'an'go (1999)
- The Pansies: Solace (1999)
- Ultra Bra: Kroketti (1997)
- Ultra Bra: Sinä lähdit pois/Lähetystyö/Haikara (1997)
Selected film soundtracks
- Zaida Bergroth: Last Minute Shopping (2001) [i]
- Johanna Onnismaa: Guard (1999) [i]
- Mari Tolkkinen: Miss Hill (1998) [i]
- Juha Vanhanen: The Touch (1997)
- Pekka Lehtinen: Skin Deep (1997) [i]
- Teppo Räisänen: Castle in the Clouds (1997) [i]
- Sirkka Knall: In Lieu of Sister (1996) [i]
- Samu Heikkilä: Day of a Contract Killer (1996) [i]
Those indicated with [i] listed in Elonet.
Selected theatre performance soundtracks
- Piia Pasi: Asphalt Sheep (2000)
- Anna Almhöjd: Våra torsdagar (1996)
Selected contemporary dance performance soundtracks
- Trava Group: Gleis Novi Sad (2004)
- Mia Liski: Liski-Poutiainen Duo (1998)
Selected publications and conference presentations
- Silence Hidden by the Music: Tools of Teaching, Studying, and Performing Instrumental Group Improvisation (2010, Presentation at The Embodiment of Authority: Perspectives on Performances, Helsinki)
- The Finnish Jazz-Pop Hit Song Revisited: Introducing and Discussing Results of the 'Suklaasydän, tinakuoret' Research Project (2010, Chair of the panel discussion at The 9th Nordic Jazz Conference, Helsinki)
- Keeping That Discourse Alive: Re-establishing the School of Jazz Generations (2010, Chair of the panel discussion at The 9th Nordic Jazz Conference, Helsinki)
- À la Laila: Alkuperäiset levytykset 1957-1980 (2010, Jazz Perspectives, 4:2, 231-238)
- Jazz-Pop Hit in Pieces: A Definition of the Finnish Jazz-Pop Hit Song as a Dimension (2010, Presentation at Musicology in the 3rd Millennium Symposium, Seinäjoki, Finland)
- From Innovation to Irrelevance: Changes of Perception to Research Object within a Practice-Based Doctoral Research Project (2009, Presentation at Colloquium on Artistic Research in Performing Arts, in Helsinki, Finland)
- Stringprovisation - A Fingering Strategy for Jazz Violin Improvisation (2009, Doctoral dissertation, published as volume 28 in the Acta Musicologica Fennica series, Helsinki: The Finnish Musicological Society)
- John Coltrane’s Influence in Jean-Luc Ponty’s Early Performance (2008, Presentation at Studying Musical Performance Symposium, in Helsinki, Finland)
- "Just Draw from Your Life..." - the Disappearing Myth of Originality in Jazz Music (2007, Musiikin suunta 3:18-26) [i]
- So Far or So Close? Discussing the Position of Violin in Jazz History (2007, Presentation at De-Canonizing Music History Symposium, in Helsinki, Finland)
- Stringprovisation - A Fingering Strategy for Jazz Violin Improvisation: Demonstration of a Practice-Based Research of Fingering Schemes Approach (2007, Presentation at M.I.D.A.S. Conference, in London, UK)
- Towards Eclecticism in Jazz Violin Education - Background Study on the Fingering Schemes Approach (2006, Finnish Journal of Music Education 9:51-56)
- Berlin Jazz Jam Sessions, Top 5 (2006, Mondo: Berliini) [i]
- Scale Fingerings in Jazz Violin Improvisation (2004, Musiikin suunta 4:58-63) [i]
- Carl Flesch’s Scale Fingering System in Contemporary Jazz Violin Education (2004, Presentation at International Summer Jazz Conference, in Jyväskylä, Finland)
- The Bebop Idiom in Didier Lockwood's Improvisation (2003, Presentation at International Summer Jazz Conference, in Jyväskylä, Finland)
- How to Introduce Jazz in Public Music Schools? (2001, Mutes 1:32) [i]
- Introducing the Modes and Modal Improvising: An Approach for Young Students of Classical Music (2001, Mutes 1:33-34) [i]
- Brecker and Patterns (1999, Presentation at International Summer Jazz Conference, in Jyväskylä, Finland)
- Brecker and Patterns: An Analysis of Michael Brecker's Melodic and Instrumental Devices (1999, Master of Music thesis)
All written in English, except those indicated with [i], which are written in Finnish.