You might say it was music at first sight when guitarists Brett Parnell and Geremy Schulick met at the Yale School of Music and discovered a shared passion for Bach. It seemed natural to form a duo and follow their muse along the classical genre track, but neither was ready to abandon their rock upbringing which they so embraced. “We came to love classical pieces on our own,” they say, “and we studied them in the same way we devotedly learned our favorite rock tunes as teenagers. We think that classical music and rock/pop music are very similar at their core, so we try to make that come across in our playing.” This evolution is most clearly apparent in their own compositions, such as Schulick's driving 'Eager to Be,' and in their arrangements of contemporary rock songs including Coldplay's 'Fix You.' It is also evident in their fervent approach to more 'classical' repertoire, such as their arrangements of keyboard works by Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. threefifty duo even shows a humorous side with their arrangement of music from Super Mario Brothers, “Music from the Mushroom Kingdom,” a must listen for anyone who ever played Nintendo. Recent projects have also included an electrifying collaboration with the virtuoso percussionist Ayano Kataoka. Since their inception threefifty duo has become recognized for eclectic programming and emotionally charged performances. The pair is committed to expanding the classical guitar's audience and repertoire.
