Sound & Light marked the inception of a dynamic collaboration between jazz luminary Terence Blanchard and artist Andrew F. Scott. Presented in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Lecture Hall at UT Dallas, this live performance united Blanchard’s E-Collective ensemble with the ATEC LightSquad in an immersive visual and sonic environment, inaugurating a new model for interdisciplinary concert experiences.
At the heart of the stage stood a monumental relief sculpture—15 feet tall and 31 feet wide—conceived and directed by Scott and realized in collaboration with his students. Evoking the visual language of protest and remembrance, the sculpture reimagined the “Breathless” album cover art as a physical structure: a modified peace sign nested between two eyes. Its presence was both aesthetic and architectural—an icon and a screen—serving as a projection surface for a series of time-based visual compositions.
Throughout the performance, the sculpture became animated with video mapped imagery that responded to the live jazz improvisation unfolding before it. Under the direction of Scott and Technical Director Matt Unkenholz, LightSquad students programmed and operated an integrated visual system using software such as MadMapper and MODUL8. A ring of addressable LED lights encircled the audience, reactive to pianist Fabian Almazan’s keystrokes, synchronizing color and rhythm in real-time—transforming the auditorium into an instrument of light.
The performance was deeply collaborative. Each member of the LightSquad contributed to aspects of lighting design, cinematography, sculpture fabrication, and live video integration. Their collective authorship underscored the project’s pedagogical mission: to provide students with direct experience in the creative, technical, and logistical demands of producing immersive live performance.
Andrew F. Scott, Art Director, visual design and production, LIVE: Sound & Light Concert (the original class-project presentation of LIVE). Terence Blanchard & E-Collective (Fabian Almazan, piano; Charles Altura, guitar; David Ginyard, bass; Oscar Seaton, drums); Andrew F. Scott & LightSquad (Matt Unkenholz, technical director; Amanda Goodwyn, lighting; Roxanne Minnish, Sarah Wall, photography; Michael Snyder, Ricardo Castrillon, video; students Michael Bradley, Travis Fowler, Ashley Goodenough, James Hoggatt, Kuo-Wei Lee, Denise Lion, Amanda Marder, Paulina Mejia, Morgan Murphy, Victor Simon, Chun Yi Wu); ATEC Lecture Hall, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, April 21, 2017.