Have you ever listened to the band Birth and wondered, “What the heck are these guys doing?”

Birth’s music exists in the blurred area between composition and improvisation. Where one ends and the other begins is often obscured by the band’s telepathic ability to move and shift on a dime, to respond to one another’s most subtle movements, and to improvise compelling sounds, melodies, and textures. They do this while simultaneously defining and deconstructing their own compositional forms in the moment of performance. A compelling feature of Birth’s music has always been the bandmates’ ability to play as a band while remaining rooted in their own individual musical universes.

For anyone who has spent time watching and listening to Birth’s music, it may be unclear what has gone into the making of their musical language. Is this jazz? Are they making this up on the spot? Where do the sounds and aesthetic choices come from? What rules does this band follow? What informs their repertoire?

Harvey Pekar pondered about these very items while reviewing Birth’s debut album, “Listeners may be surprised to learn that not much of the improvisation on this seemingly loose session is free, but based on sparse foundations such as tonal centers and bass lines.” For Birth, their compositional structures hold the keys to allow the making of some truly “free” music, with compositional structure baked into the improvisations and vice versa.

After more than twenty years of developing their own unique and specific language of both composition and improvisation, Birth will present an afternoon workshop on April 2 at The Bop Stop, dedicated to the unbluring of these lines, discussing their unique approaches to making compelling instrumental music that defies easy categorization. They will break down elements of their musical process, influences, and discuss how their sound came to be, and how other improvisers, jazz musicians, and composers can apply these lessons within their own music. They will discuss improvisational strategy, communication amongst musicians, and how to create something that has not been heard before, both on the page, and in the moment. They will breaking down a few of their best-loved compositions and show how they incorporate some of their unique improvisational strategies.

This workshop is geared towards all folks who might be interested in Birth’s music, both musicians and non-musicians alike. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for high school/college students.