This coming Sunday, March 1st, Tom Kohn, owner of the Bop Shop record store and the nonprofit he created to promote improvised and innovative music in Rochester, Bop Arts Inc. (website coming soon), are taking an ambitious step and have put together a benefit and symposium on "The Making of a Music Community: Perspectives on New Music from Performers and Listeners." Of course, since it is coming from the Bop Shop and Tom, there will be lots of music. "The Making of a Music Community" is intended to be:

[A] reflective and participatory discussion about the meanings and motivation behind our desire to create, perform, support and disseminate new and original music. How did we get here? Why do we do it? And what does it mean to us? Join us for this first Bop Arts symposium and help celebrate and reflect on the creation, growth and re-creation of this musical community. Hear some amazing music, share your thoughts, and join fellow artists and supporters of new and original music.

In fact, while starting this conversation in Rochester is very important, much of this symposium will be about the music itself and to benefit Bop Arts, not discussion. Here's the lineup:

• 3:00 pm: THE NAZARETH UNIVERSITY JAZZ ENSEMBLE under the direction of PAUL SMOKER
• 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm: An open panel discussion on New Music from Performers and Listeners.
• 7:00 pm: KEVIN NORTON'S COUNTERPOINT
• 8:15 pm: THE ADAM CAINE TRIO

Kevin Norton, percussionist and composer Kevin Norton has performed and recorded with a wide array of musicians, from Anthony Braxton and David Krakauer to Milt Hinton and Fred Frith. His compositions are featured on several recordings, both with his own as well as other ensembles. Norton has served on the faculty of several schools including the University of Maryland and is currently on the faculty of William Paterson University. After composing music for a number of projects across a wide spectrum of genres, Norton has turned to a decidedly jazz orchestration. Like trios led by Steve Lacy, Sonny Rollins  or Ornette Coleman he chooses to have a trio with a lead melody instrument with bass and drums (functioning on a higher level of interaction, rather than subordinate accompaniment roles), whichfeatures a new transparency of sound, yet is connected to Norton's other composition work by counterpoint: both emotional and technical.

Adam Caine is a guitarist, improviser and composer. Adam fronts the Adam Caine Trio with Tom Blancarte and John Wagner and the Adam Caine Quartet with Nick Lyons, Adam Lane and John Wagner. Adam also plays in Johnny Butler's Scurvy and Eric Eigner's Mysterium. He grew up in Rochester and studied music at the University of Rochester. Since 2000, Caine has lived in Brooklyn, New York and has played in New York City and throughout the United States with the likes of Connie Crothers, Paul Smoker, Daniel Carter, Ken Filiano, Phil Haynes, Glen Branca, Haale, and the New York Soundpainting Ensemble. As a composer for video art, Adam's music has been featured in over 20 international festivals since 2006.

The Bop Arts symposium will run on Sunday, March 1st from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Bop Shop Atrium. If you attend, please make a donation (any size is welcome) to the Bop Arts Music fund. Give something to keep the innovative music that Tom and Bop Arts brings to Rochester flowing. My experience on Sunday with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble just emphasizes for me how important it is to support Bop Arts and this music. You could probably drop in and by some CDs or vinyl from the Bop Shop as well....   I'm sure Tom wouldn't mind.