Sonic Escape features Maria Millar (violin) and Shawn Wyckoff (flute), a pair of Juilliard graduates whose blend of hyper-instrumentals, stories, dance moves and original works is "wonderfully imaginative... with a wide-ranging, anything-goes sense of fun.” (The Washington Post)
Maria’s “Fall” from “Four Seasons Rising”
Maria just completed her first orchestral work, and hit the recording studio so she could share it with you:
Our first music video!!!
Of course, the day we decided to shoot our video, it rained! We took it in stride, though, and even wrested a few dry minutes from the weather gods to whip out the drone! Frizzy hair, muddy feet, rain-infested instruments… it’s all featured in our collaboration with cinematographer Umit Gulsen. Without further ado, we proudly present:
Why We Perform!
Our Corpus Christi audience’s energy made us giddy with excitement – they have set the bar HIGH for Texas. What a lovely introduction to this state… and this was just mid-concert!
I Don’t Practise (and Neither Should You)!
We often get asked, “How often do you practise,” to which Maria answers, “I don’t.” In Maria’s new entry for her series, Play Harder, she explains why…
Bringing Music to Life
The Montgomery Advertiser just published a front-page feature about our concerts and residency in Montgomery, AL. Click here to read the article, Bringing Music to Life.
Sonic Escape in Pictures
See Sonic Escape play their way across North America in candid shots of their concerts, outreach, flash shows, tour van and of course, cats! Check out their Flickr photostream for a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road…
Wonderful Feature Story about Sonic Escape
The expert pen of Jeremy D. Bonfiglio proves that the art of storytelling is alive and well! Check out this beautifully written piece about Maria and Shawn’s fateful trip to Ireland, and the music and relationship that ensued: Classical, Irish traditions merge in Sonic Escape.
Tickets for NYC Show Now On Sale!
It’s been a LONG time since we’ve performed a show in Manhattan, so we’re excited to be doing so in association with The Delancey and our favorite, 9000-member strong New York Vegetarian & Vegan Meetup Group! Read more and buy your tickets here!
Play Harder – A New Series by Maria
In an unprecedented partnership with Canada Council for the Arts, Maria has begun penning a 36-week series called Play Harder. The blog will chronicle the adventures of Shawn and Maria as they travel to four corners of Canada and the US – Nova Scotia, Florida, Nunavut and California – to research, shoot footage and compose Four Seasons Rising. Click here to read her first entry, I Love This World. Et en français? Comme j’aime ce monde.
New Videos from Celtic with a Twist
We’re happy to introduce our new concert program, Celtic with a Twist. We’ve put together a series of videos, with background stories, highlighting works from the show. Thank you to the S&R Foundation for the gift of filming at the stunning Evermay Estate in Washington, DC.
Continue reading
Thank you, Canada Council for the Arts!
We’re delighted to announce that Maria was awarded a grant from Canada Council for the Arts to create Four Seasons Rising! So excited!
Where we’ve been, where we’re going
Since 2009, Sonic Escape has crisscrossed North America again and again – now you can see where! Check out our new, interactive map of past and upcoming tours.
Everything you need to know about Sonic Escape in 2 minutes!
Maria put together this video to explain what we’re all about. Please enjoy!
Debut of the Skiing Flutist
We’ve experienced a lot of winter storms on the East Coast of late and, rather than grumble about it, decided to pack our skis, flute & camera and head to Vermont! A few tips:
- Downhill speed ≠ getting a sound
- Stick to the top octave (preferably with one hand to get in some dance moves)
- Below freezing temperatures might get you stuck to your flute
- Stop playing and throw the flute if you’re going to crash!
Hope you enjoy the video 