Sonic Escape features Maria Kaneko Millar (violin) and Shawn Wyckoff (flute), a pair of Juilliard graduates whose blend of hyper-instrumentals, stories, moves and original works is "wonderfully imaginative... with a wide-ranging, anything-goes sense of fun.” (The Washington Post)
Can you dance in your seat?
How to better connect with audiences? We ask ourselves this with every piece we write & every show we perform. Check out our world premiere of Celtic tune Farewell to Erin, remixed with a Dancehall beat and moves everyone can do… even from their seats! We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for making this video possible!
Telling a story with instruments…
Humanity is Maria’s response to hearing the cries of children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. She chose the violin & flute to tell the story of a mother and her young son – of hope for a shared future that compels them to run, desperately trying to keep a hold of each other in the face of a world that pulls them apart. Thank you to the Ontario Arts Council for making this composition possible.
Maria’s Solos..
Check out Maria’s solo for live + pre-recorded violin inspired by tango great Astor Piazzolla! If you want to try playing one of Maria’s solos, Sakura was just published in a first-run printing of 12,400 copies for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)! Taught in over 90 countries, you can get your own copy here: ABRSM Violin Exam Pieces, Grade 8 Fun fact: Maria is the only female or living composer featured in the publication!
Where we’ve been, where we’re going
New YouTube Series – Sonic Escape’s Guide to Performing
We are thrilled at long last to bring you our Guide to Performing – an in-depth romp through all things performance-related. Tips, hacks and stories from the road that might just provide a nugget or two for aspiring musicians. New episodes every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Sonic Escape’s music travels the world
We LOVE hearing from people who play our compositions! Since we started offering our sheet music a couple of years ago, we’ve sold hundreds of copies in 30+ countries – Azerbaijan to Malta, South Africa to Japan. Check out our store to see if there’s a piece for you!
Awesome live photos
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…
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.
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 🙂