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      Live Music

      Art is Love: A Talk and Concert

      Sunday, July 27, 2025 from 2—4 pm

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      In-person event
      Location: Morse Auditorium

      Included with admission; preregistration encouraged.

      This program includes moderately loud live music (amplified sound and percussion).

      Join us for an afternoon of music and dialogue exploring the creative process in contemporary songwriting and performance. This conversation among original works by artists Muriel Teodori, Kessada and Steve Nieve pays tribute to two of the most iconic figures in modern music: Tom Waits and Elvis Costello.

      Through conversation, live performance and personal storytelling, the trio invites the audience to reflect on the art of creation, the power of love and the eternal interplay between control and spontaneity in artistic expression.

      The Talk: Three Angles on Artistic Creation

      1. What is the process of creation in art?
      Muriel Teodori explores the psychological and philosophical dimensions of creativity.

      2. Improvisation: Does it really exist?
      Is improvisation truly spontaneous, or is it the result of years of structure and discipline? Steve Nieve draws from his classical training and rock experience to explore improvisation as both freedom and illusion.

      3. Production: Can it be Perfect? Control or Freedom?
      In the age of digital tools and infinite takes, Kessada questions the obsession with perfection.

      The Concert: Art is Love

      Original songs are woven together with deeply personal interpretations of works by Tom Waits and Elvis Costello — two masters of storytelling through music. Each song, each note, is a continuation of the conversation.

      About the collaborators

      Muriel Teodori
      Muriel Teodori

      Muriel Teodori is a psychoanalyst, professor of scriptwriting, librettist and songwriter who brings a deep understanding of the inner workings of the human psyche and the narrative structures that shape our emotions and desires. Her approach to creation is both intellectual and poetic.

      Kessada
      Kessada

      Kessada is a singer, songwriter and producer who bridges the world of studio and stage and “brings a dynamic edge with his inventive percussion and soulful vocals”(Boston.com). His playing balances raw emotional performance with technical precision. His focus is on the tension between freedom and control in modern music production.

      Steve Nieve
      Steve Nieve

      Steve Nieve is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Grammy Award winner and opera composer, and the pianist for Elvis Costello and The Attractions. A virtuoso pianist and composer, Nieve has spent decades navigating the boundaries of improvisation and interpretation alongside some of the greatest names in music. The Independent called his performance “a masterclass in subtlety and innovation — his keys breathe life into every note, making each performance a revelation.”

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