In conversation with Kate Whitley
“What brings me the most pride is that the Multi-Story Orchestra is a shared community.”
- Kate Whitley
Image: Kate Whitley. Image courtesy of The Multi-Story Orchestra.
Kate Whitley is a composer and pianist known for her diverse musical endeavours. She is the co-founder and driving force behind The Multi-Story Orchestra, an innovative ensemble that stages performances in unconventional venues like car parks throughout the UK. This fresh approach to music has earned acclaim, with The Times stating that the future of music is taking shape in unexpected places.
Whitley's compositions span a range of styles and settings, from orchestras to choirs and instrumentalists. Her compositions have been broadcast on Radio 3 and showcased at the BBC Proms.
How would you introduce The Multi-Story Orchestra to someone unfamiliar with it?
We are an orchestra that plays in car parks! It's unlike anything else you'll see. We bring together huge choirs to sing with the orchestra - which can be up to 100 instruments! We write all our own music. We often tell stories in our music - recently we've done stories about social media, about identity and migration, about gang culture, and about someone on a first date - it could be anything. It's joyful, moving, groovy, sometimes silly and always beautiful.
Who are the members of the Multi-Story Orchestra? How did you all come together?
Multi-Story is made up of lots of different groups of people coming together: our music leaders are instrumentalists, singers, songwriters and a composer (me!) who bring our pieces together and lead the performances. Our orchestral musicians are incredible instrumentalists who play with lots of other orchestras the rest of the time. Our young creatives are singers, rappers, instrumentalists, and just generally an amazingly creative group of young people who take a leading role in everything we do. Then our big choirs are made up of young people from local schools. It is a feat of organisation each time to get all the different parts of Multi-Story to come together, but it's part of the orchestra's biggest strengths that we bring together so many different people from different backgrounds and perspectives.
What was the driving inspiration behind the Multi-Story Orchestra? What do you hope to achieve through it?
It was originally about finding different kinds of spaces to play music in. I'd been trying all sorts of different things - putting on gigs in pubs, warehouses, museums - anything really - since I was a teenager. Then a friend of mine suggested car parks and it went from there.
It was about creating different kinds of atmospheres than formal performance spaces, and finding ways to make the music speak more. It is a very intimate experience performing in a carpark, audiences are much closer to the orchestra than in a concert hall; you've got beautiful views out over the city, and the train goes by occasionally, it's so different to being in a formal concert space. We do now play in concert halls too, as we now take the music we create out of the car park and into other places.
The Multi-Story Orchestra will be performing The Endz at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre. Can you tell us a bit about what attendees can expect?
The Endz is incredibly moving. I've never had so many people - both audience members and performers- tell me it's the most moving thing they've seen or been part of. It was initially created by a group of our young people after an ex pupil from their school was killed in a knife fight, and they asked the orchestra to help create it into a full piece.
Over a few years this developed into The Endz. It tells the story of two friends torn apart by gang violence. The passion, commitment, creativity and talent of the young people who lead this project is what makes it so special, and it really is unmissable.
Image: The Endz. The Multi-Story Orchestra. Photo by Ambra Vernuccio.
What have been your top three favourite performances with The Multi-Story Orchestra, and why do they stand out so much?
1.The Endz.
2. In 2018 The BBC Proms broadcast one of our performances on Radio 3 directly from the car park, which was very cool! They brought their broadcast truck down to the car park and transmitted it live around the country.
3. Last year we wrote a piece called Awake, which was about growing up and finding yourself. It was one of the most uplifting performances we've done. At the end the whole orchestra spontaneously paraded around the car park still playing. This was not planned at all.
Can you talk us through your journey into the creative arts industry? How did you start out?
Since I was teenage, I have been organising gigs. I played piano and wrote my own music, but it was organising music events that I really liked. I started applying for funding from the arts council and other places. Eventually this grew into a company, called Multi-Story Orchestra, and we now have regular funding from the Arts Council for the organisation.
How would you describe your personal creative process?
I work very fast! I create music spontaneously (if I'm in the right mood). I mostly use my piano to write music. I love collaborating and taking inspiration from our musicians. I will then go away and work through the musical ideas by myself on the piano and create all the parts that the orchestra will play.
What is the most challenging thing about what you do?
Looking after myself while doing it. Running a small organisation is so hard because there is no-one else to pick it up, it all falls onto you, and it's a huge amount of responsibility. I've got used to this over the years and have got so much better about looking after myself, but it's really difficult when you are ultimately responsible.
Reflecting on your entire career thus far, what accomplishments bring you the greatest sense of pride?
What brings me the most pride is that the Multi-Story Orchestra is a shared community. We have built such an amazing family of musicians and young people, and there is so much trust, love and respect in that.
What is the best advice you have ever received – either related to life or work?
Once when I was having a difficult time I said to my dad, 'do you think things will get better for me soon?' and he said 'no'. I was so shocked I started laughing, and he then said 'this current situation will get better, but something else will be bad next'. I actually think about what he said so often - in either work or life - because it's such a good reminder that you should never expect things to be perfect. There's always going to be some new problem to deal with!
Who is Kate Whitley outside of work – what do you get up to in your spare time? What are your other interests and hobbies?
I have an allotment, and I help look after a wildlife meadow on the allotment site too. I spend most of my time there. There are lots of beehives on the site too and I am learning about beekeeping. I go to yoga every week and am trying to learn how to do headstands. And I do woodwork - my house is full of wooden things that I have made.
Are there any noteworthy projects on the horizon for The Multi-Story Orchestra in the current year?
Beyond The Endz at the Southbank Centre on the 23 September, we are performing Routes in November both at the Southbank Centre and at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Routes is about someone on a first date telling the story of their family history and identity, and it is great. Don't miss it!
The Multi-Story Orchestra will prefrom The Endz at Southbank Centre on Saturday 23 September 2023. Click here to book tickets now.
Website:multi-story.org.uk
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