Sound Series: Amp’d Ensemble

Amp’d Ensemble is a project blending the elements of virtuosic & soulful acoustic instrumentation with amplified, dubbed, and distorted electronic manipulation. Led by Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl in collaboration with James Johnson III (drums) and Erik Lawrence (woodwinds), the compositions range from ambient drone to fluid percussive experimentation.

Sound designer/engineer Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl is the co-founder and co-artistic director of PearlArts. With over 40 years of experience in music and sound, Herman is an inventive and detailed producer known for his genre-bending collaborations. He also produces soundscapes for PearlArts performances, and is an active recording producer and mentor. He teaches emerging sound engineers through the Tuff Sound Apprenticeship Program at PearlArts.

James Johnson III is a versatile musician who effortlessly navigates various musical genres. His journey began at Pittsburgh’s High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) under the mentorship of jazz legend Roger Humphries, which laid the foundation for his remarkable career. He has performed regularly with jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal and serves as an artist in residence at the University of Pittsburgh School of Music. He is also a faculty member at the Afro-American Music Institute, a Pittsburgh institution dedicated to preserving the heritage of African American music.

Erik Lawrence has toured the world as a saxophonist, flutist, and composer. He currently performs solo and with his own group, Erik Lawrence Trio and Hipmotism and co-leads a band with his Jazz vocalist sister, Marya Lawrence, featuring Cameron Brown on bass and Ben Perowsky on drums. He has also taught music and poetry, elements of jazz in colleges and universities including Williams College, Montclair State University, and artist-in-residencies at Dartmouth College and the Williams College Museum of Art, and has given lectures and demonstrations at Music Therapy symposiums.

Co-presented with PearlArts

Sound Series

Sound Series is an ongoing concert series featuring internationally touring contemporary artists and bands from around the world. Learn more about our Sound Series.