Sarah Robinson & Phil Popham
Helix Collective

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do? Helix Collective makes chamber music the life of the party! We create a fun, energetic, and casual musical world which breaks the traditional mold. You can find us playing video-game music, film scores, crossover dance music, storytelling shows, and anything else that mashes-up genres and creates something new.

How did you first become interested in art? SARAH: I grew up in a house surrounded by music. We sang together, went to concerts together, and music was our constant companion. My great-great grandfather made his living playing flute in an itinerate band, my great-grandmother played piano for silent films, and my grandfather put himself through college playing in a swing band, so I’m part of a long family line of musicians. When a music teacher came around with instruments to my class in third grade, I was eager to get my hands on a flute and I still feel that way every day!

PHIL: When I was a teenager, I went to a small performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream in New Orleans. The troupe created such an engrossing fantasy world void of any of the constraints of reality. I was truly transported. I made the decision while still sitting in my seat, that I had to pursue making the fantastical and magical a concrete reality. In a world with numerous hardships and uncontrollable hinderances, we must forge a better world every chance we get. As luck would have it, I discovered a knack and internal passion for music. I have never looked back.

How does art enrich a community, and what are some ways people can engage with art in Burbank? For us, music and our community are completely intertwined. Bringing people together for a shared emotional experience, whether provocative, comforting, or satirical, can unite us all. It can remind everyone of the common threads which make us all human. Even if there is a range of opinion, art can open the dialogue and fearlessly address our pleasures, woes, and ideas. Fortunately, art is readily accessible in Burbank. There are so many creators here! Look at the many small theaters, galleries, and live stages. Keep up with what’s being offered and pick what you feel hits the spot. If you’re unsure, take a chance. Just like a great chef can make any ingredients tasty, great artists can make any performance/presentation moving and rewarding. Be fearless and discover what makes you tick.

If you could share with our community one thing about art, what would it be? We want to relay to everyone that they are valued human beings in a warm and supportive community. Art bonds us by our humanity. It is an act of resistance to all of the pressures working against us as individuals to get together and make music. Art should re-ignite our senses of self, community, affection, and adventure.

To find out more about Helix Collective, visit helixcollective.org.