Blind to the boundaries of Classical music, Collide is a progressive Contemporary music ensemble ripe to take the world by storm. Complete with original music, outrageous instrumentation and a theatrical presentation, Collide is poised to shake up the Classical world by breaking the barriers between concert music and the music of todays MTV generation. The eclectic trio consists of the ferociously talented pianist Jade Simmons, virtuoso percussionist David Skidmore and highly imaginative saxophonist Jonathan Sanford. All three are graduates of Northwestern University's School of Music where they were directors of Boomshaka, a Chicago-based percussion and dance ensemble co-founded by Simmons. The three have reunited with the hopes of combining their extensive training in Classical music and their passion for Contemporary, Popular and World music in order to create a new aesthetic. The Collide sound aims to conjure aural and visual images taking the audience on musical explorations into a unique sound world. They explore the limits of their instruments, using them in unconventional ways as well as creating their own instruments from found objects. Collide pulls from a variety of cultures to create their sound. While many of their compositions are created by the groups members, their repertoire also includes commissioned works by up and coming young composers from various backgrounds.