Taste of Folk College

Moonlighting was founded in 2015 in Pittsburgh by Mimi Jong (erhu) and Keith Cochran (piano accordion). Erhu is a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument with more than 1,000 years of historical influence across many Eurasian cultures.

We use these two disparate instruments to interpret interesting music from different genres. The resulting blended repertoire is diverse and global, ranging from Bach, Schubert, Piazzolla, Bernstein to many Beatles compositions and other classic rock music from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Our goal is to interpret tunes in a refreshing and unexpected way that engages the audience and extends the textures and timbres of our instruments.

Interestingly, we are both professional architects, and we believe this enables us to bring a disciplined, inquisitive approach to arrangement that enhances the depth and subtlety of the music.

Our arrangements are developed during our weekly rehearsals together. The two instruments complement each other in an unexpected way. In most cases the distinctive voice of the erhu depicts the melody line, and the accordion provides orchestration — including percussions, harmony, and alternate counter melodies — to accomplish the intended expression of each piece.

We have received much positive response from listeners who have been emotionally moved. People are surprised and delighted by how these instruments sound together. We have created a unique sound that can explore the depth of universal emotions.

We are delighted to share our work with longtime friends in our Folk College community and beyond.  We hope that our music can bring inspiration, acceptance, and appreciation in the world and to promote mutual understanding and joy with audiences of all ages and social backgrounds.