Mom delivers

List,

Yeah, I know, you thought I was simply sitting on my thumbs the past few weeks. Nope. Too busy, thumbs included. I've mentioned about a program I did, and I promised to bring a little to you. While better photos will have to wait (these were shot in the storage/basement area of Copley Symphony Hall), and audio of the music (as well as - hopefully - video) are pending delivery of the recordings from the concert, I wanted to at least share some of the fun of designing, building, and performing on some new microtonal instruments.

Bogus, slapped-together page for your enjoyment (I hope):

http://www.microtonal.org/depot.html

Yours always,
Jon (AKA ListMom)

`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`
Real Life: Orchestral Percussionist
Web Life: "Corporeal Meadows" - about Harry Partch
http://www.corporeal.com/
NOTE:
If your reply bounces, try --> jonszanto@...

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Jonathan M. Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

Jonathan,

This is a great set-up. Please see what you can do to post the videos
of this amazing collection in concert. The tubes must have really
sung out when hit by the padded mallets. The keys must have sounded
so light and clear, like a bell tree but less harsh. I can't wait to
see the Home Depot sequence. People must have thought you guys were
out of your minds.

We used to go to a salvage yard in San Diego to find our aluminum and
steel wonders, and to a barrel store that just sold used 55 gallon
oil drums. Lots of fun. San Diego Hardware has the best collection of
spring steel I have ever found, and they would sell it by the inch.

Prent Rodgers

> ...sittng on my thumbs the past few
> weeks. Nope. Too busy, thumbs included.
> http://www.microtonal.org/depot.html
>
> Yours always,
> Jon (AKA ListMom)
>

Prent,

{you wrote...}
>This is a great set-up. Please see what you can do to post the videos of >this amazing collection in concert.

I'll work on that.

>The tubes must have really sung out when hit by the padded mallets.

Yes, and a big resonant hall doesn't hurt! I did all this in my little enclosed patio, and only *hoped* that by pointing the business end of the tubes out toward the hall that is would throw the sound. It did.

>The keys must have sounded so light and clear, like a bell tree but less >harsh.

They are awful delicate, and in this situation were mostly a metallic little breeze. But I've used a similar (larger) set in recording studios for years.

>I can't wait to see the Home Depot sequence. People must have thought you >guys were out of your minds.

I had no idea the great response it would get, and big kudos to Ralph Chaney, the videographer. I've never had so many orchestra members remarking on the coolness of something we did!

>We used to go to a salvage yard in San Diego to find our aluminum and >steel wonders, and to a barrel store that just sold used 55 gallon oil >drums. Lots of fun.

Yeah, and it's getting harder and harder to find places you can just 'slum'. But I found a great surplus place where you can buy nuts, bolts, and all manner of fasteners *by the pound* - orders of magnitude cheaper than at hardware emporiums.

>San Diego Hardware has the best collection of spring steel I have ever >found, and they would sell it by the inch.

I love that place! We just used a washboard I bought there in tonight's performance of "Rite of Spring" to double the guiro part and give it some low end moxie. Very effective...

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Jonathan M. Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_2798.html#2798

> List,
>
>
> http://www.microtonal.org/depot.html
>

***Well, naturally, I have to comment a little bit more on this
news... What immediately struck me was how "spiffy" these
instruments looked. Usually when one encounters such objects, like
flower pots and such like, they have been out "in the wild" a bit
more, so to speak. These are right "off the shelf...!" :)

The saw blade was a little frightening. Hope nobody backs into it
when the conductor turns around...

I'm glad they're keeping "Son of Sam" back in jail for awhile...

Joe Pehrson

Joe,

{you wrote...}
>What immediately struck me was how "spiffy" these instruments >looked. Usually when one encounters such objects, like flower pots and >such like, they have been out "in the wild" a bit more, so to >speak. These are right "off the shelf...!" :)

I prefer to think of the analogy of getting a fine violin at a Christie's auction as opposed to a pawn shop, but that's just for fun. In reality, how they *looked* was as important as how they sounded (does that aesthetic ring a proverbial bell?). But that doesn't mean that everything was brand-new, because a fair amount of the construction materials was gotten from a wonderful place: Habitat Restore, which is an operation run by Habitat for Humanity. They take discarded, excess, and donated building materials and supplies and sell it at low cost to low-income homeowners/builders, etc. All proceeds go into the Habitat home-building programs.

I like that. :)

>The saw blade was a little frightening. Hope nobody backs into it when >the conductor turns around...

Hell, we don't allow conductors onstage when sharp objects are at hand - the temptation is just *too* great...

Cheers,
Jon