Thursday, May 17, 2012

Pinball Pianola (showing off)

I’ve devised a Frankenstein experiment, combining the greatest musical invention of all time, the Piano; with the coolest amusement machines ever conceived; Pinball, to create an interactive sound installation like no other; ‘Pinball Pianola’, a musical device constructed by replacing the keyboard, hammers and front paneling of an upright piano, with a pinball cabinet butted up perpendicular against its exposed strings. Embracing high and low culture this instrument allows virtuosos and wizards alike to pit their skills in a game where musical compositions are created as metallic balls jettisoned into the game clash with the pianos resonating wires. This experiment the first of in a series of individually crafted instruments I’m constructing at Artspace as part of my Australia Council music board project fellowship that introduce musical elements into the iconic game of pinball, making sound generation - not scoring - the games’ main objective.




The work will be shown for the very first time* at the Artspace open studio (not gallery upstairs level 2 enter door to right as you enter) form 6pm til 8pm 25th May and all day 11am to 5pm on Saturday the 26th.


43-51 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo,Sydney
Free BYO

*at time of writing the work isn't finished fingers crossed!!