The Guthman Musical Instrument Competition is an annual event held at Georgia Tech. Musicians with an interest in music―or vice versa―show off their newly invented instruments and demonstrate the sounds they make. These can be acoustical or electronic.
The segulharpa, demonstrated in the video above, is a combination of both in that there are digital pickups on metal strings inside the metal casing. The talk about it being generative, in that the chords can be unpredictable, changing from one playing to the next.
To be frank the music thus far produced out of it sounds kind of...how you say? Ah, yes, boring. To a musical neophyte at least. But it may be that the instrument, only unveiled this year, hasn't found its players yet.
In any case, the fact that musical instruments are still being invented is encouraging. How many will find places in orchestras and jazz combos of the future? It's fun to think about anyway.
2 comments:
He certainly resembles a young Brian Eno, doesn't he? I admire all his efforts in making the instrument and it's a very beautiful object indeed. However, as far as it's utility as a musical instument is concerned I'll have to tell you Jer's conclusion after listening to the video. He said that if every time you press a key a different sound comes out then it would be impossible to ever master the device.
Of course I couldn't help but remember the original electronic instrument being played by its inventor, Leon Theremin. Musicians have definitely made some interesting music using the theremin but I don't think it ever gained popularity other than in 50s horror movies.
Ah, I knew he reminded me of someone. Yes, he does have a certain Eno quality, early in his solo career, not as spangly as when he was in Roxy Music. That's a good point about not being able to know what sound you'll get from it. That might limit its use to soloes or the like.
Leon Theremin had quite the scientific mind, applied to musical ends. The idea of an instrument you play by just sort of gesturing around it is pretty wild now, never mind just a few years after World War I. The Theremin is still being used in soundtracks from what I understand. It's made appearances in a few rock songs too. "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, of course. Also Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", which you might not guess.
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