Surveillance


I am so excited about the newest piece created as a result of a long-standing collaboration with Big Robot bandmate Michael Drews titled Surveillance. I have been working with a bicycle wheel for several years now, exploring my own take on this unique transportation implement turned percussion instrument. And Michael, who composed Surveillance, discovered that bicycle moving parts, with their intricate, modulating sounds; are superb match for computer-acoustic interactivity.  Bicycles as musical instruments have appeared in new and experimental music concerts for many years (for example, check out this fabulous video of Frank Zappa performing on a bicycle in 1963). Michael and I did our first work on the wheel at Zerospace in Milwaukee in 2011, and Surveillance is the result of building on that work.  The work consists of a score for a player on wheel and prayer bowl plus a performer on computer processing with a foundational track.  An optional third part calls for harp or other stringed instrument.  The photo above is from the November 2012 performance in Budapest Hungary, performed onstage with harpist Erzsébet Gaal and telematically with Michael at the Tavel Arts Technology Lab, Indianapolis.