Installations in 2022

The upright piano has been an entertainment fixture in homes, even those of modest means, for well over a century and has provided music in a way that its manufacturer, as well as tradition, has dictated for many years before that. There are a few adventurous souls however, who have, on occasion, seen fit to extend the instrument's capabilities by modifying its sounding methods by means such as inserting objects between the strings at specific points to alter the tonal properties (John Cage), attaching long lengths of wire to certain strings that are sounded by means of weather events (wind, rain, etc.) (Gordon Monahan), or collecting instruments that have been left to the elements until on the verge of no longer being playable (Ross Bolleter). I myself have engaged in the latter, with a piano that had formerly been used in a NAISA installation by Michelline Roi, wherein she had inserted small speakers inside the body which played recordings of various peoples memories of their experiences with one in their home. In this installation, sounds from various parts of the piano will be amplified by different means, including instrument amplifiers and radios, the latter receiving their signals via small low-power transmitters designed by Tetsuo Kogawa. These external sounding devices will be distributed around the exhibition space as much as cabling and transmission range will allow.