On 20 February, we concluded our ‘Discover home with your ears’ workshop series with composer Alison Isadora with a short musical presentation in room De Buurman in the Amstel House. Of all the sounds from home that the workshop participants recorded during the four-part workshop, we chose the sound of Yol’s washing machine spinning as the basis for the final piece of music.
Based on an extensive analysis of all the sounds, we played the sounds of her spinning washing machine with instruments made up of everyday objects such as spoons, paper, funnels, glasses, the sound of our voices and much more. After one preparatory rehearsal, we immediately played for the audience. We, the performers, heard the sounds of the washing machine through headphones. The audience, without headphones and blindfolded, did not hear the audio of the washing machine and could not see us playing our instruments. They could fully concentrate on the sounds we made with the various objects. A purely acousmatic experience!
It was a wonderful presentation that made a big impression on the audience. The participants were very enthusiastic about the workshop and learned a lot about the musical qualities that everyday sounds can have.
Listen to an excerpt of the performance here:
