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For this on-going project I design and make resonant objects to expand the sound palette of traditional instruments. I've explored stretching strings over drums with percussive handmade bridges and ceramic instruments played inside the grand piano. The ceramics alter the sound of the piano by muting the strings and highlighting harmonic nodes. They are also resonant percussion instruments unto themselves.
This project began as a sonic investigation, fueled by a playful curiosity into the strange sound world of altering instruments. Gradually, I became interested in juxtaposing mass-produced, standardized, highly-tuned instruments with the intuitive work of the hand. Symbiotic Instruments is also a trio featuring drummer Ben Brown, pianist Marielle Groven and myself performing with these instruments.