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Music for 50 Carpenters
(2004) Wood, nails, paper bags, hammers, carpenters
A theatrical surround sound work enlisting 50 skilled tradespeople. Prying at Stockhausen’s convolution theory of rhythm and timbre, 50 hammers, 50 blocks of wood and some 4000 nails of varying sizes are brought to bear. Under the guidance of a job supervisor hundreds of hammer blows become waves of tonal murmur threaded with rustlings of nails in bags and occasional snarls of righteous indignation. The performers are organized into work crews with lists of tasks and schedules, and arranged in a circle around the audience. Toolbelts, sweat and lunchboxes are part of the score, and union regulations governing breaks and meals are observed.
I spent many years working in construction to fund my music/sound compositions, starting as an assistant and eventually doing finish and cabinet work, contracting and electrical. My fellow carpenters were for the most part artists, musicians, and writers. It seemed natural that they should become the performers for this tribute to my toolbag days. Most of my compositions involve layering and collaging of field recordings, and I stumbled on the idea of Music for 50 Carpenters while rummaging around in out-takes from another piece about a steel fabrication plant. I liked the version I then made by layering recordings of a single carpenter hammering nails, but I wanted more different styles of hammering, more different sounds, and I wanted to do it as a live performance. So was born Music for 50 Carpenters. Look out for the next version of the piece, Music for 100 Carpenters, to be performed at a construction site near you...
I spent many years working in construction to fund my music/sound compositions, starting as an assistant and eventually doing finish and cabinet work, contracting and electrical. My fellow carpenters were for the most part artists, musicians, and writers. It seemed natural that they should become the performers for this tribute to my toolbag days. Most of my compositions involve layering and collaging of field recordings, and I stumbled on the idea of Music for 50 Carpenters while rummaging around in out-takes from another piece about a steel fabrication plant. I liked the version I then made by layering recordings of a single carpenter hammering nails, but I wanted more different styles of hammering, more different sounds, and I wanted to do it as a live performance. So was born Music for 50 Carpenters. Look out for the next version of the piece, Music for 100 Carpenters, to be performed at a construction site near you...