Make This Make Sound

Abstract

The project "Make This Make Sound" started as a way to explore my relationship with playing violin. The violin was something I loved to play but it still felt separate from me. I wanted to handcraft instruments that had a more intimate relationship with the player. As the instruments were being created, I was interested to see how other players would feel about the instruments together in an ensemble, since playing in an ensemble was something that made me feel more comfortable as a musician. The instruments lend themselves to an experimental music making process as they do not have a history that must adhere to traditional Western music standards. A series of play sessions, some with only practicing musicians, and the rest with only amateur musicians were facilitated to gather feedback on how the instruments could be played. This was done to investigate the question: How can making new instruments facilitate an experimental music making process with musicians of varying skill levels?