Sonic Playgrounds

or WhatÕs the Score?

Philip Blackburn

(published in Sounding Board, American Composers Forum)

My composing life has taken me from chapels and concert halls to nature reserves, suburban back yards (I just thought of a piece for snow-blowers and lawn-mowers), and now playgrounds. I have progressed from specifying the actions of trained musicians by means of dots on paper to creating performance occasions in an acoustically-charged environmentÑcomposing the venue rather than the specific sounds; providing site-specific installations for unspecified participants. I now ÔcomposeÕ orchestras of sound sculptures, some of which produce sound, some of which reflect it in engaging ways. The kinds of ÔinstrumentsÕ and their spatial relationships favors certain ways that people who come across them are likely to interact with them and with each other. In this way I provide opportunities for social interaction through the means of musical improvisation which cut across boundaries of age, musical literacy, and technical training. By working in this way I invite participants to attune their eyes and ears, pay attention to social interactions, and live more responsibly in the environment. The score is no longer on paper in front of you but beneath your feet.

Western Sculpture Park, St. Paul, 1998-99. A budding virtuoso on the ÔBill and Ben, the Flowerpot MenÕ

This may not be such a new idea. Even before Harry Partch came along, the pyramids, many rock-art sites, and innumerable religious buildings were constructed or chosen as much for their acoustical qualities as their other functions. Before digital delay units, echoes signified the voice of the earth, the spirit talking back. For me, the fascination started with the prehistoric Blowing Stone which used to call King AlfredÕs troops from the hills near my village. It continued with a dirty foghorn on the Liverpool docks, and was deepened by a research trip to Australia to meet with radical sound sculptors such as Ros Bandt, Herb Jercher, and Ernie Althoff. Bill and Mary Buchen have also done wonderful work with sonic architecture in schools and there are many more searchers yet to be discovered.

I have begun experimenting with different materials and constructions that could be turned to acoustical advantage, and have come up with a menu of potential ÔinstrumentsÕ that could be adapted to fit different locations. The ÔinstrumentsÕ are made from petrified wooden blocks, concrete resonators, plastic tubes, metallic bells and gongs and other found and scavenged materials. They can be activated by means of blowing or striking, by wind, voice, or water, while climbing, crawling, jumping, thumping, or moving. They can be played alone or in combination with others. Like sections of an orchestra, the instruments can form groups and harmonize with each other. In order to seduce the participants away from the notion that these are instruments for playing familiar tunes and scales I have opted for random microtonal tunings and non-linear arrangement of pitches so that one is always playing with ÔbeginnerÕs mindÕ.

The Cocophone: tuned coconuts (tongue-slits coupled with resonating cavities) on a cherry log and TV stand.

Many concepts are still at the dream stage, currently beyond my fabrication skills (they never taught me welding at grad school).

• A textured pavement surface that causes your skateboard, bike, or car to rumble in a variety of rhythms and timbres (perhaps BeethovenÕs 5th in Prime and Retrograde, at any desired pitch/speedÑa tarmac tape recorder); Slit log drums which double as benches;
• Tubular bells semi-submerged in a river, struck by a wind turbine, creating chaotic glissandos with the passing wind and boats;
• Resonating staircase railings tuned closely to each other so you can run up or down playing a cloud of glissandi and beats, or station friends widely apart just to play a triad, or see gusts of wind wafting across the steps;
• Reflecting dishes that create hotspots out of the natural acoustical ambiance, or parabolic benches which enable people to whisper to each other from either end or across vast distances...

The spirit of the playground, a place where families meet to play, represents an ideal neighborhood activity. By involving the local community in the design, construction, and maintenance of a playground there can be a sense of pride and ownership which can ensure its upkeep for years to come. Indeed, without such support any Sonic Playground wonÕt last longÑneighbors rarely take kindly to being woken up by drunken revelers banging on nuclear waste drums in the wee hours. I envisage many kinds of events taking place, such as casual playing by local children, organized ensembles after school, competitions for creative performance, dance events, music classes, use as the set for bizarre rituals, and professional performances by visiting musicians.

The Entity: bowls gong tree, tensegrity harp, stop gong, water chimes, slap tubes, horseshoe chimes

How To

A Sonic Playground must have the cooperation of surrounding residents and others who live within earshot to ensure its successful construction and upkeep. A suitable site would have to be selected where public access would be easy and where sound would not disturb nearby residents. The size of the site may be similar to a typical Jungle Gym. With luck and good planning, a neighborhood sonic playground could be an asset that increases the desirability of living in a particular area.

Materials used in fabricating the instruments must be chosen for their structural durability, safety, and sound-making potential. They must also be made resistant to weather, theft and vandalism over many years. They must be fool- and litigation proof. Where possible, materials could be donated by local residents and other participants in the building process; lumber yards, junk yards, construction sites, and surplus stores may be sources for cool materials.

At the beginning of the planning process for any Sonic Playground, a meeting should be held near the site to introduce the idea of a Sonic Playground to anyone who may be interested in helping build and design it.

At an early stage, an architect or person knowledgeable about playground construction, and legal codes would be consulted. A model maker could help construct a maquette of the finished drawings to troubleshoot potential problems and visualize the finished design.

People of all ages and skills could be invited. Children could help make wind chimes or test out prototype instruments; teenagers could help with woodwork or metalshop work; adults could coordinate donated materials and help with shop and construction work. Ideally a workshop with metal and woodwork tools could be available for the duration of the project.

Other sound sculptors in the area could be brought in for a kick-off event to excite interest in the project and contribute ideas for instruments.

Petrified Xylophone, or what happens if you leave a marimba outside for a few million years.

The design concept and selection of the instruments should honor not only the surrounding environment (to harmonize with the landscape) but also the cultures represented by the neighborhood. Trees, for instance, could be incorporated into the design for hanging windchimes or stretching wires. Ethnic cultures could be represented in the general layout, orientation, colors, and design of particular instruments (such as log drums and slit drums, gongs, diddley bows, and earth harps). Taken as a whole, the instruments could reflect a theme such as earth-centered imagery with mystical designs on the ground or mythical animal shapes. A sacred blowing stone may be supplemented with a raised mound to indicate resonant connection with the earth. An open dance area would be integral to the playing space to encourage movement as part of each performance.

There could be seating areas nearby for parents or spectators, although adults and children are equal participants when it comes to music. If the area is only open from dawn to dusk there will be no need of lighting or power supply. The area must be well drained and covered with safe surface material (sand, wood chips or black top). Many of the instruments will require beaters of different kinds. These can be made from the handles of screwdrivers and attached to the frame by means of welded chains. Alternatively, players can bring their own mallets (shoes, flip-flops, sticks) or use their hands or feet to strike.

After the instruments are in place, a grand "playground raising" there will be an opening event to showcase the instruments' potential and the local talent that built it. There could be a procession around the neighborhood ending with a jam at the playground.

Over the last year I have assembled and installed prototype Sonic Playground instruments at the Western Sculpture Park in St. Paul and have learned a great deal from watching kids bang on them after school. There is no substitute for this field testing and no adultÕs imagination could predict the myriad ways in which they are used and abused.

Feedback

I am currently preparing an article on sound sculpture as public art and welcome readersÕ ideas and suggestions of other artists working in this field, or any other stories about your favorite acoustic spots (even ÔaccidentalÕ ones). Please contact me at (651) 228-1407 ext.23 or pblackburn@composersforum.org

The next step: building two parabolic benches like these in Perth, Australia

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