Last Saturday we went again to Birmingham for Curious Sounds in Curious Spaces, based in and around the Symphony Hall. The idea was to create a series of sound installations and experiences to celebrate the 21st Anniversary of the Symphony Hall.
We thought it would be a good day as it gave you chance to see parts of the hall that you don't normally get to visit, like backstage and the basements area. The first place we visited was the basement where there were a series of musical experiments and experiences.
The first one was a series of separate speakers playing different types of music so you could distinguish how the sound was projected and the difference in sonic vibrations.
I quite enjoyed this but the main problem was the background noise of people talking which made it difficult to fully immerse yourself in the sounds. In the next room was some speakers attached to a spinning windmill type contraption which was looking at how the same sounds and music would react when spun through the air.
It was interesting how different the sounds changed when spun around. The next room had an automatic pair of machines based around a Theramin, a strange musical instrument from the 70's which can react to another metal object or just your hand.
It was a bit more difficult to appreciate, if I am honest as I didn't quite see the point of it. The sounds that emanated were sort of interesting but it failed to engage most people. In the next room was a series of lockers with 9v motors dangling down with what looked like, bits of plastic attached to the spindles which when switched on, rattled against the lockers.
This could have been adapted a lot better to use the different sounds of the metal. It was just a random noise which again failed to engage most people. It would have been better if a basic programme had been written to switch the motors on at certain points to make a rhythm or even a basic tune. In the last room was a range of different electrical hand made instruments that were grouped together like a mechanical orchestra.
It was quite dark so it was difficult to get some good enough pictures but basically, the creator had spent over two years creating around a dozen different instruments and then by wiring them through a computer, was able to write original music that the machines would then play automatically. This seemed the most popular and engaging because not only was it an original concept but it was also visually interesting to watch. The music itself was also quite relaxing and was without doubt, the most visited exhibit.
Trawling back up the stairs we were told that a piece had just started in the main hall so we quickly made our way there. Now, in hindsight, we should have carried on looking through the other rooms because it was strange, to say the least. On the stage there was a man playing a very slow tune whilst he very slowly pushed the piano out of the back of the stage. The piano had a camera mounted in the rear so you could see the progression of the piano out through the stage and outside towards the canal. After he had finished, the majority of people clapped enthusiastically and I sat there feeling a bit dim. Performance art pieces like this sometimes really annoy me as I feel we are being conned. I couldn't quite believe that I had sat there for ten minutes watching a man push a piano outside! The funniest part was seeing my parents faces who we had taken with us, who looked completely dumbfounded. They are of an age where proper art is something you find in an Art Gallery like something by the Pre Raephelites, a portrait painting or a landscape painting which you could just have easily photographed if the technology had existed. So, I think they were starting to get a bit bored at this point!
Upstairs in one of the foyers was a group of DJ's who were going to be using electronic games machines to create some original dance music. This was obviously a step too far for my parents who went back downstairs! There was also lots of old game consoles that you could have a play with which were proving very popular. I have a fond memory for some of the old consoles as I have been lucky enough to remember some of the first production models. From Colecovision, Binatone, Amiga, Atari ST, Sinclair ZX Spectrum right through to the Sega master System, Atari 2600, Sega Megadrive and on and on and on. I quite enjoyed this as I can sadly remember some of the music from my favourite games such as R-Type which had a fantastic soundtrack to it. I enjoyed seeing younger people enjoying the event as well as they are force fed so much music in general that it is good to see how the whole analogue scene started.
Back in the main hall was another 'art piece' which I thought my daughter, Sophie, would find more entertaining. Basically a series of large balloons had been set up in the hall which had small harmonicas placed in the necks so that when they were released they would play a series of notes as they rose towards the ceiling. This was quite a popular event but could have been done so much better. It was quite hard to hear anything and felt that if they had assembled groups of them together with set notes selected it could have sounded a lot better. I always find it quite strange our fascination with balloons as they always bring a smile to our faces. It could be the association with happy memories that stirs something inside us.
The final piece of the day was supposed to be a Mobile Symphonium. The idea was that anyone with a smartphone could download a certain app and then take part in an event on the main stage. This seemed like a good use of mobile technology and I was looking forward to hearing the results. The problems were various. There didn't seem to be anyone in charge directing the event properly, depending on which app you had downloaded you should have been in that particular group and finally, it was really hard to hear anything at all. They could have easily had a sound system on stage with multi leads to plug into the headphone sockets of the phones, which they all have. So what could have been a great event, fell quite flat due to lack of organisation and basic competence. It seemed such a waste in creating all these particular apps and then not utilising them properly.
Anyway, overall I enjoyed the day and I always say that you have to experience it to be able to fully comment on it. It's like a lot of similar events that promise so much but due to a lack of organisation and information, they miss the opportunity for a truly great event.
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