'CMT creates: music' live at Thingamajigs

Well who'd have thought it? A couple of hundred people showed up to see us perform all our instruments as part of the Music For People and Thingamajigs Festival. For a moment, we were famous. I got to tell all those people about CMT and then got to have more fun than is imaginable with a load of old junk and a lot of friends! 


There is no doubt that this was a huge success and so full of energy because of the many people that came together to make it happen. The collaborative creativity is what keeps this project fresh and experimental, once again I'm amazed with what we achieved and feel like it has reached it's next level (not that I know where it's heading). 


The composition brings these somewhat brash and disparate instruments together in an unexpected beauty. I have received a lot of positive feedback from people that I highly respect in this niche of instrument building in the Bay Area, but even people who have never intended to sit through a new music concert told me about their fascination with the piece, how they were captivated with the authentic experience of watching these big machines visually making the sounds that are heard.


This is praise indeed and I'll take it with pleasure! The project goes on, something will happen next and hopefully with it more people will become involved, but until then please have a look at our video of the performance (below) and share it around. 


The piece is called - . - . - - - [which is morse-code for CMT, and also the signature theme in the 3rd movement]...

Interactive Instruments - Performance #2

Wow!

Friday night was over-whelming and an incredible success. Claire & I were invited by Thingamajigs to present two of the project instruments (Sound Swing & Bubble Organ) at a DIY art street festival called SubZERO. Let's just say that we had no idea what a big deal this was...

We set them up in a deserted street with a number of other artists. Then all of a sudden, 6 hours had passed and something like 1000 complete strangers had played, discussed and listened to our instruments.

Here it is in full swing:

(the woman playing the glass jars on the approach is Danishta Rivero - really interesting music)


Between us we spoke to pretty much everyone who stopped by, whilst showing how to use the instruments to make new sounds. We were amazed and delighted at how truly captivated people were with these creations, which subsequently served as perfect social objects to talk about CMT and the project. We let people interested in more information take postcards, which ended up being hundreds from a complete age range. It even got to the point where people were actually coming back to find us a second time.

This is the postcard: (double-sided)

Come the end we were past exhaustion and filled with enthusiasm, being not quite sure what just happened. CMT awareness was definitely raised in a very positive way, and I can only hope that we inspired some inventing & experimentation over the weekend.

Performing Progress

INSTRUMENTS
post by Tim Phillips

The production of instruments is still very much on the go, but to celebrate the New Year we had a small performance with four of the experimental instruments and a saxophone.

Neither the sounds or picture quality are great, but there should be plenty of enthusiasm to keep you entertained. Please check it out, share it around.

We’re still collecting money and nearly at our goal of $5000, any help to get there appreciated: www.firstgiving.com/timjohnphillips

There is still a bigger exhibit/performance in the works featuring all the instruments – I’ll let you know when it’s coming… (these things take time).

Walking is one of the biggest conundrums with CMT, special devices called AFO's (Ankle Foot Orthotics) help solve it. Here’s a video a friend of mine made that does a great job in showing just what those AFO’s do. Thanks Geoff. (Tim)

CHARCOT MARIE TOOTH
post by Geoff the CMT drummer