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I can't imagine Seattle without the Northwest Folklife Festival. I just can't. I've been going to this 4-day, free music festival over Memorial Day weekend since I moved here in 1989 and I always see and experience something new every year.
I recently heard about something called a "hang drum" from Switzerland, which has a 2-year waiting list to buy and costs close to $2,000. I went on YouTube to hear what this instrument sounds like, and fell in love. Lo and behold, there at Folklife this year was a guy not only playing two hang drums at the same time, but didgerdoo as well. Wow. The sound was incredible, and he was strategically placed right next to a tent offering massage. Perfect.
Earlier in the day I passed by some visiting mbira players from Zimbabwe, the band Mawungira. These guys put on a great show, and are fantastic musicians. Their music is soulful and playful, and has the rhythmic complexity Shona music is known for. So beautiful.
This last photo is of a guy I've seen at Folklife before, and I wish I knew his name. He makes and plays this amazing sculpture made of metal and strings, and the sound is truly ethereal.
A friend recently told me about the TED Talks, and I'm completely hooked. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and the talks feature a wide variety of speakers on a wide variety of topics. One of which is Evelyn Glennie, a deaf percussionist from Scotland.
Evelyn Glennie's TED talk is on hearing music with your whole body, and explores the idea of music, sound-producing, and sound-receiving. I find Evelyn's sensitivity to sound and vibration fascinating, one that challenges the notion of being tone-deaf. What is tone, anyway? And can we "hear" it in other ways?
Another resource for exploring music, sound and vibration is the film, Touch the Sound. This movie features Evelyn Glennie and takes the viewer on a journey through her sensory perceptions, and offers up a whole new world in terms of experiencing music.
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