Found Sound Ensemble; Serene Music

Up-cycled, repurposed kitchen bowl instruments. Four racks of microtonal resonant bowl instruments played by a quartet of Laurier teachers. ‘Microtonal’ means unusual tunings which can drastically change how one hears harmony and melodic lines. The music is also ‘micro-sonic.’ The bowls are rich in harmonic contents that can normally only be heard with ones ear close to the bowl. Numerous microphones are set up to amplify and project these sounds. The music has roots in Indonesian Gamelan, and 20th century composer and instrument inventor, Harry Partch.
Tuning systems completely change the harmonic colour of music. Listeners are almost exclusively raised on 12-tone equal temperament tuning system. It is only one tuning system amongst thousands. Close microphones show the bowls’ rich and idiosyncratic colours. The four players supplement the bowls with specialty instruments. Bruce Gremo is the composer, instrument builder and performer and doubles on glissando flute. Zhang Li performs bowls and Chinese erhu. Laura Burke performs bowls and digital keyboard where she demonstrates unconventional tunings. Percussionist Max Lindsay demonstrates percussion virtuosity in improvised solos.
FSE encourages and aids in listening to the richness of sounds found in all objects. We are always already in a multi-harmonic-universe! Perhaps another way of saying multi-cultural!