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workspace for experimental music and sound art
residency
01/04/2021 - 30/04/2021

During this month I will experiment with tuning and different techniques of the diatonic harmonica. My fascination for the this instrument started more than a decade ago when I brought one on a hitchhiking trip, being it the only harmonic instrument I could fit in my pocket. I would like to create a group of pieces, or a collective improvisation practice that can be inclusive for more or less experienced players, inspired also by the work of Pauline Oliveros. One can play harmonica anywhere, learn without taking lessons and it is the most affordable instrument to buy. The harmonica’s technique is very much based on subtle rhythmical and timbrical variations connected to the player’s breathing. This is something I want to take as a starting point and experiment with, also in bigger groups. I would like to research on the instrument’s tuning. Although it is not specifically advertised, these
instruments implement different tunings: from equal temperament to 7-limit Just Intonation to different examples of compromised tunings between the two. The diatonic harmonica is also easier to tune without so much pre-knowledge, filing or adding weight with solder to the reeds. I imagine a kind of meditative music for custom tuned instruments, investigating textures like combination tones through bends, overblows and overtones or hand resonances, and staggering breathing rhythms.

SOUNDS
Sebastian Dingens - WALKS
Pavel Tchikov 29/11/23
Nika Son - Scatter


Q-O2 is supported by the Flemish Community, VGC and Creative Europe
Q-O2
Koolmijnenkaai 30-34
B-1080 Brussels
info@q-o2.be