Tim's Vibroacoustic Music Research
Tim Baker
Musician, Inclusive Facilitator and Sound Artist
Tim provides an update on his Vibroacoustic Music research, which is supported by Arts Council England’s Develop Your Creative Practice program.
A few weeks ago I consulted with the sensational Dame Evelyn Glennie, who shared her thoughts on the project, the technology and how to approach the creation and application of such work. She listened to a number of experiments I had made for use with SubPacs, and helped me determine what worked and was worth developing further, as well as what didn’t work well for her and why. I will be consulting with her again in a few months, and finally at the end of the project, to share the results and work out next steps.
I also consulted with Deaf DJ “Kikazaru”, who uses a SubPac as a monitoring device while performing. We had a fantastic conversation about the “secret world of sound” in the lower frequencies, a dimension of sound that often gets ignored even though it is by far the most physical area of the frequency spectrum. His familiarity with the SubPac helped me to understand more about how it works and how best to use it, and he offered extremely useful insight into how to incorporate access into the project.
In the last few days of January I borrowed some more SubPacs from Surface Area Dance in Newcastle, hired space at Dubrek Studios in Derby and invited a handful of musicians and artists to join me in exploring different approaches to making VAM. Pete Beardsworth, an extremely skilled disabled musician and producer from Nottingham, helped me explore composition and performance techniques. Professor Andrew Hugill, a hearing impaired and neurodivergent composer and music educator from Leicestershire, provided insight into hearing types beyond simply hearing or deaf, as well as discussing possibilities for the development of a “lexicon of affect” to aid composition. Derby’s own hearing impaired bassist, Nick Arran, explored the effectiveness of bass guitar within this medium of music. Its very effective, as it turns out. Finally, disabled painter, poet and musician David Alexander from Birmingham joined me to explore how instruments that use higher frequencies, such as the harmonica, could be utilised for this work.
Then, on the evening of Saturday 1st February, I offered a chance for members of the public to come and experience the pieces that we had made. I was absolutely thrilled with the response. In total, 24 people offered themselves as guinea pigs, so I hooked them up in turn to the 3 SubPacs and pressed play. Reactions ranged from excited amazement, to meditive states of calm. Lots of conversations emerged around topics such as therapeutic and medical applications, the nature of sound and music, and what the next steps of this project might be. I thoroughly enjoyed the four days and learned so much. For me, it has confirmed that this is an area of music worth spending time developing, as the experience for both creators and listeners is so unique, educational and therapeutic.
In the next couple of months I am on tour with Bamboozle Theatre, though I will continue working on VAM and planning the next stages when I can find time. Once I am back, I will be kicking off again with an extended period of collaborative exploration, before exhibiting the best of what’s been created via a public sharing event in May/June (keep an eye out for details over the next few weeks). I’m making plans to collaborate with DeMontfort University, sensory equipment manufacturers ROMPA, Leicester-based Deaf creative Jackie Perkins, as well as inviting back some of the artists I have already worked with.
For now, keep an eye on my Instagram @niwidmusic for regular updates, and please do send me an email or give me a call if you have any questions, or would like to talk about the project or your involvement.
Wishing you good vibrations!