B L O W

An audio installation

by

Heather J. K. Leeway

assisted by

Knut Graf
Photo by Sandy Stone
This work was inspired by my ongoing interest in the technologies of sound--the unintentional and low tech as well as the carefully-prepared and high tech. It also owes a lot to John Cage; this exercise was based in "found sound." I thought of the project while trying desperately and futilely to shut out the noise of a pair of leafblowers outside my apartment. It's hard to imagine another sound which is so obnoxious yet seems to serve so little practical purpose in favor of the sheer cosmetic. However, in England, where they don't remove fallen leaves, the trains are often shut down "due to leaves," presumably on the tracks.*

In this staging, I suggested that everyone listen for the overtones which are created when the two blowers are playing simultaneously. Altering the motors' power/speed can create interesting combinations. The PVC "pan pipes" were pure experiment. Each had a slightly different vibration mechanism made from pieces of rubber gloves. A tightly attached glove fragment with a slit in the center worked best, but the gloves were easily destroyed by the intensity of the air through the tube.

While the photograph shows Knut and me, the opportunity to play was open to all, and about five others participated. So did the neighbor's dogs.

Postscript: I audiotaped this performance using single-mic to analog tape and stereo-mic to DAT tape. Someday I'll be using these tapes to create a convenient portable sound-scape. Anyone in the Austin area with a DAT player and editing software is welcome to contact me if they would like to donate some time.

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