Ice Follies 2010

Barry Prophet, Sound Booth, 2010

Sound Booth is a site-specific wind sensitive sound art installation created by Barry Prophet for Ice Follies 2010 in North Bay. An 8ft x 8ft x 8ft high Ice Fishing Hut type structure will be modified to receive four 16ft long resonators, one extending off each wall. The interior of each resonator will be structurally enhanced with materials that are vibrated by wind to produce flapping, buzzing, whirring sounds, and by using the wind’s energy to mechanically activate sound generating devices such as the Aeolian harp, siren, whistle and rotary clapper drum. Visitors to the installation will enter the hut to hear the wind transformed into sonorous scapes of the Northern Winter.

The North and South resonators will be fastened to 6in. square internal wall openings flaring to 4ft. square external openings 16ft. out from the hut. The East and West resonators will be fastened to 4ft. square internal wall openings tapering to 6 in. at the 8ft point and then flaring to 4ft. at the external opening. (Please see Sound Booth PDF) The final compass orientation of the structure will be decided once specific sound generators have been determined and assessment of prevailing winds is complete.

The logic behind the 2 stage shape of the East/West resonators is to capture a large volume of air at the exterior opening and channel it into a narrow focus onto sound generators before distance and surface friction has diminished it’s force. Once sound is generated at the resonators’ midpoints (8ft.), the resulting sound will be amplified by the megaphone effect of the resonator’s opening flaring to 4ft. square at the hut’s interior wall openings.

The North/South resonators will have sound generators positioned near the exterior openings to take advantage of maximum wind power. The sound will then travel a narrowing tunnel of approximately 14 more feet through to the interior wall openings (6 in. square), which should produce interesting reverberations and other acoustic phenomenon.

The East/West resonators will be centered off the 10ft. walls. Doorways will be on the North & South walls. Resonator construction will be of ½” G1S SPF plywood and 2”x2” SPF. Resonator bracing will be 2”x4” SPF. The exterior of Sound Booth will be painted black, the interior of the resonators and the hut will be white.

Some visitors to Sound Booth may want to explore the acoustic properties of the installation using voice and banging on the sides of the resonators. With this in mind, care will be taken to ensure the structure can withstand the rigors of public exploration. Sound Booth is a sound sculpture to be enjoyed through interaction and observation aurally and visually, inside and out.

Artist Bio:

Barry Prophet is a composer, percussionist, instrument maker, sculptor, poet and playwright whose sonic creations have appeared in galleries, theatres and concert halls in Canada, United States and Europe. Creating unique sounds since 1979, he has composed and performed for.45.3, Jabberwok Full Theatre Co., Basic Elements and Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (USA) and Necessary Angel Theatre Co where he was also the resident playwright from 1979 – 1981.

Since 1983 he has exhibited and performed upon his percussion sculptures at the Ontario Science Centre, Science North, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Rendezvous International Sculpture Symposium, Algoma Gallery, Thunder Bay Art Gallery , Pekao Gallery, Astrolab Theatre, Art Gallery of Windsor, Harbourfront Gallery, Mississauga Living Arts Centre, Canadian Sculpture Centre and Hart House. His micro tonally tuned glass lithophones have been featured in performances at the Ontario Crafts Council, Music Gallery, Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum , The Tree Museum, and numerous schools and festival venues.

Barry has led traditional and experimental percussion and world music programs for students and educators across Canada for over twenty years. He is the director of the Music Gallery Institute, the educational wing of the Music Gallery, Toronto , one of Canada ‘s longest running presenters of new and unusual music. MGI offers courses for adults and families in Creative Percussion and Computer Assisted Music, and special Professional Development programs for school teachers every summer.