| Through musical, kinetic and sculptural performance and recordings, MASS Ensemble seeks to explore the healing qualities of the Arts. Through the universal language of its performances and recordings, along with artistic collaborations, they hope to reach people of many cultures and backgrounds. The MASS Ensemble creates sight specific works that hold their inspiration in the sacred qualities found in the landscapes and cultures of the Earth. The goal of the MASS Ensemble is to travel to these various sacred environments and create collaborative works that are partially inspired by the place and the culture. The fruits of the experience are then offered to the world in the form of performances, recordings, documentation, and museum exhibits. |
The Long Bows lend a fluid/dynamic physicality to the kinetic elements of the performance. Choreography is created through the act of playing on and around the giant sculptural instruments. The instruments and performers meld together to allow the audience to experience the music on several different levels. The intricate symphonic sounds of the Long Bows are akin to an electronic harp or violin. The combination of Cello, flute, sculptural drums, castanets, movement/ dance, and other invented instruments, provide / create an eclectic experience. The music becomes a tonal canvas which the performers activate through movement.
are an experience of creation through interaction. The viewers
discover and manipulate the sonic and kinetic qualities of the work, allowing them to become composer,
player, performer and audience. Bill Close has developed the interactive aspects with a focus on
creating situations in which a fairly simple action creates a complex, harmonious sound. For instance, with
the Long String Sculptures or the Sonic Radiance Installation, one only has to run their hands along
the extremely long strings to achieve a sound resembling a chorus of violins, then moving up or down
the string they will discover other interesting timbres that tend to sound more like an orchestral
brass section. The work is designed for multiple players. All the instruments are tuned together in
a penatonic scale, which allows any tone being played to harmonize with any other tone. Through
the sculptures, the participants gain confidence as they find simple ways to create well- rounded
sonic harmony, which offers them means to experiment with this improvisational form of
communication. People have the chance to listen to each other and respond to each other. They communicate and
create together through the sculptures.
The work also offers the viewer a medium that bridges Art and Science. As one explores a sculpture
/ instrument or installation, they are exposed to numerous acoustics principles. The work examines
the nature of harmony, harmony as related to chord structure as well as the harmonics within a pitch.
For instance, when the Trinity Drone is activated, the harmonic range of a single note is discovered
by lightly touching different parts of the string. The multiple string tuning structures explore
consonance with the occasional dissonance. The depth of the work keeps it accessible to all ages and musical
and artistic backgrounds. People play, learn and create together, using the universal language of tone.
The MASS Ensemble is a unique musical performance. It is influenced by an eclectic mix of
contemporary classical, eastern music, world music, flamenco, primal rhythms, ethnic folk music,
Baroque and Renaissance music, along with ambient music as well. The compositions explore tonal and
melodic dynamics which reference classical genres and music from different cultures. MASS explores
globally conscious themes within their work, offering the audience a poetic experience that relates to
the overall well being of the global community.
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WORKSHOPS...
The MASS Ensemble offers a unique workshop entitled the
Healing Qualities of Sound and Movement. The Participants are taken through an experience that
explores the human relationship to tone, tonal harmonics and rhythm. The experience is grounded into the
body through movement. The workshop consists of a number of exciting exercises and tools, including
the unique qualities of the Long Bow instruments and Cello. These elements link up sound and
movement, offering new insight for people of all ages.
The Power of Rhythm Focuses on exploring simple and complex rhythm
structures and how they are used in the context of percussion, vocalization, drum - dance, flamenco studies,
and structured improvisations.
Instrument and Sound sculpture Creation is based on a
curriculum created by the groups' instrument builder, Bill Close. The participants explore form and support
structures that can be used to create string-based instruments. Each participant completes their own
great sounding instrument / sound sculpture.
Kinetic Exploration - Participants in this workshop, will explore their kinetic
potential and awareness using elements of dance, space/time/effort, contact improvisation, and voice /body.
Skills & tools such as rolling, falling, playing, sensing, listening, giving/taking weight, balance,
alignment, strengthening, and flexibility, will be the building blocks for exploring the natural relationship
between body / mind / spirit. |
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The focus of Bill Close's work lies in the artistic and scientific exploration of sound/music through the sculptural form. He
combines these areas of interest to create free standing Interactive Sonic Sculptures as well as Interactive Sound Sculpture Installations,
which often use an element of the architecture or landscape as part of their structure. The work is approached with a musical
sensibility that transforms the sculptures into large scale musical instruments. The sculptures and installations are built using metal
fabrication techniques that supplies the work with the durability it needs to withstand the consistent viewer interaction. A variety of hard
woods are also used for their warm resonant quality in both the sonic and the visual domain. The work is based around the use of the
"string" as a sound creation source. I create solo and ensemble based musical compositions for the sculptural stringed instruments.
Through my research of the resonant quality of strings, I have found new methods and materials that produce unique and interesting
timbre of tone and have created sonic experiences that can only be found within my work.
The sculptures/instruments and installations are an experience of creation through interaction. The viewers discover and manipulate the sonic and kinetic qualities of the work, allowing them to become composer, player, performer and audience. Close has developed the interactive aspects with a focus on creating situations in which a fairly simple action creates a complex, harmonious sound. For instance, with the Long String Sculptures or the Sonic Radiance Installation, one only has to run their hands along the extremely long strings to achieve a sound resembling a chorus of violins, then moving up or down the string they will discover other interesting timbres that tend to sound more like an orchestral brass section. The work is designed for multiple players. All the instruments are tuned together in a penatonic scale, which allows any tone being played to harmonize with any other tone. Through the sculptures, the participants gain confidence as they find simple ways to create well- rounded sonic harmony, which offers them means to experiment with this improvisational form of communication. People have the chance to listen to each other and respond to each other. They communicate and create together through the sculptures. Bill's work also offers the viewer a medium that bridges Art and Science. As one explores a sculpture / instrument or installation they are exposed to numerous acoustics principles. The work examines the nature of harmony, harmony as related to chord structure as well as the harmonics within a pitch. For instance, when the Trinity Drone is activated the harmonic range of a single note is discovered by lightly touching different parts of the string. The multiple string tuning structures explore consonance with the occasional dissonance. The depth of the work keeps it accessible to all ages and musical and artistic backgrounds. People playing, learning and creating together using the universal language of tone. The installations / instruments also become an arena for performance. Close collaborates with other musicians and artists to create musical performances that utilize the sculptures/instruments. The elements of sound, music, sculpture, lighting and movement come together to create. We have formed the MASS Ensemble (Movement And Sonic Sculpture), around these ideas. By combining interactive sound sculpture and the human element, we weave sound and movement into a rhythmic and tonal canvas. The physical nature of our work is evoked by the large scale of the instruments in relation to the person. Close works closely with Tatiana Sanchez, who helps guide both the music and the movement that is created out of the pieces. They work together within the MASS Ensemble as well as creating a series of duets that we often perform within Installations. The collaborative duet works draw upon the sculptural and musical background that Close has pursued, while combining with Tatiana¹s background in movement, dance and music. They have been working together to develop the playing technique, choreography and musical compositions that surround the Close Long Bows, for over three years. Their work has flourished within the context of their duets, which are directly related to the inspirational success of the MASS Ensemble. |
The Monthly Aspectarian: Bill, I saw your performance at the end of the Whole Life Expo in Rosemont
recently. It was really fascinating. I especially like how you have blended the different modalities. How did this all start?
Bill Close: It started with Tatiana Sanchez and I working with some people to see if we could combine these
giant longstrings I created with some of her dance — and found it worked out. It really started with trying to
combine the sculpture and the dance and the music of it. A lot of that then took off into mostly refining, finding the
right balance, because it's really kind of a tricky combination. The key is to get the dance to be integrated with
the scrulptural instruments as well as with the music. We're still sort of finding that balance.
A real important step came when I started working with Joey Harvey, who studied baroque cello, is classically
trained and has his Masters in cello. We started working together with the longbow, the longstrings, and we found the
cello and longstring really are very akin to each other, have a great deal of things in common in terms of their
musical tambour and harmonics and how they weave in and out of one another. One of the things that's very nice
about the cello is that it is sort of an underlying low-end thing; it is sort of activites the energies of the lower chakra
whereas the longbows tend to have all these harmonics that roll off the top of them that tend to accent and activate
some of the higher higher chakra points.
TMA: So there is a metaphysical component to all this.
BC: Yes, but nothing too specific. We believe in the art as being a real healing format for humanity. We sort of
do it unconsciously. We're not stretching ourselves as healers necessarily but if that's something that people take
from the work, that's great.
TMA: I saw a couple of short pieces out in the lobby at the Whole Life Expo and was not sure if it was more
than a curiosity. Then I saw a longer performance that showed the visual component to the whole effect. You've really
got something.
BC: What's nice with the longer pieces is that they allow the audiences to really go for a journey. There's
enough time to take them in through the music and then, thinking about the overall piece in that longer length of time, it
allows them to start out in one place and end up in a different place.
TMA: Perhaps you could briefly describe the longbow for our readers. And how did you come to invent it?
BC: It's a 25-foot long stringed instrument that is played with resin-covered gloves and is different from a
plucked instrument in that in the way it's played, there are compression waves that are created in any string. This is
actually the vibration that occurs in the molecules in each string. So it's a different timbre than any other plucked
instrument. Its design comes alive — I'm a sculptor by training; I studied sculpture at the Art Institute — and so the design
comes a lot out of sculptural facility as well as looking at sailboats, looking at the suspension systems, some
architecture... there were a lot of inspirations.
TMA: It seems to be an electronic instrument. If it's not plugged in, can you hear it?
BC: Yes, you can. It's acoustic in nature and we amplify it.
TMA: So your background was really more as an artist than as a musician?
BC: I did study some musical composition so I've really been enjoying both.
TMA: The Ensemble seems to be quite a collaborative effort.
BC: It really is. And that's really the key to the Ensemble, that we have everybody a virtuoso in their own field,
and that's the key. Tatiana is a renowned modern dancer in her own right. She's danced with Mordine & Company
Dance Theatre, the Hedwig Company and a bunch of the big companies here in town. She's a very fine musician. Holly
Quinn is a dancer and musician who's done a lot with different companies and educating people about dance; and she
comes more from a dance-theatrical basis and brings that side of things to it. Then we have Luke Rothchild who is
a percussionist and a painter. He's a very colorful individual who really brings both the visual arts and the musical
arts together. And then Joey Harvey, as I was saying, is a trained baroque cellist — so he brings his virtuoso from
that medium. And I'm combining music and scuplture. So we all are trying to bring what we have to offer to it.
his virtuoso from that medium. And I'm combining music and scuplture. So we all are trying to bring what we
have to offer to it.
TMA: I understand you're stringing some large buildings.
BC: Yes, first of all we're going to be stringing the lobby of the Museum of Contemporary Art. We're turning
that whole lobby area into a giant stringed instrument. The lobby installation and performances are going to be on
December 5th and 6th and December 19th and 20th.
TMA: How long will the strings be?
BC: I think they're going to end up being about 70 feet.
TMA: Have you done even bigger ones than that?
BC: We've done strings 105 feet long. The only thing you can relate it to is a bassoon. There are all these rich
harmonics that happen.
Besides working with the MASS Ensemble, Bill Close produces a variety of large scale interactive sound sculpture
/ instrument environments. These installations have been exhibited at galleries and museums such as the Museum
of Contemporary Art Chicago, Illinois State Museum and South Bend Regional Museum of Art. He has also
completed multiple commissions for organizations such as Chicago Childrens Museum and Gallery 37 Chicago. Close also
runs a variety series of music and instrument inventing and building workshops and residencies for all ages. He is
presently in residency/teaching with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He believes in bringing artistic mediums
and people together, in order to pursue the lessons offered by the science and poetry of sight and
sound.
Contact the MASS Ensemble by mail or phone at MASS, 1915 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL 60608, 312/ 312-243-2366
or by email at mass@suba.com.
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