Cell phone symphony

The spatial musical instrument is constructed of old mobile phones donated by people and a MIDI keyboard.

Listen the recording of the performance in Estonian Concert Hall.

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The musician plays the keyboard and the phones ring composing a concert of visuals and sound.

The “members of the orchestra” are collected from people and places over Estonia. For example from 84 year old lady from Tallinn or from little boy from Valga County who donated the phone at the Singing Festival in Tallinn. The campaign has been around Estonia and not only the people but also different organizations have donated phones. 300 phones were gathered, but only half of them were working.

The collection of phones shows the preferences of people and moods of times. There are ringing sounds from the first of cell phones and from the latest polyphonic phones.

The Mobile Symphony has been performed outdoors at Leigo Festival in the countryside of Estonia and in indoors in Estonian Concert Hall in Tallinn and Plektrum Festival in Estonian Art Museum KUMU.

The software is actually calling the phones while the musician plays the keys.

The project is a cooperation with a group You Must Relax. My part in the group was developing the live performance interface to the calling software.

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RECORDINGS

Recording of a performance in Estonia Concert Hall by Andrew McKenzie.

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EMT, the Estonian telecom company recorded the KUMU performance from the cell towers.

Mobile symphony featured in Estonian Television (Skip to 15:52)

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DOCUMENTATION

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CO-AUTORS:
Riin Rõõs, Eve Arpo, Lauri Eltermaa
Youmustrelax.ee

PERFORMANCES:
14.-15. august 2009. at Leigo Järvemuusika
15. september 2009. in Estonia Concert Hall
26. september 2009. in KUMU at festival Plektrum.

PRESS
“Kunstnikud vajavad mobiilisümfooniaks 500-1000 telefoni”, Postimees (in Estonian)
“Leigol sünnib uutmoodi sümfoonia”, uuseesti.ee (in Estonian)
“Leigol jätkus üllatusi”, Sirp (in Estonian)
“Kuidas taskutelefonid sümfoonia välja pigistasid”, Õhtuleht (in Estonian)

HARDWARE:
150 cell phones with SIM-cards
MIDI keyboard
computer

SOFTWARE:
MaxMSP for front end
script for Skype API by Aqris
Skype for calling

THANKS:
Aqris – Skype scripts
Skype
Andrew McKenzie – recording
Leigo, EMT, Kultuurkapital