Atrium Display, Roxanne Nesbitt: Symbiotic Instruments
For my on-going project Symbiotic Instruments, I design and make sounding objects to expand the sound palette of traditional instruments. I have explored stretching strings over drums with percussive handmade bridges, and ceramic instruments played inside the grand piano. The ceramics alter the sound of the piano by muting the strings and highlighting harmonic nodes. They are also resonant percussion instruments unto themselves.
The work evolves and grows. Symbiotic Instruments started as a sonic investigation, fueled by a playful curiosity into the strange sound world of altering instruments. Now it means something more to me.
I am interested in juxtaposing the mass produced standardized, highly tuned instruments, with the intuitive work of the hand. With ceramics, this is also about bringing domestic-like objects, tools for “women’s work,” into my sound palette. By making my own instruments, I seek to divorce myself from macho, misogynistic attitudes, which still dominate avant-garde, experimental music and new instrument design.
After all, I was first impressed by ceramic sounds when cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes.
The drawings show techniques used to play the instruments and symbols I use in my scores when composing for these instruments. The symbols are part of on-going research and development of a performance lexicon. This research is indebted to drummer/ percussionist Ben Brown, and pianists Lisa Cay Miller and Cory Smythe.
Artist Bio
Trained as an architect and orchestral contrabassist, Roxanne Nesbitt is an interdisciplinary artist, investigating the space between sound and design. Her research includes contemporary classical composition, electroacoustic music, improvisation, experimental instrument design, sound installation and performance.
Recently, Roxanne has focused on her project, symbiotic instruments, where she designs, builds, and composes for “parasite-like” acoustic instruments that are played in or on existing traditional instruments. With the support of the Canada Council, Roxanne made 146 ceramic percussion instruments and composed five new pieces which were debuted, at a recent concert at the Western Front in Vancouver, Canada.
Roxanne collaborates with dancers and choreographers as a performer and composer. In January 2019, Roxanne composed a live electroacoustic score for the Biting School’s Suddenly Slaughter, presented at the PUSH festival. Roxanne also fronts her own band, Graftician as vocalist /noise maker. Recently, Graftician released the EP Mandarins, which explores the ephemerality of love and self through vivid samples, poignant lyrics, and creative orchestration. She is a member of the improvised duo, why choir alongside Juno-award winning drummer Ben Brown.
Roxanne is half-Trinidadian and residing on the unceded Coast Salish Territories aka Vancouver, Canada.