more wierd wood with sound...

well, it seems fitting to return from working with wood and sound on an architectural scale, to discover the mammoth zobo phunnygraph in an old zobo musical instrument broadside circa 1900 that was waiting for me in my po box. the zobo musical instrument family was made by the j. and p. myers company in nyc, and consisted of a series of kazoo type instruments shaped like real brass instruments - including a 27 inch long "slide trombone".

along with a listing of different zobo instruments, the broadside has suggestions for military band, bicycle band, female college quartet, and the amazing funny organ (which includes a 10 foot by 9 foot cardboard printed paper image of a pipe organ that a "zobo band" can stand behind).

of course, the phunnygraph is the most amazing of the bunch - a crude richard tuttle-esque replica of an early phonograph made with a soap crate, a wooden packing box, and a pasteboard megaphone. the band should be stationed hidden inside the thing, while one person stands outside turning the crank (it's too bad they don't have suggestions on how to make a mammoth surrogate 78!). the whole thing looks a lot like one of russolo's "intonorumori" (and 5 kids and a gaggle of kazoos could probably give russolo the kind of noise-scape he was after).

i'm thinking/hoping there is somehow a connection to this room size sound projecting space and the things i've just finished in the post below... or perhaps it will end up as partial fodder for the next project...