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The 'Magic Flute' (not Mozart!) at Ars Electronica, Austria
Gary Day
I’ve talked about this experience to many different people over this past 3 years, so decided to make a post about it.
I visited Ars Electronica, Austria, in September 2012 with the wonderful @DrakeMusicOrg London. I had the great pleasure of meeting a musician called Christian Gouweleeuw and Ruud van der Wel (My Breath My Music), and for the first time, seeing an instrument called ‘The Magic Flute’ being played. (not to be confused with Mozart!)
I had seen a YouTube video some months before my visit, of an orchestra performing Beethoven’s Symphony No 9, with magic flutes and I was very intrigued due to the accessibility of this instrument.
The Magic Flute is a wind instrument (midi), offering greater expression for performance due to its dynamic capabilities and with it’s built in features means the musician can independently change the settings, e.g. the key and scale by blowing over the instruments mouth piece (sip/puff), and as it is midi compatible, the musician can select to play any type of instrument, not just flute!
So I introduced myself to Christian and we had a chat about the instrument (I think he could tell I was keen!). He asked if I played an instrument, I told him I play guitar. He pointed out that there was an acoustic in the corner and to grab it and have a jam. We didn’t know that our jam was being videoed by Christian’s father, but for me, this was a significant experience, to see how quickly and freely we played music together, just like musicians do in any jam session. More importantly, Christian had full control and independence of the instrument and settings.
The only organisation that I know of in the UK and Ireland, that currently have one of these instruments, are Music Generation, Mayo, Ireland.
Why are we not seeing more of these instruments? Is it because of the price tag?
Please let me know if you play this instrument, if you have one in your school, or if you work for an organisation that has one. I’d love to chat!
Gary Day
info@gardenofmusic.org
I visited Ars Electronica, Austria, in September 2012 with the wonderful @DrakeMusicOrg London. I had the great pleasure of meeting a musician called Christian Gouweleeuw and Ruud van der Wel (My Breath My Music), and for the first time, seeing an instrument called ‘The Magic Flute’ being played. (not to be confused with Mozart!)
I had seen a YouTube video some months before my visit, of an orchestra performing Beethoven’s Symphony No 9, with magic flutes and I was very intrigued due to the accessibility of this instrument.
The Magic Flute is a wind instrument (midi), offering greater expression for performance due to its dynamic capabilities and with it’s built in features means the musician can independently change the settings, e.g. the key and scale by blowing over the instruments mouth piece (sip/puff), and as it is midi compatible, the musician can select to play any type of instrument, not just flute!
So I introduced myself to Christian and we had a chat about the instrument (I think he could tell I was keen!). He asked if I played an instrument, I told him I play guitar. He pointed out that there was an acoustic in the corner and to grab it and have a jam. We didn’t know that our jam was being videoed by Christian’s father, but for me, this was a significant experience, to see how quickly and freely we played music together, just like musicians do in any jam session. More importantly, Christian had full control and independence of the instrument and settings.
The only organisation that I know of in the UK and Ireland, that currently have one of these instruments, are Music Generation, Mayo, Ireland.
Why are we not seeing more of these instruments? Is it because of the price tag?
Please let me know if you play this instrument, if you have one in your school, or if you work for an organisation that has one. I’d love to chat!
Gary Day
info@gardenofmusic.org
Video below of musician Christian Gouweleeuw, (magice flute) and Gary Day, (guitar) jamming at Ars Electronica, Austria 2012