In this RTV episode, Jarryd Lowder performs his multimedia work, Autoharp, and discusses the importance of indeterminacy in his music.
In his performance of the enigmatical Autoharp, the vibrating strings of Lowder’s original instrument are picked up live and visually amplified onto a screen, while other images (rotating numbers) appear mysteriously between the beat frequencies (like those on a film soundtrack). The strings trigger viola, guitar, and mandolin samples. Following this gradually unfolding piece, Lowder explains how improvisation and chance elements helped him keep the work fresh to himself after long hours of working on it, how he freed himself from classical music, and how he became involved with computers, programming, and interactive computer art. Following the tradition of musician-performers who integrates scientific instruments and discoveries into their art (such as Alvin Lucier’s brainwave piece, and works by Paul Di Marinis, Maryanne Amacher, David Tudor, Ron Kuivila, Tom Zahuranec, and others), Lowder discusses a new piece involving the detection of epiglottal movement.
Aired on rTV: 2000
Performance date: 12/04/1999
Episode digital release date: 05/07/2010
Host: Phoebe Legere
Produced by Jim Staley
Jarryd Lowder is a video artist and musician, based in New York City. He is the recipient of a Jerome Grant for emerging artists, has created his sui generis video installation works and performances for venues throughout the world including the PixelAche Festival in Helsinki (Finland), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon (France), the MYV Video Music Awards, the Transamerica ’99 Festival (San Francisco), and the Circulo de Bellas Artes (Madrid).