Information
Timo Toots >
»Cell phone symphony«, 2009
Co-Workers & Funding:
Timo TootsCO-AUTORS:
Riin Rõs, Eve Arpo, Lauri Eltermaa
Youmustrelax.ee
http://works.timo.ee/cell-phone-symphony/
Technology
Hardware
150 cell phones with SIM-cardsMIDI keyboard
computer
Software
MaxMSP for front endscript for Skype API by Aqris
Skype for calling
Descriptions & Essays
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.
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. [Timo Toots]
Literature
Exhibitions & Events