Suspension of Disbelief

for bass flute with suspended objects

In Suspension of Disbelief (2019), the human agency of a bass flutist is transferred through delicate motions of fingers on the instrument keys. The performer wears a set of rings on the front digits of their fingers. Attached to these rings are a series of metal chains and strings with glass objects, and these suspended items interact with a collection of objects that sit on a table below the performer. The flutist becomes capable of improvising with both air and percussive elements. The prepared instrument draws together the agency of air and finger motions, and the performer’s spatial positioning above the table determines the different tones and sounds of the percussive objects.

Suspension of Disbelief (2019) was performed by the composer and recorded at IMERSD Studio, QCGU by Tangible Media (video) and Steve Thornely (audio).