2010: phog masheen

Masterminded by composer Mark Soden Jr., phog masheeen performances integrate live video-mixes performed by visual artist William Almas in connection with the composer’s own acoustic and electronic presentation. Soden’s new work will be presented by Dr. Francene Kaplan and Soden himself on percussion and aerophones.

Dr. Kaplan’s percussion instruments are chosen from common objects that have unique resonant properties. Of the aerophones used by Mark Soden, some are recognizable (i.e. a trumpet) and some are handmade from re-purposed vehicle parts. Aerophones operate through exploiting the resonant nodes of open pipe resonance. Mark Soden and phog masheeen use not only these physical properties of open pipe resonance, but also the physical attributes of metal dealing with heat and cold, plus the mechanical sounds of each instrument and various objects applied to it.

phog masheen (a.k.a. Mark Soden) graduated from San Francisco State University in 1977, earning a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Creative Arts, with an emphasis in electronic music and film. In his original music he uses processed trumpet, groovebox and laptop as source material, emphasizing the sounds of the springs, valves and pipe of his trumpet by means of contact and condenser microphones small enough to fit in the tubing of the horn. Sounds of rushing hot air, clanking metal and vibrating springs are all revealed to have an important say in the sound of the instrument.

Artist (photo by Photographer)