VIDEO: Organamatronic Performs at Maker Faire

Many who attended last weekend's Bay Area were transfixed by the dreamy and otherworldly sounds coming out of standing speakers on either side of a glass booth located at the edge of the San Mateo Event Center's Expo Building.

Inside were Half Moon Bay resident Michael La Guardia and Santa Cruz resident Delaney Parker, each one half of Organamatronic, a duo that uses traditional and handmade instruments, found/altered objects and a computer to produce the music that attracted a consistent set of onlookers fascinated by the group's participatory approach to making music.

"HI!," was written on the window in black marker next to the desk where Parker sat with his MacBook Pro, turning knobs on an adjacent sound board and looking back on the computer as he remixed the music. Parker also plays synthesizers and percussion. "Point to an instrument and we'll play it," the script continued alongside the bottom of the window. 

As onlookers of all ages pointed among the approximately 40 objects inside the booth, La Guardia would start to "play," or create sounds with the chosen item. "Many of these we made, several we found or appropriated from their normal usage," La Guardia said.

Despite intent concentration on the music, both he and Parker consistently interacted with the audience using hand gestures and smiles to communicate past the glass. Frequently, each invited individuals to choose what instrument or item to play next.

Before launching into each piece, Delaney and La Guardia decide on a time signature as a foundation. For their performances at the Maker Faire, the duo didn't have any set plan as to how long each piece would last, given they had the time and space to play for the entire length of the fair.

"We would play until we were tired," La Guardia said, "and then take a break."

"One of the contiguous pieces we did today lasted for almost two hours," LaGuardia said on Sunday. "Delaney complained that I had made him work in 5/4 time for two hours straight," La Guardia joked.

In total, La Guardia estimated that he and Parker played for seven hours on Saturday and five hours on Sunday.

"We both think that the weekend succeeded in this beyond our wildest imagination," La Guardia reflected on Sunday night, adding that the experience was "fun and gratifying."

"We wanted to do this event as an opportunity to get what we're doing out to a broader and appreciative audience," he said.

"I think back to one woman who literally hugged our PA [speaker] when she heard the sounds we were making and walked away giving us a heart sign, or the smiles on all of the faces as we asked people to help us choose what instruments to play next," La Guardia said.

Instruments played by Organamatronic during Maker Faire 2011:

Modular analog synthesizer

Harp kora

PVC tube instrument

Ceramic shaker

Samba whistle

High and low D Irish whistles

PVC flute

Acoustic and electric Guitar, with two home made effects boxes ("The guitar was also run through the synth." - Michael)

Mandolin

Wooden drum

Accordion

Two didgeridoos

Three kalimbas

Shekere

Two jaw harps

Two triangles

Gong

Cymbals

Two sets of claves

Marimba

Two cowbells

Square bell

Ocarina 

Wine glasses

Ginger beer bottle

Two containers of nuts

Socket wrench

Screw driver

Coke can

Paint brush ("To our surprise it made a fantastic bass drum sound" - Michael)

Eraser 

Drinking straw

Click to watch "Opus Organamatronic," a second (and extended) video of Organamatronic performing at the 2011 Bay Area Maker Faire on May 22.

Download the movie