The Vibrating Drum - developing a practice for the modern percussionist

Ingar Zach

Over the last 60 years, contemporary percussionists have been investigating the potential of their instruments beyond established classical techniques, making use of a variety of preparations and techniques, additional electronic amplification and manipulation, and alternative setups. In my artistic research project The Vibrating Drum, I apply my background as a percussionist working in various experimental disciplines towards a consideration of how the vibrating speaker (the transducer) can be used to produce sustained sounds. Over the course of my project, I have assembled a haptic system comprising vibrating speakers in contact with the drum skin, small amplifiers, and iPads, that allows me to create and develop new artistic works for percussion. My methodology entails giving a series of solo concerts, where I present different versions of the setup and material from my ongoing research. I have also introduced my material in collaborative projects and explored how vibrating material interacts with specific acoustic spaces. To produce my formal artistic results, I edited and structured the recorded material, which resulted in two solo albums, a video installation, and a final concert. The aim of this research is to broaden my own practice and to offer a tool for modern percussionists, composers, educators, and others for whom my research and approach would be relevant in the future.