Finally the time has come. After careful consideration, I have now decided to offer an education – a
Training in sound dialogue.
The reason is that I am asked again and again:
How do you come up with the ideas for your sound objects?
How can you know what something sounds like?
Can I learn this from you?
I am willing to answer all these questions and many more, to convey an understanding of natural laws in acoustics and above all to illustrate how you can discover them yourself through experimentation. I will not supply ready building instructions for instruments, but show ways how to develop even new sound objects. In addition, I would like to introduce my methods to explore the effect of the newly created musical instruments and to enter into a sound dialogue. For this training manual or musical knowledge is not necessary. But important are open ears, an openness in the heart and uninterrupted playfulness.
The two-year training will take place 5 times a year at weekends.The aim of the training should be to gain a clearer understanding of the effect of sound and music and to develop skills to bring positive effects to the world through sound and music. Not only for sound artists but also for many other professions, the sound dialogue would be a great enrichment – for educators, nurses, teachers, therapists, craftsmen, architects, musicians, artists, etc … In the first year it will go to the development of their own sound object and second year to carry out a social-artistic project through the use of specially developed musical instruments. My dream idea is that we remain networked with each other after the two years and encourage and support each other.
If you are interested in these sentences and you are interested in training in the sound dialogue, feel free to contact me. I will tell you about costs and appointments and will try to answer your questions.
Since 1989 I have been working with sound art, experimenting with various materials, forms, with different possibilities of sound generation or resonances. I know that there is no end in sight. Because there are endless possibilities of generating acoustic sounds. So it is clear that in my life I will not come to the end of my sound research. Because I know that, and because it can be so satisfying and important not only to me but also to many others whom I come across in a resonant way, I want to get people to join in.
Many people research electronic sounds for new sounds. I’m less interested in that because I’ve always found it more exciting to conjure up sounds directly from a natural material body. As far as instrument building is concerned, the traditional way is to complete a lesson as an instrument maker and to specialize in this, for example on violins, guitars, trumpets or organs. Even in training as a musician you specialize for many years on a hard exercise path. That was not my way, because I did not want to limit myself – only on blowing, string or percussion instruments, not even in the choice of materials. In this respect, I have always been excessive and wanted to immerse myself in all imaginable sound worlds, discovering sound phenomena myself and developing and building my own sound objects and then playing them back again.
The world of sounds is without limits. And who wants to explore this, should not restrict himself in its possibilities.
Whenever I make things sound as freely as possible and at the same time attentive in a meditative attitude, I always come into the dialogue. First in the dialogue with the instrument, because I can play with a glass instrument quite differently than with a stone. And the instrument sounds back to me with completely different, very own sounds. Too often we deal with materials rather thoughtlessly, and see in you only one tool. But if we make them sound, we have the opportunity to meet. Because of the sound of the materials we learn a lot about its inner nature.
And if, in a next step, we deliberately go to one place and make music with a special instrument in order to search for resonance, it can happen that we experience it in a completely new and intense way. If, for example, I make stones sound where they come from – in a quarry or on a large rock, it is often experienced as if the instrument were the mouthpiece for the place. The resonance of the sounds reveals the essence of the place. It is indeed so. Every little or big thing on this earth has its very own sound. And about this sound it tells us about its nature and its essence. Anyone who is open can experience that everything that sounds, is animated and alive.
Even if one can move with sound and music directly into spiritual heights, it is important to me to start working at the very bottom of the physical. Research on acoustic laws is just as important as humanities research. These two areas are basically one unit. They are based on each other and justify each other. Because the understanding of acoustic laws opens up to me the mental connections. If, as usual, we separate them and do not relate them, we only encounter half-truths.
The language of music is universal. Every person – small or big, young or old, no matter which country and cultural or religious background – can understand it. But also with animals, plants, landscapes, stones or waters you can talk about music. The music always generates understanding and empathy for our counterpart. During a course, a little boy got to the point. He said a musical instrument would be the opposite of a weapon. With weapons you destroy and with music you can heal.
We live in a time when the fear of being different is being fueled more and more. The call for demarcation and building walls is getting louder. Nationalisms are rampant again. In this sense, the sound dialogue can also be an answer to burning socio-political questions. Because when we connect with each other in the sound dialogue, the fear changes into interest. And we begin to suspect that the connection of diversity enriches us and something completely new can emerge.
A weekend in the Sound Dialogue group from Friday to Sunday usually costs 180 €. The costs for the entire 2 years can change. Because it depends on what you want to develop for an instrument and how complex it will be. In addition, in the second year also on courses that I give, should be taken part in. Again, the cost varies as you see in the plan.
Training in sound dialogue
1st year: Inventing your own instrument
WE 1 starting with playing
Experiences of the effects of instruments made of different materials (stone, glass, metal, ceramic, wood, bone, etc… )
Group and individual improvisations, listening, trying out, making music, talking, traveling with the sounds, associating colors and shapes.
WE 2 how does the sound come about?
Develop an understanding of acoustic laws – The 4 Factors – Get to Know Material, Form, Resonance, and Motion.
Learning by doing
- investigate the vibration behavior of sound bodies
- which forms sound particularly good?
- how should they be stored?
- What properties does the material need to make it sound good?
- How do you play the sound objects and how can you amplify them?
- how to tune the sound body and resonators?
WE 3 out of the idea grows the shape
Development of a self-developed instrument
- Drawings at the desk
- purposeful experimentation
- Advice to the finished design
WE 4 instrument construction
Completion of an own instrument
3 participants each come to a WE and build with my help “their” instrument. The costs vary depending on the effort and must be discussed.
flexible data
WE 5 continuing to play
Mutual introduction of the newly developed sound objects and the exploration of their sound effect.
Listen, try out, make music, sound journeys, conversations
Workshop concert at the end
2nd year: social art
WE 1 sound art as social art
Develop an understanding, when does a sound dialogue emerge? Practical exercise. Dialogues with the instrument, the place, the time and the fellow musicians
How do you create resonances about the music? Change of narration, questions, listening, experiencing, interacting with nature.
Presentation of different modules. At least in 3 of them should be participated.
- Observation on courses for children, disabled or old people (free of charge)
- Participation in sound and listening in nature
- Observation of courses for refugees with final concert (free of charge)
- Participation in Klangreisen in the Sinai, to China or to Estonia
- Participation in evenings of listening (free of charge)
WE 2 as a group in the sound dialogue
Practice building sound dialogues. Send the sound as a carrier wave for other information (positive feelings or love, prayers ..)
- People, places sonicating with the endeavor to do something positive (historical places like ting places, old Nazi buildings or in places, which suffer from environmental pollution)
- turning the noise into music with a vacuum cleaner, in a place in the industrial area or on a highway)
- Exchange of ideas about own sound project
WE 3 from the idea emerges the form
Develop a sound project yourself.
- Bring ideas and designs
- mutual representation in groups of
- Refuel with courage
- Collect ideas for the final project
Homework: Performing and documenting your own project (via photos, films, sound recordings or in writing) or preparing the large final project with me.
WE 4 in dialogue opens the world
Presentation and reflection of own projects and realization of the big project event.
- Sound dialogists show their instruments
- Exhibition of own projects
- Large-scale project: eg concert involving the public on boats in the middle of the Laacher See
KLANGKUNST FASSBENDER
Eisenbahnstr. 6
D 51545 Waldbröl
Tel: 0049 (0) 2291-808651
Fax: 0049 (0) 2291-808675