Have you heard about ice musical instruments? If not, get ready to be astonished.
The last place you would expect a music concert would be in the middle of the ice, and even if you did, the last instrument you would imagine is the ice itself! Across the Arctic, composer and percussionist TerjeIsungset draw attention worldwide by creating fine music through ice blocks. Isungset, who experimented with natural elements like stone and wood for composing music, his foray into ice was an organic next leap.
With hundreds of concerts, including the 2017 Nobel Banquet, he has recorded eight albums under the All Ice Records label.
So what exactly is ice music? It is basically Musicians taping to naturally occurring ic. Many of the instruments may seem familiar, but with ice music, nature takes centre stage. The uniqueness of making and playing the device cannot be fully controlled, which adds to its appeal.
Creating The Instrument-
A carved instrument can be easily made out of ice. They include horns, percussion or hybrids like harps that have the body made out of ice and have metal strings attached. Isungset collaborates with the award-winning ice sculptor Bill Covitz to create the instruments on the location of concerts.
Hitting The Right Notes-
When the show starts, there are other complications other than the music. Ice is always in motion, and the expansion and contraction of the material cause the piece to alter. The audience and breath of the musician make the ice melt constantly. They have to be tuned again and again to prevent the notes from falling.
Sharing The Music-
While producing and maintaining the instrument is way more complicated than the conventional tools made from wood and metal, preparing the venues and drawing attendees to the frigid setting sure makes up for the endeavour. It is something every music lover should experience at least once in a lifetime.
The artists take the music directly to the audiences. Isungset now has a whole orchestra of 70 musicians ranging from Australia, Japan and India, and the halls of the orchestra are often freezer proofs to keep the instruments safe.
Isungset is also making an environmental statement. In conjunction with the Bergen-based Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, the Ice Music Festival Norway presents conferences and art installations illustrating climate switch effects on snow and ice. Instead of telling people what to do, the message of global warming is subtly given out to people.
