Ingar Zach: The vibrating drum

Field of study: Artistic Research

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 his artistic research project The Vibrating Drum, Zach applies his 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.

Throughout the project, he has assembled a haptic system comprising vibrating speakers in contact with the drum skin, small amplifiers, and iPads, that allows him to create and develop new artistic works for percussion. His methodology entails giving a series of solo concerts, where he presents different versions of the setup and material from his ongoing research. He has also introduced material in collaborative projects and explored how vibrating material interacts with specific acoustic spaces. To produce his formal artistic results, he 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 Zach's 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.

Documentation

Full title: The Vibrating Drum – developing a practice for the modern percussionist.

Documentation of Ingar Zach's research is available in Research Catalogue