100 Keyboards

by ASUNA

Co-Organized with Aki Onda

Accessibility: The audience is free and encouraged to move about the space to enjoy the sound phenomena. PICA’s main warehouse space is on the ground floor and is accessible to those with mobility aids. ADA-accessible, gender-neutral restrooms and a water cooler are located inside of PICA. If you have questions about accessibility you can contact us at boxoffice@pica.org or call 503-224-PICA.

Covid-19: Masks Required. We require proof of vaccination OR a negative COVID-19 test (taken 48 hours before arrival).

100 Keyboards is a live music performance/installation featuring as the title implies over 100 keyboards. This performance focuses on the phenomenon of “interference sound," the complex distribution of sound pressure and other parameters as sound waves of the same frequency but with a different direction of transmission overlap. As each keyboard plays a sustained note of a certain pitch, and as the number of notes increases, a “moiré of sound” is created. The auditory experience is akin to weaving an individual “textile pattern" (the original meaning of “moiré") and a sound equivalent to the visual “moiré effect.”

As you change the direction of your ears while listening, or move to a different location, the complex, interfering sounds and resonances in space will produce a different aural pattern composed of buzzes, loops, and beats, unique to each location. Most of the keyboards being played are inexpensive products or made as toys, so the pitch/tuning of each key may be slightly off and fluctuate slightly in pitch when played for a length of time. This slight misalignment creates the complex resonance.

—ASUNA