Noam Bierstone, a body percussionist, performed live at Pressed Cafe in Ottawa’s west end, with guest composer Zihua Tan on Jan. 20.
Bierstone uses many different objects and turns them into instruments. He’ll use everything from knives, spoons, magnets all the way to paper clips and flower pots.
“We find what sounds are possible and what sounds we like, and more importantly what sounds can function together both physically and sonically,” Bierstone said.
In the spotlight was Bierstone performing four pieces from different composers. One was Zihua Tan’s Remnants present, which was written for Bierstone. This unique piece included three large gongs. Bierstone, with the help of Tan, composed this piece using magnets and paperclips, scraping them against the gong on each side. Later in the song, kitchen whisks were introduced, as Bierstone rubbed them along the surface of the gongs.
Bierstone has worked with composers to find the right instruments in order to create the perfect soundscape for that piece. However, Bierstone leaves the interpretation of the sounds up to the audience. Many of the sounds reflect other noises, like how a knife bending on a plant pot can sound like a phone ringing.
“It’s more about creating a situation where the audience can experience something. I rarely want to try to impose an environment on the audience or an idea, it’s more I’m creating the situation, and it’s up to each individual to find what they would like to find,” Bierstone said.
He is currently attending McGill University and completing his doctorate in music. Bierstone continues to be involved in numerous music collaborations, such as Scapegoat, a saxophone and percussionist duo with Joshua Hyde, and NO HAY BANDA, a Montreal performance series.
“In general, I like performing with other people. You just learn so much from other people. There’s just an energy that is created when you have multiple people communicating on stage,” Bierstone said.
Bierstone continues to perfect his craft and said he sees the future of body percussion as “kind of endless in a way,” thanks to the versatility behind percussion.
Photo provided
