By Lori Tarbett
Carleton University’s newest musical group, the Balloon Orchestra, thrilled the audience during its debut performance on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008.
The orchestra was formed as part of music professor Jesse Stewart’s class; Introduction to Instrumentation where he asked the students to think about the notion of musical instrumentation in an age when virtually any sound can be used as a viable sonic resource in the creation of music and to think about musical instrumentation and orchestration as social activities. “The balloon orchestra project realized both of these things in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Nor could I have imagined the response we received: two performances on CBC radio (including one national broadcast), a standing room only audience, and a standing ovation for our concert – all for music made with balloons,” beams Stewart.
The orchestra surprised the full house with various musically sound pieces using: balloons as drums; moistened finger tips to produce sonic effects similar to string and wind instruments; and balloons as reed instruments by releasing air through constricted valve openings.
“It seemed like just about everyone, performers and audience members alike, left the concert with smiles on their faces. I certainly did,” adds Stewart.