May 14 – William Close Plays His Earth Harp on TV

nPostednMay 14, 2015

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Inn2012, a friend of mine wanted to watch a taping of “America’s GotnTalent.” Because I live near Hollywood, I could see a lot of liventapings of television shows, I suppose – but I have only verynrarely done so – it’s not really my thing. But my friend reallynwanted to go, so of course I went.

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nThenshow I watched, Episode 701, was taped in a beautiful old Hollywoodntheater. It was easy to see the stage and the performers – everynseat was a good seat! – and the ornate theater was something Inreally enjoyed seeing.

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nButnthere was something odd about the theater…

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nAtnfirst I didn’t notice, but my eye kept catching a faint gleam here,nand a glittery thread there – and finally I realized that therenseemed to be wires running everywhere, all over the theater. Theynwere difficult to see, but I could see light glinting off a bit ofnwire whenever I moved my head. n

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nIncouldn’t figure out why the wires were there! Could they be justndecorations? Surely they couldn’t be used for anything – theynliterally ran from near the stage, over the audience’s heads, tonvarious positions of the wall.

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nButnwhen the show started and the first contestant came out and explainednhis act, I suddenly realized why the theater was “all wired up.”nThe contestant was William Close, and he was an artist / musician /ninventor of musical instruments – and he had transformed the entirentheater into a huge musical instrument.

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nInwas sitting inside an Earth Harp!

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Close’snearth harp is considered the longest-stringed instrument in thenworld, with strings that extend up to 1,000 feet in length (dependingnon where it is). Close uses the architecture and / or landscape of anplace to determine the exact sound of each earth harp – and thenarchitecture and landscape actually BECOMES part of the instrument!

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nClosenwore gloves covered with violin rosin, and he began to run his handsnalong the strings. And gorgeous tones, amazing music, filled thentheater.

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This photo shows a bit of another of
Close’s inventions that I heard that
day: a drum orb.

nFn– I – L – L – E – D the theater. And filled me. I felt mynbody vibrating in synch with those strings!

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nItnwas probably the best live experience with music I’ve ever had.

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nInthink that the entire audience was in shock and awe as we listed tonClose’s earth harp. I know that, when he finished, it took us anmoment to come to, jump up onto our feet, and make a huge,nlong-lasting standing ovation!

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nWhyn“Earth Harp”?

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nThenfirst time Close installed an earth harp, way back in 1999, he rannstrings from one side of a valley 1,000 feet to the other side. Henturned the landscape into a giant harp! Since then he has installedntemporary earth harps all over the world. He strung strings all thenway to the top of the Seattle Space Needle, for example, and inntemples in Vietnam, and in the Coliseum in Rome. And Macau and HongnKong and India and the Kennedy Center in the U.S.!

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