| Ken Lovelett is a theorist,
composer and performer, working primarily with a broad range of pitched and unpitched
percussion in both jazz and classical formats. For the past 15 years he has been
developing the Bellatope, a sculptural collage made up of conventional instruments, found
objects, and unique pieces he has built. This remarkable assemblage enables Ken to
perform as a one man percussion ensemble. The name derives from words meaning
"bell-tree", or "grove of bells". Ken Lovelett on the Bellatope:
"I started constructing the Bellatope in
1969. It started out with just a conga drum and hi-hat. I used to perform with
acoustic guitar groups who really didn't need or want a drummer. I wanted to use all
four limbs, so I made a small bass drum to go with the conga and hi-hat. Over time I
added assorted wood blocks, cow bells, triangles and other conventional percussion
instruments. Soon I had collected so many that I decided to make metal trees to hold
them all. The aluminum trees were constructed to be taken down, transported, and set
back up.
"After a while, I was developing new
instruments, and with this came new and varied playing techniques. I cultivated
unconventional effects, such as rapid rolls and paradiddles incorporating two or more
sound sources of different timbres, or the use of maracas, sleighbells and other sounding
things as beaters with which to strike drumheads. I explored a kind of acoustic
additive synthesis, combining sounds from different sources in search of new timbral
effects. I also worked with performance arrangements in which groups of musicians
played along the outside perimeter of the Bellatope while I was playing from within it.
"The overall arrangement of the Bellatope
is derived from the shape of an amphitheater. The larger, more massive instruments are
located above and behind the Bellatope to create a semi-solid background and help reflect
sound.
"Over the years I have experimented with
electronic effects. I put transducers, pickups and microphones on the instruments
and send the signal through phase shifters, digital echo, etc. I put my speakers
about fifteen feet apart with the Bellatope in the center. I set the volume of the
effects up only equal to the acoustical volume of the Bellatope. The result is a
whole, beautiful-sounding orchestra of timbre.
"Since I have also done a lot of
theatrical work, I take into account both the light surrounding the instrument as well as
the choreographic possibilities realized through the performers." |
