Where sound design and music meet.
Years ago I helped a retiring music producer clear his studio of unused instruments and equipment. One piece, his Blaster Beam, was the biggest (and strangest) instrument in the collection. I found a great new home for the Beam at the Master of Arts in Sound Arts and Industries program at Northwestern University where students study and play at the intersection of music, film, and experimental or pure audio; an intersection I’ve been exploring since my own days at Northwestern as an undergraduate.
The Beam is very long stringed instrument using dozens of piano wires and electric guitar pickups all mounted to a heavy aluminum beam. It can be plucked, bowed, or struck. At 15 feet, this one is not the longest ever. I gather there are 18 foot or longer versions. Still it is impressive.
Unfortunately, on it’s arrival at the University, the beam was in a bit of disrepair and not fully functioning. But fortunately, one Sound Arts student took a shine to the thing and made refurbishing it his capstone project. So now, as had in the past, the Beam produces a rich, dark bass tone with a ton of impressive harmonics.
Michael Stearns, a composer and soundtrack designer based in Santa Fe, has his own Beam and uses it in his work. This last April, Stearns came up to Northwestern to talk to the folks at the Sound Arts program and celebrate the unveiling of the refurbished Beam. He played the Beam for a short bit and talked about its use in his and other designers’ work. It’s weird and lovely. And loud!
Beams like this one have been used in soundtracks for Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979), the TV show Wonder Woman, and as sound design elements (the seismic charge) in Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones. Sound design, like music, is just organized sounds. Sometimes it’s about having two organized threads (music and sfx) bang against each other. The Blast Beam is just the thing to have at that intersection.
Thanks to Elizabeth Mathis, Professor Jacob Smith, Michael Stearns and the students at NU’s SAI program.
Check out this video of Craig Huxley performing and talking about his version of the instrument and its use on a bunch of film and music projects.
(Check out those outfits!)