Culture: Music: Show
Percussive Musical Array   (+2)  [vote for, against]
Stationary musical instruments, wildly mobile perfomers!

Marching bands involve simultaneously practicing music and movements. However, the type and size of instruments are limited by their portability. Why not leave the instruments on the ground, and let performers move freely?

An array or grouping of percussive instruments could be set up where a marching band would normally perform, like a halftime show or special event. The performance would involve performers freely walking through the array holding strikers, hitting instruments as they pass by them. Each performer would be trained on more than one instrument, adding complexity to the performance. Both the notes and walking paths are choreographed and practiced like a marching band, but the heavy load would be relieved.
-- squirrelecule, Nov 25 2004

The Taiko drummers of Japan do something similar to this (at least the ones I saw did.) There were three or so drums encircling three performers, and they performed a combination of spins, flips, and aerial stunts while rotating around the drums.
-- Cuit_au_Four, Nov 25 2004



random, halfbakery