Bricolage

Daria-Karmina Iossifova performing Bricolage
resonanzraum St. Pauli-Hamburg, 23 Nov 2024

In my 12th composition for toy piano, the instrument is deconstructed by the performer. All the sounds produced during this manoeuvre are processed by a computer program, creating a mesmerising sonic experience. This piece has been premiered by Daria-Karmina Iossifova during the Non-Piano/Toy Piano Festival at resonanzraum St. Pauli in Hamburg (D).

Requirements

• Schoenhut Table Top Toy Piano (2 octaves)
• Apple computer with macOS 11 or later
• Audio interface (2 in / 2 out)
• AKG C411 contact microphone
• Stereo PA system with two loudspeakers
• Phillips screw driver

Setup

1. Attach the contact microphone to the back panel of the toy piano.
2. Connect the contact microphone to the audio interface. Set the input level to about 80%. Note: The phantom power must be turned on. Connect the two outputs of the audio interface (L, R) to the PA system.
3. Launch the Bricolage software on your computer. In the black "Audio Status" window, select your "Core Audio" under "Drivers". Then select the name of your audio interface in "Input Devices" and "Output Device". Then click the Audio On button in the upper left corner to turn it blue. When you are asked to enable the microphone input, allow it.
4. Start the piece by pressing the space key on the computer keyboard.
5. As you play the piece, you will step through a sequence of Presets according to the boxed numbers on the score. To move to the next preset, simply press the space bar.
6. To record the piece, click on the record button ("start/stop") at the top of the main window. Two sound files will be created: a stereo sound file "Bricolage-electr_xxxxxx.aif" containing the output of the piece, and a mono sound file "Bricolage-mic_xxxxx.aif" containing only the unprocessed sound of the toy piano. When the piece is finished, click the toggle again to stop recording.

Software

User interface of the live-electronic software for Bricolage

This software is available on request...

Score

The score of Bricolage can be downloaded for free. Please note that the music is protected by copyright.

Videos

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Updated: 15 Jun 2025