Soundbeam is an exciting and fully accessible ultrasonic ‘instrument’ which converts movement into music. An invisible beam is directed across the room and, when interrupted by any solid object, it sends a message to a MIDI device (eg electronic keyboard, sound module, sampler) which then plays a note or sequence of notes or chords. The beam can be made as long as 6m, to respond to big movements, or as short as 0.56m, to respond to tiny movements, like the blinking of an eyelid for instance. (See www.soundbeam.co.uk for more information.)

Heather has been using Soundbeam since 1992 when she was one of the artists involved in the Sound It Out/Soundbeam Project pilot of the equipment in Birmingham. The project culminated in a performance in Symphony Hall. Since then she has worked extensively with adults and children with learning disabilities, involving some of the groups in performances in Birmingham, York and Guarda, Portugal. She has visited Portugal twice to give training and creative workshops, most recently in June 2003. In the spring term 2003 she was Hertfordshire Music Service’s Composer-in-Residence, Soundbeam and the Arts, working in 4 SEN schools. 2005/6 will be her third year as resident Soundbeam Artist at Mayfield School, Birmingham.

She has also used Soundbeam with nursery and reception children and has received 2 Soundbeam commissions: The Selfish Note, commissioned by The Soundbeam Project and premiered by pupils from Sefton Park Junior School, Bristol in 2001; and Seasons and Cycles, commissioned by Elektrodome for Year 4 pupils at Leighswood School, Aldridge 2002. Her Soundbeam experience also extends to older people with mental health issues.

Heather’s innovative Soundbeam compositions use material emerging from improvisation during workshops. Seasons and Cycles includes recordings of everyday sounds which can then be triggered with beams or switches. Audio recordings are now central to her Soundbeam work, adding a new dimension to her fascination with the human voice and ‘found sound’. See below.

Breaking Silence by Heather Wastie

An environmentally friendly piece which uses recycled sound

Breaking Silence is shaped by the presence, thoughts and voices of 10 people. It is the beginning of an exploration of silence through attempting to define it and make audio recordings of it, both in isolation and as a backdrop to speech. One of the people interviewed said she couldn’t talk about silence, only about noise - and after all, without noise we would not appreciate silence. So the piece includes a busy loud section which recalls a visit to see and hear Victoria, a steam engine which is only allowed a voice twice a year. This part also layers and loops several musical spoken phrases including an archive recording of Heather’s uncle describing the family-owned cooperage, and some snippets in Dutch. (Since these were incomprehensible to her, she chose them purely for their musicality.)

Heather has used photography, both her own and that of her partner Geoff, to provide a visual dimension. The whole piece is controlled using Soundbeam: two ultrasonic beams which when broken activate both sounds and visuals. In order to break the beams she begins by using an exaggerated form of sign language for “Talking about silence”, a combination which of course is rarely used. The piece ends with images by visual artist Sharon Read and the sound of children listening.

Breaking Silence was composed for performance at TalkShow in Birmingham on 9th October 2005 alongside Dutch sound-poet Jaap Blonk. During 2006, Heather will be developing the piece further and Silence could be Breaking anywhere. Watch this site.

Silence is Breaking at …
… a DVD player near you

Breaking Silence – The Beginning
Limited edition DVD available (15 mins) including additional material & info - £7.50
Send email to receive details

Reviews

ArtsFest performances 2006

“Very good, and thought provoking - thank you!”

“Very thought provoking performance. Prompted much discussion ... all the way back.”

“What a great performance! I really enjoyed it - it provoked some good conversations on our walk back to the car and the drive home.”

“For me your show was one of the most fascinating and memorable highlights of an outstanding Artsfest.”

Reviews

"It's great! I've never seen anything quite like it. Really fascinating."

"I didn't want it to end......it had me transfixed. The (sometimes) eerie sound and all the wonderful images together with the movement ... was fantastic. ... It was amazing to see my work used in such an amazing way."
Sharon Read (visual artist)

“brilliant!! … very well done – made me think.”

“A most intriguing, fascinating and original compilation of sight and sound.”

"I really liked it, particularly the way you could make the sounds with movements of your hands, as though they were tangible things you could pull out of the air."

"We very much enjoyed your powerful new piece – “Breaking Silence”. ... a very exciting exploration of Soundbeam as a means of creative expression."
Edward and Judith Williams, Artistic Directors, Elektrodome