The Crank Ensemble

Making New Music Seem Easy!

Hear: Here

I made a set of six hand-cranked instruments in the summer of 2005. There is a mount for a contact microphone (piezo) on the back of each one, so it can be amplified. Each has a hand-crank in the middle, and all but the Spring Board Hand Crank have a feather-spine that acts as a plectrum that rotates when the hand-crank is cranked. As the plectrum rotates, it plucks something that vibrates and is amplified. The "something" that vibrates is in some cases a rubber band, in some wires sticking up, in one it is a metal strip, and in another one is a heavy spring. Each has a handy handle too.

 I now have several more instruments which you can see at the Crank Ensemble's next performance. For information about upcoming shows, or to join the email list, .