I’ve long been fascinated with unusual musical instruments (I blame Dr. Seuss). Classic works of arts seemed to offer many more shapes and variations than contemporary instruments. As I began playing more of the oldies—really old—I realized that my modern instruments didn’t quite work mechanically for certain tunes. It made me wonder whether these early constructions might be significantly different in sound as well as sight.

After building some of the instruments depicted in early art, my suspicions were confirmed. My new “old” instruments had an entirely different flavor compared with the modern ones. Resonance, timbre, pitch variations. Different. Did our ancestors hear songs in a way we couldn’t? I’ve spent the past few decades exploring that question.

As an amateur musician and luthier, I've spent perhaps too much time thinking about tunes and timbres. Every instrument I've made has characteristics as subtle as DNA. The slightest change in material-size-mass-shape-thickness-humidity-surface-or whatever makes a difference!

Before the era of standardized orchestral instruments, each instrument was literally a "new creation". An instrument could be designed to fit the musician, style, or even the mood of a particular work. Even if we knew the notation of a piece of music, could our modern instruments and their obligatory operations produce an accurate copy of the original sound? How would it have sounded to stand in the 1250 court of Alfonso X? Would Thomas Aquinas recognize one of his works with modern instrumentation?

My hypothesis, then, was simple: A true reproduction of past sounds would require not simply the proper notation and style, but accurate reproduction of the period instruments...

The goal of the RESOUNDING PROJECT is to accurately reproduce selected musical works of antiquity with regard to those three criteria...

1. NOTATION Early manuscripts and arrangements, when available, are given higher priority when creating the project arrangements.

2. STYLE Some suggest that early musicians had much more freedom in playing their instruments. For example we know that in many cases, the same stringed instrument could be plucked, strummed, bowed, or hammered. The construction of some instruments could limit or enhance the style of playing. The songs in the project reflect a great deal of study into most likely playing styles.

3. INSTRUMENTATION There are many exceptional contemporary musicians who produce wonderful renditions of early music. What sets the RESOUNDING PROJECT apart is the emphasis on the accuracy of the individual instruments. Information about all aspects of the instrument is taken into account, from the luthery techniques to string composition.

For more information please contact us at info@roserockmedia.net

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