Turntables: Sampling

Turntables transforms the mundane experience of eating into a stage for musical expression. Armed with a fork and knife, each member of the Parton Project literally plays their food. The project attempts to challenge social mores and expectations by invading public eateries with surprise sonic feasts distilling the boundaries between life and art. Technically, Turntables is a custom-built portable utensil system where each member of the Parton Project has a fork and knife discretely wired to a micro-controller. Each set is a stand alone circuit which becomes completed once in contact with food. Transforming any given fare into a variable resistor. Prodding, tapping cutting and eating triggers sound samples via a preprogrammed sound patch in MAX/MSP. The portable hardware and flexible sound design of Turntables allows for any eating situation to be turned into a musical event, but not without careful consideration of the circumstances surrounding a performance. Turntables is a tool that the Parton Project employs to address specific areas of interest. A Sunday brunch in Williamsburg compares differently from a picnic in Central Park for instance. Each site is approached individually and music selection varies based on the mood and intention of the intervention. Turntable I: Sampling is the first in a series of edible sound installations. Keeping with the Turntable theme of digital intervention we intend to use the above mentioned system to create a food service experience. Parton Project will function as servers operating an interactive buffet for guests, whereby food selection will determine a musical.