Farritor engineers musical solution for art exhibit

Guitars hang in the air as patrons examine the "Soundtracks for the Present Future" exhibition in Omaha's Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Courtesy photo.
Guitars hang in the air as patrons examine the "Soundtracks for the Present Future" exhibition in Omaha's Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Courtesy photo.

by Annie Albin | University Communication

Nebraska’s Luke Farritor has hit a high note with his newest project.

A sophomore in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management, Luke has helped notable Lincoln artist Charley Friedman bring to life a combination of art and ambiance that creates an otherworldly listening experience.

The resulting exhibit, “Soundtracks for the Present Future,” features 59 acoustic guitars, bass guitars and mandolins that hang via clear string from the ceiling at Omaha’s Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. From a distance, it appears as though the instruments are floating through the air. And as one draws closer, another surprise awaits.

Suddenly music begins to fill the room. But it isn’t coming from a speaker or a hidden guitarist. Instead, each stringed instrument is playing a single assigned note from the piece. On their own, they sound strange; together, they create a new listening experience. As the notes bounce back and forth, a sonic symphony builds and fills the space.

While the music comes from the strings, the direction comes from the motors and circuit boards that Luke has engineered.

“That’s kind of where most of the magic happens,” he said.

Read more:
https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/farritor-engineers-musical-solution-for-art-exhibit/