TUMP (The Ultimate Melodica Piece)

for melodica and live-electronics
2025

Commissioned by the Non-Piano/Toy Piano Weekend, Hamburg

"Tump is an English word meaning a hillock, mound, barrow or tumulus."

If we think of the organ as a giant mountain, then we can think of the melodica as a kind of shrunken-down version of that - a tump.

In my piece, this weak and humble instrument is given a powerful voice so that it can match with her great ancestor, the organ. The play on a melodica is manipulated by a sophisticated computer program (written in Max) that expands the sound in many dimensions. It is controlled by the player while performing the meticulously notated score. However, the musical result is not just an "orgified" version of the melodica. It is full of microtonal deviations, harmonic shifts and glissandi that are difficult to achieve on an organ. In a mesmerising interaction between the melodica, the performer and the computer software, we can listen to the mysteries of the reeds...

In a certain sense, the piece can be heard as a parable, telling the story of weakness and strength through the language of sound.

qui habet aures audiendi audiat
Matthew 11:15

Requirements

Hammond Melodion PRO-44H V2
Apple computer with macOS 11 or later
Audio interface (2 in / 2 out)

Updated: 22 Feb 2025