An amplified cactus is a
cactus
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...
plant (preferably a ''
Denmoza'' or ''
Geohintonia'') used as a
musical instrument. It harnesses the acoustic properties of a cactus by applying
contact microphone
A contact microphone, also known as a piezo microphone, is a form of microphone that senses audio vibrations through contact with solid objects. Unlike normal air microphones, contact microphones are almost completely insensitive to air vibra ...
s and
amplifying their projection and tone. Vivien Schweitzer of ''The New York Times'' reports "
Jason Treuting played an amplified cactus, running his hand over the plant's unfriendly spikes to produce an alluring sound like a babbling brook."
The amplified cactus is a medium rarely written for, even in the contemporary music genre.
John Cage composed ''Child of Tree'' (1975) and ''Branches'' (1976) for what he described as "amplified plant materials". Cage was a large proponent of
chance music
Aleatoric music (also aleatory music or chance music; from the Latin word ''alea'', meaning " dice") is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the ...
and felt that the organic nature of music without man-made instruments was very strong and influential. Another of the most famous pieces for amplified cactus is ''Degrees of Separation'' "Grandchild of Tree" by Paul Rudy which received mention at the Bourges International Competition for Electroacoustic Music in 2000. Rudy mentions in his own program notes:
Paul Rudy, Program Notes
The idea for a cactus and tape work came about when I heard a performance of John Cage's ''Child of Tree''. I was immediately taken with the sound of the cactus in particular. Taken from its natural environment and placed in the confined and groomed existence of a pot, amplified with a contact microphone, the cactus took on a completely new and interesting character...
A piece by Mark Andre, ''...zu Staub...'' also features three amplified cacti alongside classical instruments.
See also
*Daxophone
The daxophone, invented by Hans Reichel, is an electric wooden experimental musical instrument of the friction idiophones category.
Etymology
The ''dax'' in ''daxophone'' is derived from the German word ''Dachs'', meaning "badger" and refer ...
References
External links
CHILD OF TREE - John Cage
Laud Plasmaht - Ariel Guzik
{{Plucked idiophones
Experimental musical instruments
Idiophones
Cacti