A giant motorized hurdy-gurdy, a deconstructed pipe organ and an array of spinning and thrashing metal machines tell a story about a man consumed by a grandiose plan to build a machine that will reconcile his memories of the past with his dreams for the future. Percussionist Steven Schick commands a stage filled with large-scale invented instruments, drawing the audience into a magical place filled with creative potential. The audience quickly relinquishes its expectations about what an instrument should look like, how it should be played and what sounds it can make, and is enticed into a sonorous world of surprises.

This performance of Paul Dresher Ensemble is funded in part by The Randy Hostetler Living Room Music Project and Fund.

Schick Machine Excerpts