Hal Rammel inspired me to make my own instruments in 1990. Tonight, I learned from him that a web page about the wonderful exhibition of experimental musical instruments and their inventors, The Shapes of Sound: Musical Instruments and the Imagination in the Midwest, curated by Hal is now online.

I was honored to be among the 14 artist-inventors having their instruments on display. My Springboard was shown, and I gave a brief solo performance in the show. The show was held in October through December 1997 at an important, non-profit center for culture and learning in the Midwest, Woodland Pattern Book Center located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 1979.

As noted on my Experimental Instruments page, the Springboard was built in 1994 thanks to Hal’s example as a sensitive and thoughtful maker, performer, and teacher.

Many photographs of the artist-inventors, and the exhibition itself, are shown along with Hal Rammel’s enlightening catalog essay. To learn more about his fascinating writing, visual art and music for yourself, please visit Hal’s homepage.