2 CAMPUS NEWS
Puzzle of Light provides a
unique artistic experience
Puzzle of Light demonstrates its wide variety of instruments.
PKoto by Julie Stansbury
Performance artists,
with the help of the
Meredith community,
combine music, art
and dance to create
a dazzling
performance.
JENNA AUSTIN
Staff Reporter
The artistic group Puzzle
of Light held a demonstra
tion and a lecture in Jones
Auditorium on April 4
about how their instruments
are played, what they are
called, and where they are
from.
They said the giant
gongs, for example, are
actually giant fan parts
donated to the group, and
the strings on the oAer
instrument were made from
piano wires and air craft
cables. The three most
prominent instruments, the
kalimbas, were created out
of metal and have giant
tines screwed in to create
different tones when struck
by a mallet.
Group member Michael
Bashaw demonstrated that
if you wet one of the rub
ber mallets and run it along
the side of the kalimba it
would make a sound simi
lar to that of the humpback
whale.
The kalimbas are among
many other instruments that
Bashaw has created for the
group's "new age" sound.
Another very intricate
instrument is the glowbow,
a large steel basin flanked
by strings on each side.
The glowbow can be
played with a bow, or a
container of water run
across the strings. Besides
using these larger instru
ments, the members of the
group also demonstrated
how they used other instru
ments like a glass flue.
Near the end of the
demonstration. Puzzle of
Light performed an
improvisational piece by
interpreting images created
by graphic design students
that were projected onto a
large backdrop behind the
instruments. And, after
answering several questions
from the crowd. Bashaw
assured the audience that
there would be more to
come with the performance
on Saturday.
As Meredith students and
members of the community
packed into Jones
Auditoriiun on Saturday
and braced for the over
two-hour performance,
things got started when stu
dents of Carol Finley's
dance class paraded down
the aisles clad all in white,
carrying large poles topped
with colorful streamers.
When the dancers had exit
ed, the music began. Puzzle
of Light performed mostly
pieces from their CD
Falling Water.
The second half of the
performance showed off
some of Meredith’s talents
as Finley's dance class
came out once again, this
time performing a dance to
the song "Crescent Moon."
The Chorus and Chorale
also got into the act.
singing along with "Gone,"
a song about endangered
species. "Prayer for Peace"
and an improvisation were
the last compositions per
formed.
Afterward, many students
said that they really
enjoyed the overall per
formance, and banged on
the sound sculpture before
departing.
“I liked the way the
group built their own
instruments,” said junior
Laura Bates. “Their per
formance showed dedica
tion.”
The sound sculpture outside Jones Auditorium constructed by the
group.
Photo by Julio Stansbury
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