Electroacoustic Percussion Boards: Sculptured Musical Instruments for Improvisation

The author discusses his development and use of a type of musical instrument he calls electroacoustic percussion boards (EPBs). These are essentially sheets of plywood cut into particular shapes, with various hardware devices attached. These devices, which are played in a number of ways, such as by striking, scraping and plucking, give a sculptural appearance to the instruments. Specific instruments are described and some playing techniques discussed. Contact microphones have proved effective with these instruments, as has digital processing as a compositional resource. The aesthetic orientation of the design of EPBs as well as their value as an education tool is explained.