"So what do you mean by noise?" That's probably the #1 question about the Noisefest, except maybe "Do you have any earplugs?" The answer to the latter question is simple (yes, we do) but the first question is more complex. People know what noise is in the general sense, but not very many know what noise is in the musical sense. In some ways, the Norcal Noisefest is intended to answer that question by showing people what noise is, instead of simply telling them. The 2009 Norcal Noisefest, for... William CFJ comment-15690 2009-10-16T18:26:07Z 2009-10-16T18:26:07Z It's great to see things like this going on in various places around the country. I was just in Washington, DC, for their annual Sonic Circuits Festival which has a heavy focus on noise music, along with free jazz, new music, and psychedelic rock, and capped off with a great performance by Faust. If you're in the DC area check out http://dc-soniccircuits.org/ for show listings. CFJ 2009-10-16T18:26:07Z William Burg comment-15653 2009-10-15T22:29:41Z 2009-10-15T22:29:41Z The term "instruments" is a very broad thing in noise. Noise performer IDX1274's preferred musical instrument is a bench grinder, used to grind metal noisily and create a shower of sparks. At a past Noisefest, performer Moe! Staiano made a rhythmic staccato by throwing a stack of dinner plates at a brick wall--during an earlier Fest he made noise by placing several vibrators onto the innards of a piano sitting on the floor and letting them skitter around. Some use high-tech methods, like laptops and MIDI sequencers, while others use traditional instruments like drums, horns and string instruments like guitar and stand-up bass. Some make instruments from scratch, like Art Lessing and the Flower Vato, or modify children's toys to make sounds their designers never imagined, like CHOPSTICK. Probably the most common approach is using a series of guitar effects pedals--but instead of being connected to a guitar, the sound input is provided by an oscillator, a ring modulator, or just an inexpensive piezoelectric microphone inside a sound source (such as an Altoids tin with some ball bearings in it.) At Noisefest 2001, a performer set up an electric skillet on stage and pan-fried portobello mushrooms in olive oil, with a microphone stuck in the skillet to pick up the sound. And at Noisefest 2006, the performance by "Living Breathing Music" was based pretty much entirely on the human voice--moans, groans, cries and breathing sounds. William Burg 2009-10-15T22:29:41Z Esther Hodapp comment-15647 2009-10-15T21:58:05Z 2009-10-15T21:58:05Z Sounds interesting. I was intrigued by how many photos show people making noise in so many ways. Do instruments have to be used? Esther Hodapp 2009-10-15T21:58:05Z bbbbmer comment-15623 2009-10-15T14:09:10Z 2009-10-15T14:09:10Z Speaking as a classically trained keyboard musician, who turned punk, then raver, and then old fart, I *LOVE* events like this!!!! bbbbmer 2009-10-15T14:09:10Z advocate comment-15580 2009-10-15T02:12:16Z 2009-10-15T02:12:16Z Noise is in the ear of the beholder just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One definition is noise is any unwanted sound. advocate 2009-10-15T02:12:16Z David Watts Barton comment-15562 2009-10-14T20:54:29Z 2009-10-14T20:54:29Z Great photos, interesting story. Looking forward to it! David Watts Barton 2009-10-14T20:54:29Z