Musical Chairs: Random band Generator

Musical Chairs is a sound/music/art installation that functions as a random band generator, heard by two listeners at a time. The physical makeup is dual correctional bus seats painted front and back by graffiti artist Zeb. Both seats are equipped with an enclosed iPod that runs through a mixer. The iPods randomly play one-minute instrumental pieces of music simultaneously, creating one song that can be heard through the two sets of headphones. A different combination or “band” is generated at random, every minute. Musical Chairs is a community-recording project, created by an international group of musicians. Every time a one-minute piece of music is added, the number of possible combinations grows exponentially. There are currently 2,560 permutations.

The chairs, built from transit seating, capture many elements of city life. They represent the shared experience of two listeners or commuters, the visceral nature of street art, and the mix of cultures and styles through the combined pieces of music. The chairs also bring to light the importance of experimental music, as you cannot predict the combination of pieces that you will hear.