Top 10 Hits Tour presented by Bell: Solar Drones

Explore the Top 10 Hits of NMC’s collection online with musically trained tour guides presented by Bell.

The National Music Centre commissioned renowned artist Patrick Marold to create a sculptural work, titled Solar Drones. Each wooden vessel was constructed from the salvaged soundboards of pianos destroyed in Calgary’s 2013 flood. The Solar Drones translate the conditions of the sky into a tonal sound experience through solar panels that power electromagnetic actuators that then cause a tensioned piano wire to vibrate at a specific frequency. Morton Waller composed the initial tuning for the 16 vessels in B minor.

To learn more about NMC’s collection, visit collections.nmc.ca.