Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company: Linda Fisher & Judy Borsher
The Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company was founded between 1968 and 1969 by David Borden's return from a stay at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. Thanks to the friendship that shook Borden Bob Moog in 1967, the Mother Mallard go down in history as the first synthesizer ensemble composed almost entirely supplied by the same tools Moog (three modular Moogs, and two mini-moogs, including the prototype now preserved to 'Audities Foundation, Chinook Keyboard Centre in Calgary, Canada). Steve Drews and Linda Fisher have joined David in 1969 and 1970. Linda brought in the only group polyphonic instrument, the RMI Electric Piano.
Linda's approach to the synth was pretty special: it was any instrument that could be used by anyone with skills. It was a neutral instrument.
"The synthesizer Clearly Came out of a male-dominated technology. But it's a tool, like anything ... There Was A Flexibility to it, I think, That Would Lend Itself to anyone coming at it with Any kind of approach. "
Immersed in the counterculture, Linda perceived differently by the attitudes shown towards electronic musicians and musicians:
"bad musicians Would like to your concert and They wanted to blow Their mind doing something new with technology while the women musicians tended to see the technology as a leaping off point and not as an end in itslef”.
Il trio inizia eseguendo per alcune performance brani di musica minimale composti da John Cage, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass ma già nell’estate del 1970 vanta un repertorio originale di oltre un’ora realizzato solo con moogs. Ovviamente, la Moog Company recluta da subito i MMPMC per dimostrazioni e concerti.
Il loro primo album viene iniziato nel 1970 e pubblicato solo nel 1973 per la Earthquacke Records, etichetta fondata da Borden con l’aiuto di Judy Borsher, incontrata nel 1972 quando era ancora studentessa alla Cornell. Nel 1973 viene chiesto a Borden di comporre la colonna sonora del film The Exorcist; benchè Billy Friedkin avesse scelto di utilizzare meno di un minuto di quanto era stato prodotto dal trio, questo momento rappresenterà la prima spaccatura all’interno del MMPMC. La band diviene molto celebre e le offerte iniziano ad incrementare: sono richiesti a Hollywood e in Europa. David non ha nessuna intenzione di trasferirsi in California. Steve non vuole andare in Europa e Linda capisce che è ormai giunta l’ora di prendere una strada diversa. Nell’estate del 1975 Judy, che sapeva già suonare tutto repertorio, si unisce a David assieme a Chip Smith (già chitarrista per Chuck Barry), sostituto di Steve che se ne era andato alla fine del ’75 per coltivare la sua carriera di fotografo. “Like Duck to Water ", the second album will be released in 1976. The new lineup toured America with Judy van from 1975 to 1978 when David decides to dismiss the band for a while 'to spend more time with his family.
In the early 80's Linda Fisher taught for two years "Analog Synthesis" at Vassar College and note the difficulty of involving the girls in the course.
"They Were Usually very shy, Did not Want to Speak Up Because They Felt That They Could not compete with this guys with racks of synths in Their homes and, you know, Knew all the while the teminology. Those that persist, persist differently, and they persist for different reasons, because of really what the equipment can do for them, not just because it’s a cool thing.” Linda Fisher
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