A musical instrument is often lamented as an expensive piece of equipment, easily costing thousands of dollars. However, did you know that there is such an act as Piano Burning?
That’s crazy, some may think, maybe the person is absolutely insane- or just really hates the piano. However, that is not so. Piano Burning is an action of setting an acoustic piano on fire. It is usually ceremonial or for visual entertainment.
How this tradition began is a mystery. Some say that this may have started when the RAF decided that their pilots had to undergo etiquette training to have more decorum- which included learning the piano. The pilots detested these ‘unnecessary’ lessons, and thus burned the piano. Another myth is that an RAF fighter pilot who …show more content…
Several contemporary musicians have performed on pianos which have been deliberately set alight.
“Burning Piano 2008," March 8, 2008 at Noto Resort Area Masuhogaura, Shika-machi, Ishikawa, Japan
Yōsuke Yamashita performed on a piano while it was being burnt twice. Calling his performance an act of artistic expression, Yamashita remarked, “I had decided to keep on playing until the piano stopped making sounds, so though I did not mean it, but it ended up having a life-or-death battle between the piano and myself.” This shows how such a radical and experimental performance brings a thrill and a challenge some artists simply cannot resist.
Video of him burning the piano, collecting sound samples.
Diego Stocco burnt his piano and collected sound samples of it. Stocco composed a piece called The Burning Piano, which is made up entirely of his recordings of a burning piano such as exploding strings. Speaking of his niche of creating sounds with experimental techniques and natural sound sources, Stocco explained that it was his fascination with experimenting with real world objects and environments, to make his pieces “a hybrid of tonal and atonal, raw and
That’s crazy, some may think, maybe the person is absolutely insane- or just really hates the piano. However, that is not so. Piano Burning is an action of setting an acoustic piano on fire. It is usually ceremonial or for visual entertainment.
How this tradition began is a mystery. Some say that this may have started when the RAF decided that their pilots had to undergo etiquette training to have more decorum- which included learning the piano. The pilots detested these ‘unnecessary’ lessons, and thus burned the piano. Another myth is that an RAF fighter pilot who …show more content…
Several contemporary musicians have performed on pianos which have been deliberately set alight.
“Burning Piano 2008," March 8, 2008 at Noto Resort Area Masuhogaura, Shika-machi, Ishikawa, Japan
Yōsuke Yamashita performed on a piano while it was being burnt twice. Calling his performance an act of artistic expression, Yamashita remarked, “I had decided to keep on playing until the piano stopped making sounds, so though I did not mean it, but it ended up having a life-or-death battle between the piano and myself.” This shows how such a radical and experimental performance brings a thrill and a challenge some artists simply cannot resist.
Video of him burning the piano, collecting sound samples.
Diego Stocco burnt his piano and collected sound samples of it. Stocco composed a piece called The Burning Piano, which is made up entirely of his recordings of a burning piano such as exploding strings. Speaking of his niche of creating sounds with experimental techniques and natural sound sources, Stocco explained that it was his fascination with experimenting with real world objects and environments, to make his pieces “a hybrid of tonal and atonal, raw and