Eric Leonardson profile picture

Eric Leonardson

afflicting the comfortable since 1982

About Me

Eric Leonardson is a composer, radio artist, sound designer, instrument inventor, and improviser. His work in the field of experimental music and sound began in Chicago, where in the mid-80s he helped found the Experimental Sound Studio and direct one of Chicago’s first internationally broadcast radio art programs. He has created sound design and music for films, video, theater, and dance, notably for South African choreographer Robyn Orlin and since 1995, for Plasticene , one of Chicago’s foremost experimental theater companies. Leonardson’s music is distinguished by the unique sounds of his self-built instrument, the “springboard” . Leonardson's music has been described as "...ritualistic music, electronically synthesized industrial vibrations miraculously created with ordinary household objects...."..Carol Burbank, Chicago Reader. Leonardson also performs with experimental, creative musicians and sound artists from Chicago and the world at large, and teaches at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago .

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/7/2006
Band Website: ericleonardson.org
Sounds Like: "...ritualistic music, electronically synthesized industrial vibrations miraculously created with ordinary household objects...."—Carol Burbank, Chicago Reader "Here you will find washes of sonic ambiance combined with compelling rhythmic soloing. Field recordings and found sound collage provide a theatrical flavor. The musical travels between mesmerizing and explosive. My guess is that he improvises locally but composes globally."—Glenn Engstrand, The Improvisor "Eric Leonardson (USA) performs regularly on his Springboard: a plank of wood festooned with springs, wires, and other bits of scrap metal that, when heard through the piezo pickup, evoke the sound world of a Balinese Gamelan orchestra..."—Nicolas Collins, Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking "The March features Leonardson's springboard, an electroacoustic percussion instrument made out of coil springs, rubber bands and other unlikely items, which yields the kind of insectile rubbings and scrapping that one associates with fellow instrument inventors/improvisors Hugh Davies and Hal Rammel. There's an oblique sense of humour at play on the galumphing springboard rhythms of Father Walters Anoints His Nostalgia With Frying Bacon, while a wheezy, spine-chilling presence, reminiscent of Reichel's unearthly saxophone, is invoked on The Vulture's Midwife. Intriguing stuff."—Chris Blackford, The Wire "...highly creative sounds, like nothing you've ever heard before; you'll find yourself (often) wondering how he accomplished some of those sonic events. I especially liked the pieces that featured his Springboard."—Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation Nation issue 57
Record Label: NAISA, Simple Logic, deadceo, Asian Improv Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Rarebit by Eric Leonardson and Steve Barsotti

Rarebit by Eric Leonardson and Steve Barsotti Transparency CD0125Performed and recorded with Steve Barsotti in Chicago. From 1994 until 1999 Steve and I performed as a duo, and with other local and in...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:14:00 PST

Tetsuo Kogawa’s Mini FM transmitter workshop

Here's two video clips from Tetsuo Kogawa's Mini-FM Transmitter making workshop that I attended on May 31st, at the Radio Without Boundaries conference in Toronto. And... ...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:06:00 PST

proceedings published from Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium

Below is a quote from Jef Chippewa announcing the web publication of the proceedings from the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium that I participated in last August:For eContact! 10.3 -- TES 2007, Guest...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:34:00 PST

Radio Without Borders

This weekend I'm attending the 7th annual Radio Without Boundaries a conference on Radio & Transmission Art @ Ryerson Student Centre, 55 Gould Street, in Toronto.The performances and talks begin F...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Wed, 28 May 2008 09:52:00 PST

THE SHAPES OF SOUND: Musical Instruments and the Imagination

Hal Rammel gave me the license to make my own instruments in 1990. I just learned from Hal that a web page is up about the wonderful exihibiton of experimental musical instruments he curated, "The Sha...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Fri, 23 May 2008 08:22:00 PST

New Interviews on Gearwire

Four of seven video interviews with students in my 2008 Instrument Construction course at SAIC have been uploaded. Stuart Schmidt Is More Machine Than Man, Nowhttp://www.gearwire.com/glove-controller...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Wed, 14 May 2008 12:48:00 PST

Springboard Instrument on Gearwire's YouTube Profile

The demonstration of my self-built instrument, the Springboard, recently went up on Gearwire's YouTube page. Produced by Gretchen Hasse in 2007, it's currently among the most viewed of Gearwire Artist...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Wed, 14 May 2008 12:28:00 PST

Bubble Organ Video Featured on YouTube

One of the highlights from my Instrument Construction class in 2007 remains the "Bubble Organ" designed and built by Aaron Wendel. Here is a short, unedited video clip of Aaron's instrument, that was ...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Wed, 14 May 2008 12:02:00 PST

videos and articles on music gear and technique

Here's a message from Gretchen, my friend at Gearwire:Hi EverybodyFor those of you who don't know, I now work fulltime for a website called gearwire.com. We post videos and written articles about all ...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:49:00 PST

White Noise Phantom Room Hour, special broadcast on Free Radio SAIC

Dear Friends,Tune in to White Noise Phantom Room Hour, a real-time radio experiment on Free Radio SAICWhen: 2:00 to 3:00 pm [US CST (GMT -6)] Thursday, April 17, 2008Where: freeradiosaic.org (QuickTim...
Posted by Eric Leonardson on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:50:00 PST