Watch CBS News

Local Musician Creates Musical Instrument Out Of Textile Loom

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A textile loom that doubles as a musical instrument. It'll see its first public performance Thursday night at the Moore College of Art and Design.

These synthesized melodies aren't coming from a keyboard. They're controlled by foot pedals on a loom, rigged to assign different musical values or drum samples to the patterns being weaved. Musician Chris Powell says he engineered the wooden loom to become what he calls a "Loomstrument."

"It's a relatively basic setup with the pedals," said Powell. "But when it talks to the other machine that I built, that's where it starts to get really as complicated as I want to make it."

Powell's wife Mary Smull will operate the Loomstrument and Powell will select the sounds Thursday at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Bodyworks performances this fall at the Moore College of Art.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.