The Workbench
by Brian Harnetty
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Brian Harnetty
THE WORKBENCH (2023)
Created for chamber ensemble, sampled recordings, and video, The Workbench is a sonic and visual portrait of my father, Paul. The piece is a reflection on time, filial connections, life and death, and the power of inherited objects. After my father’s death, I inherited his workbench, and began to see it as a conduit between past and present, living and dead.
The music is elegiac and curious, slowly building momentum over a dozen minutes. Throughout, we hear voicemails from my father, where everyday statements become poetic. We also hear objects he repaired: ticking watches, radio static, and music box. Finally, there is a recording of my father calmly sleeping while in hospice, which is shocking and perfectly ordinary, too. The video methodically explores the workbench. It reveals how one’s personal workspace can become an informal archive of objects imbued with meaning.
SOUND RECORDING
(AUDIO ONLY; RUNNING TIME - 11:08)