Linsey Pollak

Linsey Pollak is well known all around Australia as a musician, instrument maker, composer, musical director and community music facilitator. He has worked as a musical instrument maker for over 20 years and has designed a number of new wind instruments as well as specialising in woodwind instruments from Eastern Europe (having studied Macedonian bagpipes in Macedonia). He has specialised in designing and making marimbas and other tuned percussion. His ongoing obsession combines much of this: Making music more accessible to the Community through musical instrument making and playing workshops.

‘SQUIRT’ is an interactive and performance installation using water squirted from bottles to trigger the sounds of Australian frogs.

Click here to try online
interactive version of SQUIRT

Listen to a sample of Squirt Sounds (mp3 format 1.2mb)

The water is squirted at twelve two dimensional 1m x 1m fluoro acrylic Frogs.
These frogs are touch sensitive and trigger the sound samples of frog sounds as the water strikes them. This creates a random frog soundscape when played by the general public. This is interspersed with short 5 – 10 minute musical performances every 20 minutes by 2 performers.

The best situation is in a park where the installation can be in place for 2 hours. It needs an area of about 12metres x 6 metres (not counting area for the viewing audience). The public can interact by squirting water at the frogs with hand held water squirters (4 – 6 people at a time) and about every 20 minutes the 2 performers demonstrate the musicality of the installation by playing 5 minutes of Frog music. It is an “after dark” installation.

Technical Specifications

We require:

12metre x 6 metre grass area where it is possible for metal spikes to penetrate 30cm into ground
12 x 80cm x 12mm x 12mm metal spikes to penetrate 30cm into ground (and sledge hammer!)

(or some other means to support the 1m high aluminium poles attached to the FROGS)

240volt power
Mixing desk, Stereo amplifier and speakers with stands (400watts per side minimum)

or 2 x Powered Speakers (JBL Eon 12’s or equiv)

Waterproof box for digital sound gear with opening top (minimum size: 70cm x 50cm x 50cm)
12 x 12 volt 50watt waterproof lights such as garden spotlights (uplighting beneath each frog)
UV cannon spotlights (ideally 2 x 400watt Wildfire cannons)
Dimmable Lights to light playing area (12m x 4m)
Close access to water for constant bottle refill (a large bin of water is fine)
Bollards and rope or chain to rope off the 12m x 6m performance area!!
Site manager technician(s) to bump in sound system and lights and help with filling water bottles

Bump in: 2 hours before each session
Bump out: 1 hour after each session

for bookings or further info contact: linsey@spiderweb.com.au