What's That Sound? Hydraulophone

By Beth Dolinar

We at Luminari love music of all kinds: folk, symphony, hip hop, jazz, blues, country, marches, gospel, rock and roll—we enjoy all of it.

Because our mission is to broaden minds and promote innovation, we think it’s important—and fun—to open our minds to the possibilities of the world beyond our own doorstep. And what better way to do that than to learn about the music of other lands.

In each issue of LUMOS!, we offer a regular series about the unique and unusual (and sometimes downright strange) instruments we’ve never heard. And since we can’t really understand an instrument until we’ve heard it being played, we’ll offer links to sites where you can hear and see a performance.

And so we offer our fifth in a series of unusual instruments: Hydraulophone

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Ryan Janzen, playing with Hart House Symphonic Band

If you’re the kind of person whose bucket list includes “Playing a Chopin etude while relaxing in a bubbly hot tub”, then the hydraulophone is for you.

A hydraulophone is an instrument that produces music through direct physical contact with water. Think of a flute with water running through the holes instead of air. Versions of the hydraulophone have been around for centuries, but the most recent versions were perfected—and named—by Steve Mann.

Most versions of the hydraulophone have twelve holes which correspond to as many water jets that produce the notes; most have a range of an octave and a half. Before exiting the holes, the water passes through reeds, valves or disks, creating notes. The water is directed through the selected holes by the player’s fingers. Some versions of the instrument are connected to electrical amplifiers. and some even use fluids other than water. Vodka with your Wagner, anyone?

Now, about the hot tub.  On cold days, in Canada for example, musicians give hydraulophone performances while seated in hot tubs; in some cases the instrument is built right into the tub, allowing the player to make music while bubbling away the stresses of the day.

You’ll also find versions of the hydraulophone at theme parks and museums, where standing versions invite children and their parents to tickle the “keyboard” of little fountains to create music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWmiBVndVMY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulophone#/media/File:Balnaphone_base7.jpg

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Luminari Coordinator, Beth Dolinar brings her talents and experience as a writer, Emmy-award producer, public speaker and deadline driven multi-tasker to our team. She writes a popular column for the Washington "Observer-Reporter." She is a contributing producer of documentary length programming for WQED-TV on a wide range of topics and currently teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Robert Morris University. Beth has a son and a daughter. She is an avid yoga devotee, cyclist and reader. Beth says she types like lightning but reads slowly -- because she likes a really good sentence.