365 HOWLS #16: The Ol' Park Slide
4-29-2013
bret harold hart
gear:
ektara (1-stringed instrument)
'Mitra's Box' (3-stringed homemade instrument by Mitra Dasa)
glass slide
Shure headset mic (ambient)
Shure SM58 (close)
Tascam recording platform
My students and I were talking about "old school playground equipment" and I reminisced about Hiawatha Park in 1969 Syracuse, New York, when my family lived in an ancient 3-decker on Colvin Ave, directly adjacent to its tennis courts. The park was about a century old then, it seemed, with a Gothic unkemptness and rotting quality that made it perfect for bored boys. All of the classic, 'dangerous' metal playground equipment was there to be exploited without supervision. Running UP the 15' steel slide without falling was an enjoyment for us.