The Fool by Russell Wharton

In tarot card reading, the Fool is the card that represents yourself as the main character in your life, which in the tarot is known as the “Fool’s Journey.” Like Don Quixote, the Fool has good intentions but stumbles through life, making many mistakes along the way.

Russell Wharton’s The Fool (for solo distorted vibraphone and multimedia) attempts to express empathy towards the more foolish side in all of us. Wistful, sorrowful, and beckoning distant memories, the carefully chosen components of the work emit a lo-fi quality that resembles an old tape found in a dusty corner of a child’s bedroom.

The full presentation of the piece requires the following:

•   Vibraphone (with tin foil preparation or distortion processing)

•   Amplification system (for included audio accompaniment)

•   Projection system (for optional video accompaniment)

Detailed instructions are provided in the notes.