Drum Cloud in Rome
Drum Cloud
A vertical set of drums inspired by thunderclouds, arranged so they seem to float.
Inventions
More than 150 new instruments
The Earth Harp is William Close’s best-known creation, but it’s one of many. For more than two decades he has conceived, designed and built new instruments that are part sculpture, part architecture and part music.
The workshop
Built by hand, then handed to musicians
William conceptualizes, designs and builds every invention himself. He plays most of them, and he often hands them to other musicians, who find new ways and styles of making music with them.
His instruments appear in every Earth Harp Collective concert. He has also created new works for special productions and exhibits with Royal Caribbean, the Super Bowl, Cirque du Soleil and America’s Got Talent.
“I like exploring the combination of sculpture and architecture with music,” William says.
Strings
The Aquatar
A three-necked instrument with a watery sound. A bass guitar sits on top, a sitar-style instrument William developed sits in the center, and a guitar sits at the bottom.
“I wanted to create an instrument that a guitarist could just walk up and play,” he says. “It gives you a lot of options.”
Kinetic percussion
The Drumbrella
A ring of drums shaped like an umbrella. One performer holds and spins it while another plays it, so the movement changes what’s being played.
“I was interested in creating something that was kinetic, so a piece that spun,” William says. The Drumbrellas took the stage at the America’s Got Talent finals with a team of drumming dancers.
The collection
Drums, jackets, orbs and chimes
A selection of William’s inventions, from wearable instruments to drum sculptures big enough to fill a stage.
Architectural Drum Wall
Architectural Drum Wall
A playable wall of drums. The version built for Sonic Odyssey uses 136 drums.
Drum Jacket in action
Percussion Jacket
Drum pads built into the fabric of a jacket. “It’s sort of like wearing an electronic drum kit,” William says.
Drum Orb at the studio in Malibu
Drum Orb
A sphere of drums mounted on a metal frame, playable from every side.
Atom Drum
Atom Drum
A drum sculpture inspired by the world of atoms and molecules, with rings orbiting a cluster of drums.
Drum Star
Drum Star
A star-shaped ring of drums. A holiday edition lights up the Collective’s seasonal concerts.
Violin Jacket. Photo by Daniel Zetterstrom
Violin Jacket
A wearable string instrument, built into a jacket.
Chime Sculpture
Chime Sculpture
A suspended sculpture of chimes, played in the air by an aerialist.
Aqua Slide
Aqua Slide
A long double-necked string instrument, a cousin of the Aquatar.
Built for the big stage
Sonic Odyssey and the Super Bowl
In 2015, William and Sarah developed Sonic Odyssey, a production show built around his instruments for Royal Caribbean’s flagship, Quantum of the Seas. It features the Earth Harp, a Drum Wall of 136 drums, a Vocal Percussion Jacket and a Violin Dress. William trained the original cast to play his inventions.
For the Super Bowl, his Drum Orbs and gong sculpture shared the stage with a team of drumming dancers, alongside a dual Earth Harp installation at the pre-game show.
More from the workshop
Other inventions
- Electro Bass Shield
- Wing Harp
- Vocal Percussion Jacket
- Violin Dress
- Holiday Drum Star
- Drum Orbs and gong sculpture
- Floating Earth Harp bridges
The Electro Bass Shield is a trigger-based instrument that pairs drumming with melody to supply the low end of the new Earth Harp sound. Shawn Barry plays it with the Collective.
Booking
Bring the inventions to your stage.
Every Earth Harp Collective concert features William’s inventions alongside the Earth Harp. Matt Kendall at Concept Artists handles all bookings.