Boston Typewriter Orchestra
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Boston Typewriter Orchestra | |
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 Boston Typewriter Orchestra in 2022. From left to right: James O'Grady, Steve Mazzulli, Derrik Albertelli, Alex Holman, Chris Keene, Brendan Emmett Quigley, James Brockman | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | bostontypewriterorchestra |
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra (BTO) is an American collective percussion ensemble for typewriter and voice based in the Boston area. It was founded in 2004.[1]
Formation
One night in 2004, Boston-area artist Tim Devin was presented with the gift of a child's typewriter at a bar. His typing eventually annoyed the waitress who asked him to stop, whereupon he responded "It's OK, ma'am. I'm the conductor of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra".[2] Thinking there was something to the idea, he assembled a group of interested performers on the night of October 20th, 2004 in Somerville.[1]
An office setting was quickly decided upon as an overarching theme for live performances. The members (usually numbering between four and eight people) perform wearing white shirts and ties,[3] engage in typical workplace banter and write office-themed lyrics to satirical or comedic effect. The typewriters are utilized in a rhythmic fashion while melodic elements are supplied by the vocalists. The group uses several varieties of manual typewriters from such manufacturers as Underwood,[4]Smith Corona,[5] Hermes, Remington[6] and Royal.[7]
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra began performing at house parties, eventually expanding venues to clubs, arts festivals and museums. Local and national media appearances soon followed. The group appears in the documentary California Typewriter and their song "Entropy Begins at the Office" has been used in promotional ads for the film The Post.
Notable performances and appearances
- November 27, 2006 – Paradise Rock Club with Amanda Palmer
- February 4, 2007 – Weekend Today, NBC
- October 9, 2008 – Boston Orchestra Makes Typewriters Sing, NPR[8]
- June, 21 2011 – America's Got Talent, NBC
- January 31, 2015 – Langston Hughes Google Doodle[9]
- September 2, 2016 – California Typewriter
- April 5, 2017 – Playing Against Type, Great Big Story (CNN)[10]
- September 27, 2017 – Outlook, BBC World Service[2]
- December 30, 2017 – The Post (ad)[11]
- February 9, 2020 - The Blunderwood Portable[12][13]
- August 17, 2020 - The Kelly Clarkson Show, NBCUniversal Television Distribution[14]
Discography
- The Revolution Will Be Typewritten! (2006)
- Overtime at the Piano Factory – Live (2008)
- Termination Without Prejudice, Volume 1 (2017)
- Workstation to Workstation (2020)
- Delegation: The Remixes (2021)
References
- ^ a b Boston Typewriter Orchestra
- ^ a b BBC World Service – Outlook, Boston Typewriter Orchestra
- ^ "NPR Choice page". choice.npr.org. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Boston Typewriter Orchestra: The Revolution Will Be Typewritten". CBS Boston. June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Jamming with the Boston Typewriter Orchestra". www.mentalfloss.com. December 8, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Human Resources | The Boston Typewriter Orchestra". Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "r/typewriters - Boston Typewriter Orchestra - Termination Without Prejudice, Deluxe Edition: The Correction Tape". reddit. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Boston Orchestra Makes Typewriters Sing
- ^ Langston Hughes' 113th Birthday Google Doodle
- ^ Playing Against Type
- ^ The Post | “An Exhilarating Thriller" TV Commercial | 20th Century FOX
- ^ Projects by Jason | The Blunderwood Portable | directed by Juan Mandelbaum
- ^ The Blunderwood Portable | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- ^ Orchestra Plays Music Using Only Typewriters!