Playing A Dishwasher Full of Sound

Jim Turner has a problem that most street musicians in the Square avoid. Unlike most of the minstrels' instruments, the subtle tones of his "glass harp" are lost when amplified over the cacophony of the T construction.

When the jackhammers are pounding, the Philadelphia-based musician has to stop playing. But when he resumes a crowd again gathers to watch his circling digits and listen to the unique sound they create.

Turner's harp is composed of 59 ordinary goblets filled with water. They range in size from bulbous brandy snifters to delicate cordial glasses. He creates sound by rubbing his wet fingers around their rims to create a vibration.

The technique sounds simple, but it took Turner 15 years to perfect. "A friend of mine gave me a piece by Mozart for glass and it intrigued me," he explained. He began by playing chord accompaniments, and progressed to solo performances about six years ago.

Trained as a classical flutist, Turner said, "I was searching for the right sound that appealed to me."

Since mastering the instrument, he has appeared as a guest artist with symphony orchestras in Denver, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. A concert he performed at the Kennedy Center in March with the National Symphony will be aired next week on WGBH.

Street Life

The Holyoke Center arcade is no concert hall, but Turner said he enjoys playing there nonetheless. "It softens the concrete." Turner explained, adding that audiences in Cambridge are "very verbal and very alert."

Of street performing, he said, "Not only is it good for cash flow... you're sharing your art with people who would never go to a concert hall." "Rough kids who only listen to rock music will stop and listen to Bach for 10 minutes," he added.

The harp is not extremely mobile and must be refilled for every performance. Turner carries three glasses that are perfectly pitched empty to tune the instrument.

"It's in concert pitch all the time except for a little evaporation here and there," he explained.