In his talk, Fron Reilly will demonstrate his latest musical instrument—the fron2, a ten-string rotating bowed zither—and he will tell the story of its creation. He will also delve into the acoustics of how it produces its unique sound and what distinguishes that sound from electronically generated sounds. Afterward, audience members will be invited to participate in a live improv session. Bring your instrument!

About the Presenter:

Fron Reilly is a maker, designer, builder, and inventor living in Guelph. He holds a BSc in physics from the University of Waterloo. Now retired, he has worked in many fields including teaching, industrial automation, and electronic transformer design. In addition, he has always been and remains busy in his workshop creating things that work, including wooden sculptural clock mechanisms, musical instruments, kinetic sculptures, stirling engines, and sundials. You can see many of his innovative instruments in action on his YouTube channel, @fronreilly4787, which has garnered over two million views.