Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit. Review Important Safety Guidelines

Close Alert
  • Park Hours Park Hours Busch Gardens Williamsburg Park Hours

    View our park hours & show schedules to help plan your visit.

  • Park Map Park Map Winter Weekends Map

    Find your way to rides, shows, restaurants and shops.

  • Fun by Season Fun by Season Summer Fun at Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Water Country USA

    Take a look at what we have to offer in the spring, summer, fall and winter.

  • Checkmark
    Vacations
  • Blog
  • Jobs
  • Explore the Area
  • Directions
  • FAQs
  • Rides & Coasters Rides & Coasters Busch Gardens Williamsburg rides & coasters

    Fun for everyone! Explore our world-class coasters & rides.

  • Mardi Gras Mardi Gras Mardi Gras Limited-Capacity Event

    Friday - Sunday, Jan. 29 - Feb. 28
    Let the good times roll with limited-time food, cocktails, entertainment.

  • Animals Animals Clydesdale Horse

    Learn more about the animals that call Busch Gardens home!

  • All Events
  • Dining
  • Shopping
  • Kid Friendly
  • Group Events
Water Country USA
  • Quick Queue Quick Queue Busch Gardens Williamsburg Quick Queue

    Get to the fun faster with one-time priority access to select rides.

  • Park Tours Park Tours Busch Gardens Williamsburg Clydesdales & Collies Tour

    Get up-close with our Clydesdales or let us plan and guide your VIP day.

  • Summer Camps Summer Camps Busch Gardens Williamsburg Summer Camp

    Five action-packed days of learning and laughing for kids ages 6-16.

  • Parking
  • Strollers & Rentals
  • Member Benefits Member Benefits Join Membership

    Enjoy exclusive benefits, including monthly rewards and Member events.

  • Monthly Rewards Monthly Rewards Why become a Member?

    Enjoy a full calendar of special offers, discounts & more.

  • Join Membership Join Membership Join Membership

    Get unlimited visits, something new each season & exclusive benefits.

  • Account Info
  • Current Pass holder?
  • Blockout dates for Basic Membership Plan
    Blockout Dates
  • FAQ
  • Fun Sale Fun Sale Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Water Country USA Fun Sale

    Pay for a day, play now through September 12!

  • Tickets Tickets Mardi Gras Limited-Capacity Event

    Need admission for Mardi Gras? Purchase tickets and dining bundles here!

  • Reservations Reservations Alpengeist Roller Coaster

    Have an existing admission product? Make your reservation for Mardi Gras here!

  • Upgrades
  • Military
  • Preschool Pass
  • Promo Code
Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Buy Tickets

ticket link
Cart
Search
Back to Blog Home

Summer Nights Live: William Close & The Earth Harp Collective

July 16, 2019

Share

 

Summer Nights Live: William Close & the Earth Harp Collective

 

William Close & The Earth Harp Collective - Performing July 22 – 28


Not only is the largest stringed instrument on the planet interesting to look at, it's also a one-of-a-kind acoustic experience. America's Got Talent finalist William Close & The Earth Harp Collective is at Busch Gardens Williamsburg for one week only for Summer Nights Live—don't miss your chance to see the Earth Harp in action at the Globe Theatre! Until then, read on to learn more about the mind behind one of the most innovative instruments you'll ever hear.

 

Summer Nights Live: William Close & the Earth Harp Collective

 

Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us! How did you get into music? And what advice would you give to aspiring musical artists?

William Close: I actually came to music from design. I studied design, sculpture, and architecture, and those interests formed my passion for music. And I grew up on sail boats and I was always interested in that element of rigging, and so in a lot of ways I would say that sailing inspired my love of music as well. I always loved combining different mediums, and so I started combining sculpture and music and architecture to create new instruments like the Earth Harp. And if I were to offer advice to another artist or musician, I would say that it’s good to allow different interests inspire your main interests. If you’re a musician, maybe you want to be inspired by painting or film, or vice versa.

 

BGW: Before inventing the Earth Harp, what was your experience with the combination of art installation and music?

WC: I always loved the quote, “Architecture is frozen music.” And so that whole idea of seeing the architecture of a building as music really sparked my interest in terms of what it might be to create music on a large scale, installation style. That quote really speaks to noticing the rhythmic patterns in architecture and made me think of the way sound travels through different spaces. For example, how it resonates in a big atrium space, or how a stairwell or a hallway produces an echo. And then I’d go play music in those spaces and I always found the differences interesting.

 

BGW: Can you say a bit about the Earth Harp? How does it work? What is the process for installing it in a venue?

WC: The Earth Harp gets its title from the first time I set it up. It was in a canyon, and I ran the strings clear across from one side to the other, effectively turning the canyon into a giant harp. Since then I’ve attached it in many different spaces including mountain peaks, across fields, in beautiful theaters and concert halls, and to the tops of skyscrapers. The idea came from questioning what it would be like to turn the landscape into the instrument and finding that synthesis between design, architecture, sculpture, and music. It all started with running strings across my loft in Chicago when I was in art school to try to figure out if you could actually make music that way. When I figured out that you could, that’s when I started thinking about it on a larger scale, with strings from 20 to 400 feet long. To play the Earth Harp, you put on cotton gloves that have been coated in violin resin and you run your hands along the strings, sort of pulling at the strings, to produce a beautiful tone called a compression wave. It’s the same principle as when you run your finger on the edge of a wine glass. When we install it at Busch Gardens, the resonator and the bridge of the instrument will attach to the stage, and the strings will go out over the audience and attach to the architecture of the theater. We’ll essentially be turning the theater into the instrument, and the audience will be watching the show from inside it.

 

BGW: What has been one of your favorite venues to perform in? What made it such a special experience?

WC: I really loved stringing the Earth Harp to the top of skyscraper in Singapore. It was an interesting rigging process because the strings were over 1,000 feet long and we had to lower them from the top of the building one by one and walk them across a complex plaza area. The first string took about two hours to set up, but by the end we had gotten that time down to fifteen minutes. And that was also the show where we received the world record for longest playable instrument.

 

BGW: Do differences in the architecture of different venues impact the sound if the instrument?

WC: Different architecture definitely impacts the resonance of the instrument. If I have the Earth Harp set up in a big, beautiful glass atrium or some of the bigger museum atriums the sound is more resonate and it reverberates, whereas if I’m in a canyon - sometimes I’ll get an echo from it. If I’m in a theater, it’s really nice and focused and quiet so you really hear the depth and beauty of the instrument. In a theater like the one at Busch Gardens, the audience will be sitting right under the strings, so they’ll really be able to hear the sound as it’s above and around them.

 

Summer Nights Live: William Close & the Earth Harp Collective

 

Events
Summer
Summer Exclusive

You May Also Like

Become a Member at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Top 5 Reasons to Become a Member in July

July 1, 2019

Join now for exclusive benefits, savings, and perks!

Summer
Behind the Scenes
Members
Light Up Your Summer at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

5 Ways to Light Up Your Summer

June 24, 2019

Light up your Summer Nights, June 28 – August 11!

Events
Fireworks
Summer
Get Ready for Summer Nights at Busch Gardens Williamsburg!

Free Beer for Members & Annual Pass Holders

June 4, 2019

Members and annual pass holders enjoy free beer June 19 – August 11!

Events
Members
Fireworks
  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  • Blog
  • Summer Nights Live: William Close & The Earth Harp Collective
Busch Gardens & Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Virginia
About Our Parks
  • About Busch Gardens
  • About Water Country USA
  • Park Hours & Maps
  • Directions
  • About Our Parks
Visit Our Parks
  • Buy Tickets & More
  • Plan Your Visit
  • Hotel Packages
  • Upgrade Your Visit
  • Group Events
  • Military Tickets
  • Membership Login
  • Visit Our Parks
Things To Do
  • Meet Our Animals
  • Exclusive Tours
  • Dining
  • Shopping
  • Special Events
  • Rides & Coasters
  • Shows
  • Camps
  • Things To Do
More Information
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Accessibility Guides
  • Lost & Found
  • Blog
  • Media Room
  • Donation Requests
  • Our Partners
  • Awards & Recognition
  • More Information
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
  • Company Info
  • Conservation Efforts
  • Conservation Fund
  • Jobs
  • Travel Agents
  • SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Get In Touch

  • Call Us (757) 229-4386
  • Email Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA Email Us

Stay in the Loop

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Get Special Offers & Park News


© 2021 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 Busch Gardens Boulevard, Williamsburg, VA 23185

  • Privacy Policy
  • Notice of Collection
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Adventure Island Logo
  • Aquatica
  • Busch Gardens Logo
  • Discovery Cove Logo
  • SeaWorld Logo
  • Sesame Place Logo
  • Water Country USA Logo

Share

Are you sure you want to delete this item?