The carpenter’s saw is nothing more than a prosaic tool for most people, but a trip to Home Depot is like visiting the Steinway store for the 37 enthusiasts who played “Over the Rainbow” at the recent 9th Annual Musical Saw Festival.
The popular tune unfolded in the sonic haze of quivering, otherworldly timbres produced by the dozens of saw players squashed together on a small stage in the Hellenic Cultural Center in the Astoria, Queens, section of New York. The ensemble, whose members had traveled from India, Japan and Germany, among other places, also offered a surreal rendition of Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”
Natalia Paruz, the “Saw Lady” who founded this quirky event, was one of many participants who described being immediately captivated by the theremin-like sound the saw produces when a bow is drawn across its smooth edge. Most fans come to saw playing in early adulthood or later, given that it’s not an “instrument” most parents encourage young children to play. Paruz, 37, fell in love with the saw by chance, when she heard a man performing on one during a trip to Austria in her early 20s.
The musical potential of the tool, Paruz said, was discovered by lumberjacks. They would sit around the campfire and accompany their singing by hitting a saw with a mallet. Travelling missionaries also used the saw to lead hymn singing when pianos and organs weren’t available.
“The sound of the saw lent itself to liturgical music. It’s very angelic and sounds like womens’ soprano voices. It’s a very spiritual sound,” added Paruz.
In the 20th century, circus clowns in Europe played the saw, which was also popular stateside in vaudeville shows. The Ziegfeld Follies had musical saw acts. But as vaudeville died out, the saw players lost their income and the decline continued during World War II. New saws without rust (which detracts from the sound) are required for music making, but metal was in short supply because of the war.
The art form is now experiencing a revival, she added, noting the growing numbers of enthusiasts attending her festival each year.
Katharina Micada, who traveled from Berlin for the festival, cited Marlene Dietrich — who played the saw in cabaret shows — as her main inspiration. Dressed in purple striped tights and silver shoes, Micada serenaded a few listeners during intermission with “Yesterday” and Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro.” She pointed to the marks she made on her saw to indicate pitches; saw players must locate pitches the same way string players do.
“In the beginning I was afraid of cutting myself. But it’s not so dangerous if you know how to handle it,” Micada said. Indeed, according to Jenna Wikler, 44, from Northampton, Mass., repetitive strain injury is the biggest danger with saw playing. “That’s more dangerous as it’s a long-term injury. If you get wacked in the face you’d probably be better in a couple of days,” she said.
New Jersey-based Gregory Newton, 53, who trained as an opera singer, said that opera arias translate well to the saw, because “it plays sweeping melodies very well.” And judging by the eclectic festival lineup, pretty much everything else also seems poachable for the saw. The music ranged from Bach’s famous “Air on a G String” (which sounded like Bach with a haunted house twist) and Satie’s “Gymnopedie” in an arrangement for saw and handbells to folk and popular songs.
The electrified saw added a rock and roll vibe, with “Crosscut Saw” performed by the bearded Doc George Hiller. The lineup also included “Besame mucho;” a foot-stomping saw and ukulele duo; songs inspired by Argentine tango; and pieces by Liszt. Willa France read her saw inspired poetry, including a verse that described how she first encountered Paruz playing in the subway.
Moses E. Josiah, at 83 the oldest performer in the festival, offered “Imagine” and “Light of My Life.” Josiah, a suspender-clad retired orthopedic technician who lives in Brooklyn, learned how to play the saw at age 17 in his native Guyana. He made his debut at a market square one Sunday morning in his youth and “people were amazed,” he said. “It has a spiritual effect on me personally,” he added. “When I play, that energy goes out to those who are listening.”
Irving A. Francis became captivated by the saw as a young child, when he saw a man playing one with a stick in his native St. Croix. He said to make a bow, he went into a pasture with his scissors and cut off some hair from a horse.
Most of the performers in Astoria played with bows, although a few also used mallets. Some saw players prefer to go to a hardware store and pick an “instrument” there. Others buy from companies that specialize in making saws for musical use. These specially manufactured saws, said Paruz, are longer and thus have a larger range of pitches. They are also more pliable, meaning less pressure on the wrist, and made of better steel, ensuring a more appealing sound.
Unsurprisingly, there is an extremely limited repertory of works written for the saw. Most players simply transcribe their favorite tunes or improvise. A goal of the festival is to commission works composed especially for the saw. The program included the world premiere of Eyal Bat’s “Courts of Heaven” for piano and four saws and a new piece by Scott Munson, Paruz’s husband.
Dr. Haris Gershom, who traveled from Gujarat, India, uses the saw for musical therapy. Paruz agreed that the saw can certainly have a relaxing effect on performer and listener. “It’s very soothing,” she said. “The vibrations penetrate your body and it’s quite meditative.”
Playing the saw, added Paruz, used to be “very popular for the same reasons as it’s becoming popular today — it’s a beautiful sound, it’s a striking visual – what’s not to enjoy?”
In addition, she said with a laugh, saws are good for self-defense. “Nobody messes around with me when I play!”
The popular tune unfolded in the sonic haze of quivering, otherworldly timbres produced by the dozens of saw players squashed together on a small stage in the Hellenic Cultural Center in the Astoria, Queens, section of New York. The ensemble, whose members had traveled from India, Japan and Germany, among other places, also offered a surreal rendition of Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”
Natalia Paruz, the “Saw Lady” who founded this quirky event, was one of many participants who described being immediately captivated by the theremin-like sound the saw produces when a bow is drawn across its smooth edge. Most fans come to saw playing in early adulthood or later, given that it’s not an “instrument” most parents encourage young children to play. Paruz, 37, fell in love with the saw by chance, when she heard a man performing on one during a trip to Austria in her early 20s.
The musical potential of the tool, Paruz said, was discovered by lumberjacks. They would sit around the campfire and accompany their singing by hitting a saw with a mallet. Travelling missionaries also used the saw to lead hymn singing when pianos and organs weren’t available.
“The sound of the saw lent itself to liturgical music. It’s very angelic and sounds like womens’ soprano voices. It’s a very spiritual sound,” added Paruz.
In the 20th century, circus clowns in Europe played the saw, which was also popular stateside in vaudeville shows. The Ziegfeld Follies had musical saw acts. But as vaudeville died out, the saw players lost their income and the decline continued during World War II. New saws without rust (which detracts from the sound) are required for music making, but metal was in short supply because of the war.
The art form is now experiencing a revival, she added, noting the growing numbers of enthusiasts attending her festival each year.
Katharina Micada, who traveled from Berlin for the festival, cited Marlene Dietrich — who played the saw in cabaret shows — as her main inspiration. Dressed in purple striped tights and silver shoes, Micada serenaded a few listeners during intermission with “Yesterday” and Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro.” She pointed to the marks she made on her saw to indicate pitches; saw players must locate pitches the same way string players do.
“In the beginning I was afraid of cutting myself. But it’s not so dangerous if you know how to handle it,” Micada said. Indeed, according to Jenna Wikler, 44, from Northampton, Mass., repetitive strain injury is the biggest danger with saw playing. “That’s more dangerous as it’s a long-term injury. If you get wacked in the face you’d probably be better in a couple of days,” she said.
New Jersey-based Gregory Newton, 53, who trained as an opera singer, said that opera arias translate well to the saw, because “it plays sweeping melodies very well.” And judging by the eclectic festival lineup, pretty much everything else also seems poachable for the saw. The music ranged from Bach’s famous “Air on a G String” (which sounded like Bach with a haunted house twist) and Satie’s “Gymnopedie” in an arrangement for saw and handbells to folk and popular songs.
The electrified saw added a rock and roll vibe, with “Crosscut Saw” performed by the bearded Doc George Hiller. The lineup also included “Besame mucho;” a foot-stomping saw and ukulele duo; songs inspired by Argentine tango; and pieces by Liszt. Willa France read her saw inspired poetry, including a verse that described how she first encountered Paruz playing in the subway.
Moses E. Josiah, at 83 the oldest performer in the festival, offered “Imagine” and “Light of My Life.” Josiah, a suspender-clad retired orthopedic technician who lives in Brooklyn, learned how to play the saw at age 17 in his native Guyana. He made his debut at a market square one Sunday morning in his youth and “people were amazed,” he said. “It has a spiritual effect on me personally,” he added. “When I play, that energy goes out to those who are listening.”
Irving A. Francis became captivated by the saw as a young child, when he saw a man playing one with a stick in his native St. Croix. He said to make a bow, he went into a pasture with his scissors and cut off some hair from a horse.
Most of the performers in Astoria played with bows, although a few also used mallets. Some saw players prefer to go to a hardware store and pick an “instrument” there. Others buy from companies that specialize in making saws for musical use. These specially manufactured saws, said Paruz, are longer and thus have a larger range of pitches. They are also more pliable, meaning less pressure on the wrist, and made of better steel, ensuring a more appealing sound.
Unsurprisingly, there is an extremely limited repertory of works written for the saw. Most players simply transcribe their favorite tunes or improvise. A goal of the festival is to commission works composed especially for the saw. The program included the world premiere of Eyal Bat’s “Courts of Heaven” for piano and four saws and a new piece by Scott Munson, Paruz’s husband.
Dr. Haris Gershom, who traveled from Gujarat, India, uses the saw for musical therapy. Paruz agreed that the saw can certainly have a relaxing effect on performer and listener. “It’s very soothing,” she said. “The vibrations penetrate your body and it’s quite meditative.”
Playing the saw, added Paruz, used to be “very popular for the same reasons as it’s becoming popular today — it’s a beautiful sound, it’s a striking visual – what’s not to enjoy?”
In addition, she said with a laugh, saws are good for self-defense. “Nobody messes around with me when I play!”
