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A local teen, Jake D’Antonio and his mentor, Barry Miller, will soon host a public demonstration of the original sound sculpture they collaborated on. Born over three months premature, Jake, who is the son of Carol and Louis D’Antonio of Spooner Road in Randolph, was diagnosed with autism at age two. Now 13 and an eighth grade student at Randolph Union High School, Jake is in a Special Education program that supports him in the regular classroom. "He has high-functioning autism," Carol explained. "He has attentional problems and impulsivity and it’s been very difficult for him to become oriented to other people and to what society expects of him. He just doesn’t understand abstract concepts, but he can read at a very high level. He loves trains, music and sounds." Jake is musically talented and plays keyboards and drums. His recent performance with Miller was a big hit at this spring’s Mud Season Variety Show at Chandler Music Hall. The two first met when Miller, who is a percussionist and artist, worked at the Randolph Co-op. Some of the chimes he makes were on display there and caught the eye of Jake, who has his own collection of wind chimes. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Miller (aka "Barry Vermont") teaches drumming and all types of sound art, including drum making and chime making. Miller first helped Jake design and construct a 17-piece chime set at the D’Antonio home. Last October, the two started another, more ambitious project, entitled, "Blue Monk 6," an interactive six-sided chime sculpture, using theatrical lighting stands to hold 12 sets of chimes. It is currently located at Miller’s studio over the Three Bean Café on Pleasant St. Carol noted that Dr. David Ross of Yale University has verified that Jake has perfect pitch, and Miller concurred. "If I sound a chime, Jake can always tell me what note it is," explained Miller, as he showed The Herald around his studio workspace. Taking up most of that space, "Blue Monk 6" is a truly impressive installation of chimes that seem to stretch from floor to ceiling. Miller made all the chimes himself in his workshop. Fashioned from copper, aluminum, and brass, the tubular chimes are rough-cut and ground at the ends for fine tuning. The various sizes and styles of chimes are all tuned to scales in the key of C. There are also a couple of "rain sticks." Mallets of various sizes and styles are used to make music with the chimes. On Sunday, June 3 from 1-5 p.m., the public will have a chance to see and hear the chime installation, when it will be moved outside and set up in the parking lot south of the Three Bean Café. People can explore the sculpture and ask questions at this free event and there will be drumming outdoors. The studio will also be open for visitors. For more information about the chimes or the June 3 event, call Miller at 728-2055. ____________ |
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