Stories from an artist : Laurie Anderson’s romp through the Cantos collection

By Barbara Bruederlin

You know you’ve got a pretty special collection of musical artifacts when you get the Laurie Anderson stamp of approval on national radio. When the revered multi-media artist spoke glowingly about her recent tour of the Cantos collection to Q’s Jian Gomeshi, those fortunate few who has been part of the intimate and interactive tour were all nodding vigorously in agreement.

It was gratifying to hear Laurie, speaking on CBC radio, chat so enthusiastically about her Cantos experience. It seems she was especially taken with the Optigan. As she marveled at the 1970′s tape machine and as she tinkered with the other unique and rare artifacts on display, the stories began to flow.

”Laurie Anderson is a wonderful story teller and it was a thrill to see her weave her unique perspective, experiences and stories through our Collection,” says Candace Elder, Cantos Programs Officer. ” Laurie Anderson fans were treated to an intimate journey through a brief history of music, interspersed with a treasure trove of stories from this vibrant and creative mind.”

Being the spellbinding storyteller that she is, Laurie kept the small gathering hanging onto her every word with her eloquence and her quirky recollections. The members of the tour were mesmerized.

Candace recalls the afternoon spent with the engaging and personable artist: “Laurie shared her thoughts on the modern day compression of audio in comparison to the way the wax cylinder transports you back in time, into the room in which it the music recorded; the experience of babysitting Steve Martin’s Theremin and how it hauntingly occupied a corner of her living room; her fascination with the Optigan, its “built in sadness”, and how it has inspired some of her own vocal disc creations; and how the vocoder was initially designed, not for music, but for spying.”

It was an afternoon that those in attendance will not soon forget.