A Friendly Game of Chess (2001, Headlands Center for the Arts)

Created for the Headlands Center for the Arts Salon Series
April 10, 2001

The Performance:

Two players engaged in a live game of chess—but this was no ordinary match. The room was filled with musicians, each assigned to a specific chess piece.

The Rules of Sound:

• Movement = Music: When a chess piece was moved, its corresponding musician(s) began playing. (A raised flag signaled which piece was active.)

• Capture = Silence: The moment any piece was captured, all sound stopped—a sudden hush until the next move.

• Instruments: Pianos, saxophone, recorders, percussion, accordions, cello, and more filled the space with unpredictable layers of sound.

Duration & Atmosphere:

The game lasted 40 minutes, transforming strategic play into an immersive, ever-shifting soundscape. The musicians’ responses turned each move into a collaborative composition, blurring the lines between game, concert, and performance art.

Location & Date:

Headlands Center for the Arts, April 10, 2001

Concept:

"A Friendly Game of Chess" reframed chess as a social, auditory experience. The musicians acted as extensions of the board, their sounds mirroring the tension, spontaneity, and consequences of each move. Silence became as powerful as noise."