Between May 15 and 16 the Metalliferous Hills Jug Band collective (in Italian: Jug Band dalle Colline Metallifere) took the shape of a power trio, embedding Federico Giussani, a nightscape photographer from Southern Tuscany, with Dario and Jack.
Below you will find a photo report based on Federico’s shots. As our next meetup, save the date for Thursday, May 30, at Politecnico di Milano from 4 to 7PM for a lecture called “From Sound Engineering to Engineering with Sound“. This event is also part of the program of a national festival on sustainability. After this, the collective will head for Germany ( info@pibinko.org or +393317539228).
So, here goes:
A quick survey at Politecnico di Milano, in preparation for our May 30 lecture “From Sound Engineering to Engineering with Sound” (May 30, 4-7PM). After an excellent pistachio ice cream, here we are in the Isola area, just by the Vertical Forest, where you can pick diagonal mushrooms after the rainy period.This was part of the exhibition by Federico at Piano Terra. We gave special care to the flyer preparation. It actually looks like any piece of scrap paper, hand written with a blue pencil.We made an effort to explain where we come from, and what we did on May 11 in Torniella (Southern Tuscany, where many of our projects originated), with a delegation from Politecnico di Milano.After an “aperitivo” with typical products from Southern Tuscany, a brief introduction by Jack o’Malley……complemented by some press clippings and articles (see the full items online Tirreno 1, Tirreno 2, Langscape)This is a POV of the drummer, including a shaker and two palla a 21 balls, waiting to the house to start rocking.Diego Armando protects the quality of our night skies.Dario starts his “talk” (should we say “sing”?), with Federico’s images rolling in the background. On the set, maps of various sorts (including the Farma Valley community map, posted on the table). The cake hand baked (with hand-made jam by hand-picked fruit) by Aunt Anna from Tuscany for our departure, helped to bind the audience.The St. Galgano Abbey, in Southern Tuscany, exposing an interesting case of “needs improvement” lighting (in other parts of our events we explain how this can be accomplished without jeopardizing the tourism potential of such sites).Things eventually start getting groovy (check out videos for Nella Vena di Vino, or Abramo e Mezzogiorno di grano, )A break for Dario on vocals, with the Livin’ Milano blues on air quality (see the video)At some point Manuel S., a milanese beatboxer on the loose, enters the scene (see Three Little Birds and Supermarket)In the JBCM various items have multiple functions. A plastic tank is also used as a bass drum.The event in Milano was wrapped up at 2.30AM. At 9.50AM of the same day (May 16= we were in Council Hall at the University of Brescia, were we were to propose our “Interdisciplinary Promotion and Protection of the Night Sky” conference. Professor Ranzi enters the hall to open the event……precedede by a May 15 article on Corriere della Sera (Brescia edition)The conference on night skies starts with a title track about the sky (and various phones start shooting videos of such an unusual opening)After the presentation by pibinko, Maria d’Amore from the Regione Emilia-Romagna administration tells us all the story concerning light pollution laws and guidelines in Italy.After the lunch break, Federico gives an overview of Southern Tuscany by night, using the images which the evening before were the core of his exhibition. Pibinko occasionally provides his addendum, mentioning bike tourism itineraries connecting the sites presented at night, or ma-and-pa cafes where you can taste yummy stuff, in between a Millky Way shot and a light pollution case.
At 4.30PM the conference is over. The attendance certificates are signed. We are ready to close shop, but somebody from the audience asks: “...what about the closing track?“
So the closing track was done. It turned out that one of the participants is a drummer. He asked for drum sticks, but they were in the car in the underground parking…too far to seize the moment…so he joined the rhythm sections by playing the table.
The most surprising comment which we recorded at the end by one of the participants was that “…The conference was really entertaining“.
Also, please save the date for Thursday, May 30, at Politecnico di Milano from 4 to 7PM for a lecture by the Jug Band Colline Metallifere with its full formation, called “From Sound Engineering to Engineering with Sound“,. After this, the collective will head for Germany ( info@pibinko.org or +393317539228).
This was recorded with a smartphone which is not really suited for night shooting, but with an acceptable audio (kudos to Eli Heights for his video support), at the Polo Bar in Punta Ala, Tuscany.
