By Alex Palmer
Those who think saws belong in tool sheds should stop by Astoria’s Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday to see how some people can make them sing.
On that day, more than 40 saw musicians will take center stage to create uplifting and emotive sounds as part of the 10th annual NYC Musical Saw Festival.
As its name implies, this show will be dedicated to this often-overlooked instrument from start to finish.
“A lot of people don’t know about the existence of this instrument,” Natalia Paruz, the director of the festival, and also known as “The Saw Lady,” said. “While a band might play it in a piece or two, we wanted to put it in the forefront and showcase all the things the saw can do.”
The versatility of the instrument will be on display as players from South Africa, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Norway, Poland, Canada and from throughout the United States take the stage. These performances include the premiere of original compositions written specifically for the event by composers Scott Munson and Ady Cohen, as well as a chamber orchestra conducted by Dan Radtke to accompany Paruz on the musical saw.
As this is the 10th anniversary of the event, Paruz, who lives in Astoria, has worked to expand the program so that it is not just a concert, but a full-blown festival. This year it will include poetry as well as an art exhibit of paintings inspired by the saw’s music. On the lower level of Trinity Church, several workshops will be offered, including a session for those interested in learning the basics of playing the saw, and more advanced lessons on playing it with a mallet or adding effects.
The event will conclude with the “Chorus of the Saws” in which all of the saw players join together on stage.
“You feel all of the vibrations at once,” says Paruz. “It’s really an experience you have to have live — if you watch a video you will not feel it the same way.”
If you go
NYC Musical Saw Festival
Saturday, June 1, 2 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church, 31-18 37th St., Astoria
Admission is $10
www.musicalsawfestival.com
