A Night of Silent Films with Tom Teasley
On Friday, Nov. 21, Tom Teasley performed at PVCC for the Films Talk Back series. He superimposed his compositions over Ghosts Before Breakfast and Metropolis.
Teasley opened the evening with a brief introduction of the two German silent films. He explained that the original soundtrack to Ghosts Before Breakfast was destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. He gave insight into what to expect from Metropolis, noting the authoritarian themes of the film.
After the introduction, Teasley sat down at his array of instruments. The lights dimmed, and the screen on stage lit up, starting with the first film. Ghosts Before Breakfast was layered on screen with video of Teasley’s hands expertly moving across the drums. The music followed the film, with light drumming matching the tick of the clock shown and cymbal clashes as dishes broke on concrete. Teasley wrapped up his composition as the film came to an end.
Metropolis played after a brief pause on the ending screen of the last film. The film showed the rebellion of machine workers against their oppressors in the upper city. Teasley used electronic-sounding beats as the machines showed on screen, and used drums to follow the human movement. The film was over an hour long, and he performed the entire time—never pausing to take a break. Those in the audience applauded as the film ended with its message on screen, “The mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart.”
After the screening, audience members were invited to comment or ask any questions. A discussion began about how Metropolis was made and how impressive the production is for its time. Teasley then talked about his travels and how music has allowed him to connect with so many people around the world.
When Teasley finished speaking with the audience, he closed off the night by playing his tongue drum to pay his respects to PVCC’s recently lost student. He then thanked everyone for coming and offered those interested the opportunity to speak with him more on their way out. Many people stopped and thanked him.
When asked for their thoughts, one attendee said, “It was truly something I’ve never experienced before. It was interesting to hear someone else’s interpretation of the film.”
