Deborah Davidson knows how to get a good conversation going. For the past 12 years, as founder of Catalyst Conversations, she has made it her business to stage intimate – and what she calls “provocative” – free discussions pairing artists and scientists on topics that draw on the creativity and curiosity of the disciplines.
For her nonprofit’s 12th anniversary fundraiser May 13, Davidson – also curator for the Suffolk University Art Museum – chose a true conversation-starting theme, “Ding! Ding!,” featuring a head-turning form of entertainment: the Boston Typewriter Orchestra.
Having seen the BTO perform years ago, she knew they would be “delightful and interesting.” But she and her board also thought the offbeat ensemble could present “an implied tie-in to think about art, science and technology, with old technology being put to use in a way that reassembles the idea of what the typewriter is.”
Chris Keene, software developer by day for Boston College and key-banging orchestra member for 15 years, agrees that the creative connection is at the heart of orchestra members’ bond and what drew him to the group. “The better aspects of my work [as a coder] are creative and excite my mind [like] writing a song … you’re making something that didn’t exist. For musicians or other creatives, there’s a perpetual drive to do that.”
Keene was introduced to the group by fellow musician Brendan Quigley, who had been playing in “goofy garagey bands” for years when he caught the typewriter bug. “It’s sort of a cult kind of thing,” he laughed, “where friends somehow get involved and tap you on the shoulder and say you should join up sometime. And then next thing you know, we never really leave.” Quigley describes himself as more of a frontman for the group and credits Keene, Derrik Albertelli, Alex Holman and other members for providing what he calls the “sonic palette” – which is surprisingly more wide-ranging than might be expected. “Someone will accidentally make a good noise and we’ll go, okay, you need to keep doing that so that we can build something around it,” he adds, likening the typewriter orchestra’s methods to traditional band riffs.
The orchestra plays well-known tunes but has produced originals as well, with lyrics that poke fun at a corporate office culture that many of the members are all too familiar with. “At the Staff Meeting,” written and sung by Jay O’Grady, notes: “Boss will tell a joke, everybody has to laugh at the staff meeting, hahaha.” “Meeting in the Morning” is another O’Grady work that captures mandatory lunch sessions with the lines “the boss said we had to do better, ham sandwiches on white bread, boss got mustard all over his sweater.” Both have become fan favorites and will likely be played May 13.
“We’ve got a number of people who have office jobs and have to deal with the relentless onslaught of various office memos and how to handle the etiquette of splitting doughnuts in the break room,” Keene chuckles. Orchestra attire reflects it with button-down shirts and run-of-the-mill ties.
Tom Furrier, owner of Cambridge Typewriter (in Arlington, despite its name), is not surprised by the orchestra’s growing appeal, which tracks how people feel about typewriters: “People are falling in love with them today. All the sensory feedback that you get from an old vintage typewriter – the sound, the feel of the keys, the vibration, the sound of the bed, the rhythm,” said Furrier, who has worked with and repaired the machines more than 40 years. “It just feels right and it kind of meshes with your brain. It feels good and it’s very addictive.” Younger customers are increasingly hooked; their customer visits have grown considerably since the pandemic, with no signs of slowing, he says.
“Everyone has a typewriter story,” Furrier adds, something he will miss as he looks forward to hiring an apprentice to help with the workload and take over the business. Would he think of joining the orchestra in his retirement? “They haven’t asked,” he laughs.
In the meantime, orchestra members continue to rethink how they use their instruments in ways that move the music forward, keep the audience entertained and elevate their role as the only typewriter orchestra in the country. “We have made a push recently for much more multimedia performances,” Quigley says. “We’ve made movies and whatnot to play in conjunction with the show. We’re kind of hitting our stride,” with extensive national coverage to go along – including NBC Evening News, CBS News and National Public Radio.
“I think there’s some futuristic aspects of taking an old machine and reinventing it in a way that wasn’t ever meant to,” Keene reflects. “We’re not unilaterally saving typewriters from the scrapyard of history, but I think we are employing them in a contemporary manner.”
- “Ding! Ding! Celebrating Twelve Years of Art, Science and Conversation” runs 6 to 8 p.m May 13 at The Foundry community building, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge, with the orchestra performance, a reception, informal conversations and other ways to participate. Beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres are provided. $100. Information is here.
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