| William Close | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Age | 48 |
| Sex | Male |
| Act | Instrumentalist |
| Seasons | BC |
| Position Reached | Quarterfinalist |
William Close was an Instrumentalist act from FantasyAGT: Battle of the Champions. He was eliminated in Judge Cuts, but was brought back as a Wildcard for the Quarterfinals. He was eliminated again in the Quarterfinals.
Background[]
The first Earth Harp was invented in 1999 by artist/musician, William Close. It is the longest stringed instrument in the world, with strings that extend up to 1,000 feet in length. It uses architecture and landscape as part of the instrument. The architecture basically becomes the instrument. The Earth Harp’s first installation featured the resonating chamber mounted on one side of a valley with the strings stretched out nearly 1,000 ft to the other side. It turned the valley into a giant harp!
The Earth Harp is played using violin resin on cotton gloves and musical bows. The performer’s hands are run along the strings to created cello-like tones. The act of rubbing the strings creates a longitudinal compression wave. This vibration is similar to the vibration patterns that produce tones when you run your finger around the edge of a wine glass. It is also similar to the vibration patterns created while playing singing bowls.
As William Close experimented with some of his early design concepts, he created a method of tuning the giant long strings; using a specially designed tuning block that he discovered could tune the strings to any scale. The instrument is typically tuned in an A minor scale. Flats and sharps can also be included for certain installations; this is easily done by shifting the tuning block.
Since that day in 1999, William and MASS Ensemble have created hundreds of Earth Harp installations all over the world. From the Grand Theater of Shanghai to the Space Needle in Seattle, each installation is unique to its own environment. An Earth Harp installation celebrates the architecture and landscape of its surroundings. The environment and architecture are transformed by the strings. [1]
Preliminary[]
William Close's preliminary performance in Episode BC05 consisted of playing music. Mike, Saf, Pennies and Fresh all gave him standing ovations. His performance was strong enough for the judges to send him to Judge Cuts instead of Ludovico Einaudi.
FULL William Close and His Earth Harp America's Got Talent 2012 Auditions
Judge Cuts[]
William Close's Judge Cuts performance in Episode BC09 consisted of playing the earth harp, and a drum wheel, as guest singer Rafe Pearlman sang The Who's "Love, Reign O'er Me". Mike, Saf, guest judge Nerdy, Pennies and Fresh all gave him standing ovations. His performance was not strong enough for the judges to send him to the Quarterfinals but he was later reinstated as a wildcard.
William Close - Top 48 - America's Got Talent 2012
Quarterfinals[]
William Close's Quarterfinals performance in Episode BC011 consisted of playing the earth harp to The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Mike and Saf gave him standing ovations. He did not receive enough votes to advance to the Semifinals, eliminating him from the competition instead of Darci Lynne.
William Close & the EHC Perform Seven Nation Army on The World's Best on CBS