Birds of a Feder

Found sound: Janet Feder uses beads, wires, bra hooks, split rings from Swiss Army knives and modified alligator clips in her acoustic-guitar performances.

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More About

• Janet Feder
• Leo Kottke
• Fred Frith
• Swiss Army Knives
• Classical Music

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Whether or not she actually embodies the old Girl Scout motto "Always be prepared" in her classically experimental outings ("Me and the Brownies -- we weren't right for each other," she says, laughing), Feder does approach her craft with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a happy explorer. "It's like being in a city where you've never been before, and you just walk around and let whatever is interesting be your guide and take you wherever you're gonna go next."

When preparation meets perfection, there is one other little payoff. Says Feder, "Hearing people laugh when I play is more joyous than I can even explain."