Tone Dogs

Tone Dogs is a term primarily associated with the work of American experimental musician and composer, David Van Tieghem. It refers to a specific performance style and instrumentation he pioneered, characterized by the use of everyday objects and found sounds as instruments, often amplified and manipulated electronically.

Van Tieghem's Tone Dogs performances typically feature him playing a complex setup of these objects, including (but not limited to) kitchen utensils, plumbing fixtures, toys, and various percussive items. These are not used in a traditional musical manner, but rather explored for their sonic qualities and rhythmic potential. The resulting music is often described as rhythmic, percussive, and textural, blending elements of avant-garde music, world music, and sound art.

The "dogs" part of the name is less clearly defined, and may refer to a general sense of playfulness, unconventionality, or perhaps a humorous commentary on the perceived 'noise' of the sounds produced. It's intrinsically linked to Van Tieghem’s distinctive style and the whimsical nature of using common objects to create complex musical arrangements. The term isn't widely used outside of reference to his work, but it serves as a useful descriptor for artists who similarly explore the sonic potential of everyday objects in performance.