Jeff

WHO: Jeff Morton, Media Facilitator. WHERE: Legislative Building. CLOTHES: Green suit coat, St. Vincent De Paul thrift store, Victoria BC; button up shirt, gift, originally owned by Saskatoon singer/songwriter Shaky Wilson; green pants, $5 Value Village (1230 Broad St.); green under-shirt, stolen from the Canadian Navy by a friend who didn't give it back after basic training. FOOTWEAR: Brown shoes, $4, Value Village; Canadian Military Surplus socks, gift. ACCESSORIES: Belt, RCMP issue belt upon graduation in 1950, $2 from a garage sale; grey scarf, gift. HAIR: Himself

Jeff, who received his Master's Degree in music at the University of Victoria, BC, is a music performer, performance artist, a production manager and technical coordinator for local arts organizations. On top of his long list of creative endeavors, he can re-create a simple toy into a new and sound worthy musical instrument. He is looking forward to Zed Access, which is a show at Paved Arts in Saskatoon, where he will be projecting interactive video generated from circuit bent toys. Near the end of the summer, he will be traveling to Montreal, Toronto and Stratford for a series of performances.

Your clothes seem to all have a story attached to them. I don't buy clothes, I collect them. If it is nice, it isn't good enough. They have to have a good story. The undershirt was given to me by a friend of mine, because she though it matched my green eyes. That inspired a series of t-shirts I made that were all green. I have twelve identical green t-shirts that I made for myself.

How did you start making your own instruments? In grad school while working in the electronic music lab. They had a saudering station, so I just looked at my little toy keyboards one day, and thought “I wonder what is inside.”

What will the next instrument be that you create?I have another drum machine that has some potential. But I never really know what they will be until I actually make them. My process of circuit bending isn't scientific, I just open them up and start trying stuff.

What is your favorite toy? I really like gyroscopes. I also really like magnets.

Considering you are not originally from Regina, how did you end up making the move to the Queen City? I came here because I had a gig with Neutral Ground and a gig with Carrie Gates in Saskatoon. I used to live in Saskatoon, but I didn't want to go back there because that would make me as big as one city. And the gallery scene her is so big, that I can work in all these different places. My wardrobe changes where I live also. It was pretty grey in Victoria, and brown when I was in Saskatoon. Right now I wear a lot of green.

Your style? Personal, curated and metro.