Here comes Audio February

And if you live near Charlottesville, VA, or happen to be passing through in the next few weeks, you're luckier than the rest of us. The folks over at the Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative are devoting the entire month of February to audio stuffs, from experimental music performances, to a variety of installations - including one in the bathroom. i know, brilliant! - to an evening of sound-rich audio stories that I'm thrilled to be heading down to share. (Check out the latest TCF Listening Room news.)

And on top of all of that - there's the Sound Room. Which would love to include YOUR sound(s). Here's the official Call to Ears:

The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative in Charlottesville, VA is devoting the entire month of February to the celebration to sound. Our intention is to utilize the gallery space in creative ways to foster a sound-loving community. We have scheduled a series of events, including improvised music performances, robotics workshop, radio documentary demos, and sound installations and lectures.

A crucial part of the month is the ongoing Sound Room, an audio installation in the main gallery space over speakers, featuring sound pieces by artists from around the world. We would like for you to take part in this installation.

If you're interested, please send along a piece of your sound work in the form of a digital file (mp3, wav, aiff, etc) via email or other file-transferring means (such as yousendit.com).

Along with the file, please attach:
1. Text related to the track
2. Your bio and any other pertinent information

The Sound Room will open during regular gallery hours and at points during events through out the month of February.


[But that's not all. Stay tuned for the related Call for Horses. ]

Daily(s)

I've come across a couple daily (or daily-ish) audio projects recently, which you may want to know about. Am curious to observe how long the frequency holds up, as i'm finding it challenging enough to listen daily, or daily-ish. (Not unlike my New Year Flossing Intentions.)

The efforts are opposites in some ways - narratives on one hand and field recordings (so far) on the other but there's a thruline of observation, of paying attention, of offering, that links the two. Kudos to Laura and Taylor, for being game...

One Sound Each Day
[On the heels of One Picture Each Day. Wonder how the two years will compare?!]

and

Audio Everyday
[One of my favorite posts is from 11/06/08, a 15-second extract from Obama's acceptance speech 11/04/08.]

Testing...1 - 2 - 3. Testing?

Trying again, with this. Because of course, I'm still listening. A small thought this morning, easing back into it from a very different perspective, literally:

It's minus 10 degrees right now, and from the second floor bathroom in our house I can hear birds singing joyfully. It's blindingly sunny outside, and hurts to breath. At least it sounds joyful.


More, soon.
For 2009 - hope + action, and capitals in all the right places.

airport voice

i'm at the airport, heading out to the west coast for yet more listening events. of course people-watching is a field day out here, but it's the people-LISTENING that's all the more fascinating. most memorable so far: 1/2 of bundle of girl twins strapped into a stroller larger than my car, bellowing the swine verse from that popular childhood favorite, (note related finger puppet set. 100% felt!) when mom leaned over and reminded, in quite the outdoor voice, about using her indoor voice. sounded indoor to me...inside a barn, that is.

so yes. more listening events. if you're in or near the portland, OR* or san francisco areas, please consider coming out for a night of pure audio love** this saturday (may 31) or sunday June 1) night. they're going to be fun.

* i always feel bad designating this portland as being in OR, when san francisco needs no further elaboration. but with the other portland featuring so prominently in the audio world these days, seems only fair to do so, rather than assume that folks will automatically think 'pacific northwest.'

** am not sure if this phrase helps or hurts my cause. but i mean it in a tolerable, low-key way.

that was then

a good pal recently invited me to contribute to his simple, obvious and somehow perfect new project - a celebration of soundtracks to romances long since moved on from - so i dug around in the basement and came up with an appropriate source of inspiration. listening back after 15 or so years, it's amazing how vividly i remember most of the songs which i'm sure i haven't heard in...14.5 or so years. and astounding how these artifacts, conjuring deep, sound-cast memories - are intensely and irreversibly invaluable. the segueways come to mind automatically, the intentional misspellings in the enclosed note will be forever memorized, the designated 'most romantic song ever' still rings loud and true, and yes, superlatively romantic. or at least it seems that way. or at least it feels good to think it seems that way. (fifteen years ago. what?)

anyway. check out cassette from my ex for a guaranteed reminder of one (or a dozen) mix tapes from your own past, and the adventures/stories/tears they once conjured.

p.s. here's a hint just for YOU - that crimpshrine song comes in around 13:28.