In the last lecture with Dawn we brainstormed what opportunities felt relevant to each of us. During this exercise I was able to synthesise all opportunities I had been exposed to into a single working document. They are as follows:
- Sound Design/ Composing/ Experimental Super 8 filming – for documentary film Travone Quarry – paid work from received funding, applied for by director,
- Internship at Institute for Post-Natural Studies (IPS) – inquire? – possibly developing mytho-poetic ecological workshops in future.
- Masters in Art & Ecology at Goldsmiths.
- Email Claire Singer about potential composition workshops
- Reach out to members of Rewilding initiative Citizen Zoo to create a Sound map of Tolworth Court Farm Fields – Applying for funding to carry out (Arts Council?)
- Dyski x Zennor Sounds Residency
- Visual arts Summer Residency in South of France
I think the main challenge for me right now is knowing which ones to prioritise. I feel at a bit of a crossroads in terms of decision making due to varied interests. I have a desire to continue research and make sound works surrounding ecological matters, but I am not sure I am ready to dive straight into education again. I would need to also raise money to pay for any related tuition fees, that I don’t have at the moment. Despite this, I still feel that my artistic practice isn’t grounded or tangible enough yet. A Masters in Art & Ecology at Goldsmiths has stood out to me as an opportunity to make more sense of things.
Aside from this I would also like to develop my composition skills, and have even considered doing a post-graduate in music or music-related degree. Claire Singer, during our visit to Union Chapel, mentioned some potential composition workshops utilising the chapel’s organ which sounded interesting. I am yet to email her, but intend to once I have finished submitting my Major Project. The obvious thing to do is to bridge the gap between my creative practice and my growing interest in ecology, creating a cohesive bubble of work. I feel unsure of how to do this at such an early stage in my career however. I feel that any imminent decisions I make will characterise the kind of work I can pursue afterwards, whether it be academic, sound-based, or musical. Whatever 3 I choose to write about in the appraisal, there is one thing I am certain of – I will need to learn how to effectively divide my time up between multiple projects of varying natures.
Two artists whom I draw a lot of inspiration from is KMRU and Hildegard Westerkamp. Both use their compositional work as extensions of activistic and philosophical writing, and vice versa. Reading many of Westerkamp’s essays on her website has given me deep insight into her field recording philosophy and has changed the way I approach it. I find that her soundscape compositions become inseparable from her writing once experienced together.KMRU’s work on the other hand encompasses ambient composition, installation, video, and performing. Much of his compositional work is accompanied by activistic writing, with ecological and geo-political undertones. The way he has synthesised many different practices under one moniker is admirable, and inspiring. As an extension of both my major project and my dissertation this year, I have started creating a personal brand of theory in regards to soundscape composition – that which pertains to ecological ‘mytho-poetics’ and our imaginal modes of thinking. I am still early on in these ideas. Taking inspiration from both KMRU and Westerkamp I hope to publish both sound-works and essays that go hand-in-hand with one another. I plan on keeping an academic style blog, that I can include in my artist website.
(Beneath the Forest Floor (1992) for 2-channel audio by Hildegard Westerkamp, commissioned by CBC Radio for Two New Hours Radio premiere: May 17, 1992, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Length: 17:23) – This piece ,and its accompanying write up, stands as a good example of how I would like to frame my future compositions. It “is composed from sounds recorded in old-growth forests on British Columbia’s westcoast. It moves us through the visible forest, into its’ shadow world, its’ spirit; into that which effects our body, heart and mind when we experience forest.” – https://www.hildegardwesterkamp.ca/sound/comp/2/ForestFloor/