Date of Submission

Spring 2015

Academic Programs and Concentrations

Music

Project Advisor 1

Robert Bielecki

Abstract/Artist's Statement

As a music major I am required to complete two senior projects. The first has been completed: an album entitled Prelude. The second is a performance that will take place on May 13, at 6 p.m. in the small wood behind New Robbins dorms at Bard. I describe both separately.

Senior Project 1: Prelude

Prelude is an experimental music album comprising seven separate artistic pieces. The pieces themselves range in nature from music to 'soundscape' to uncategorizable abstract sound. There are three underlying themes guiding Prelude.

The first is a study of space and sound, both from the perspective of how sound creates a sense of space, and of how sound puts us in a certain mental 'place'. The second theme is a study on the physical nature of sound. Sounds can be felt physically, but sound is also intricately tied to the way we experience the world and its objects. The third theme is the active study of both the history and of the current state of electronic music. No song on the album can be placed into any one genre, and yet each song embodies elements of multiple styles and periods of music. The first song on the album, FeedBack Study is a metacommentary on the current state of popular electronic music.

The album is technically complex. The songs were created using a combination of digital synthesis, sound editing, vocal work, keyboard, field recording and studio recording.

Senior Project 2: Fuzzy Boundaries

I will be performing Fuzzy Boundaries on May 13, in the patch of woods behind New Robbins dorms at Bard College. The performance is a live outdoor soundscape, comprising a surround sound multi-channel audio system in the woods. Concert attendees can walk freely throughout the soundscape during the 45 minute composition. The theme of the performance is a study of the interaction between humans and the environment in the Hudson Valley.

In order to create the sound material for Fuzzy Boundaries I am combining three approaches. First I have recorded hundreds of sounds throughout the area of the Hudson Valley. Second, I have recorded musicians performing music inspired by these recordings. Third, I have created digital instruments and soundscapes inspired by the Hudson Valley's landscape. I have used all three sound sources to create a cohesive whole. The combination of these three approaches reflects the free flow of energy, materials, and information between every part of the Hudson Valley environment.

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On-Campus only

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