On June 7, 2024, at Forest City Gallery, Simone and I embarked on a journey of sound improvisation during Audiopollination in London, Ontario. Our performance combined natural ambient sounds, experimental use of materials, and live experimental interactions to craft a unique auditory experience.

The following audio was prepared before the performance. It would provide the environment over which Simone and my sounds would dance around

The following audio was created after the performance as a way to approximate what sounds I had hoped would have activated during performance.

The use of graphite and a MIDI Controller during this performance was an experiment. It was a new way of making marks, and many things went wonderfully, and some things went wrong. I misjudged the configuration that would translate from paper to graphite to sound, which led to the footsteps and flutters sounding instead like scratchy static. The above audio is an attempt at redemption.

Improve Sound 01

Simone and I presented an improvisational sound performance at Audiopollination on June 7, 2024, at Forest City Gallery in London, Ontario. Simone performed using her modular synth, and I used a graphite interface. The performance began with a 20-minute soundtrack I created, featuring ambient sounds of cliff swallows and the gentle onrushing of Lake Erie, to anchor and set the stage for the live improvisation.

Incorporating a sample of footsteps treading over gravel, I performed an evolving audioscape. By interfacing a capacitance-based module connected to paper, the audio of gravel footsteps shifted in pitch as the surface darkened with graphite. Meanwhile, Simone layered various classical scores, such as Debussy’s Arabesque, through her modular synth, transforming them into a sonic richness beyond their original compositions.

Our intention was to respond to each other's sounds and embrace the surprises that emerged from our experimental interactions. This performance provided a unique opportunity to test our improvisational synergy and the technological interface with mark-making materials like graphite, ultimately creating a sonic narrative where two characters hop, skip, and jump around.

Photo Documentation by Natali

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EMERGENCE: (Un)Common Intervention