Music for 'Earth' performance by Beacon Dance
on the Beltline, 12-13 November 2011

The second of four 'elemental' dance performances.

The music for 'Earth' is intended to be more chunky, fractured, and broken up than for 'Water'. An 1860s-1930s tone was requested (hence what I think is the first ever of its kind, the 'Ambient Rag music' which is Part 4), as well as specific catgories of sound (trains, the Occupy movement).

As with 'Water', this music was live performed over pre-recorded parts.

Click to listen: Live recording from 13 November (parts 1-4) 24'53"

Studio recordings and program:

1: (~5'00"): Waiting & Train station noises, with synthesizers and noises. Many of the train sounds are from online, free sound resources.

2: (~5'00"): Metronomic, with live acoustic guitar and synthesizers.

3: (~5'00"): Train stations and rides, with synthesizers and noises.

4: (~7'30"): Ambient Rag, ( AABBACCDD form).Perhaps it is needless to say: composed very quickly, much harmony and revision left undone at this point. (Here is a solo piano version.)

5: (~10'00") A final section of sounds from the Occupy movement. Here is an unmixed version of Occupy sounds -- the live version is cut-in-and-chopped up, rather than this continuous pile.

Here are some pics of my gear setup. As with 'Water' I was (mostly) out of view of the audience. In this case, I am placed just outside the door to "The Hideaway", a bar at Ansley Mall, whose entry is in the back alley. From where I sit, the dance occurs across a stream and ravine, my sound being blasted through loudpseakers over the 100 or so yards to the performance site, echoing off buildings and hovering in the open air. . .

And here is the view from the Beltline. This gives a sense of the huge echo that was in play during the performance... Thanks to Nisa for this shot!