'Warning Signs' - a sound piece
'Warning Signs' Program Notes
‘Warning Signs’ is a sound piece, made from self-collected Oberlin Ohio sound samples and original vocals, that aims to take the listener on a sonic exploration of the tensions between the natural and human world. By using sound as a tool of examination, the piece encourages meditative reflection on the sometimes harmonious, sometimes fraught relationship between man and nature as they continuously grow in tandem. “When did we add our first timid line, and to what degree have we strayed from divine song?” it asks.
The piece begins with covered excerpts of the jazz classic ‘Little Girl Blue’ set over the sounds of an Ohio rainstorm. These opening lines, drenched in retro vocal sound effects, characterize the passivity and oblivious attitude of many individuals towards their natural surroundings. The vocals suddenly break free from the effects, reminding the listener that in the end, “all you can ever count on are those raindrops”. In the next two minutes, the pristine sounds of the natural world, gathered from the Oberlin Arboretum, are slowly overtaken by sounds of human existence and cacophony. The heavy breathing that bookends this section is a representation of the anxiety surrounding this battle for sonic superiority. A cyclical, layered round, the lyrics of which can be found in the first paragraph, follows. This repetitive canon, which strives to mimic the reoccurring patterns of nature, can be characterized as a human attempt to return to the harmony of a more unified existence with natural world. A determined call-to-action follows, voicing the need for a rewriting of our societal guidelines as they involve nature, and directly asking the listener, “Will your children hear what you do? Will they mimic the backyard robin? Or will a hunger for expansion swallow the warning signs?” This gives way to the pattering of rain and a reprise of the ‘Little Girl Blue’ excerpts, the tone of which can be interpreted as either cynical or naively unbothered. Yet just as the piece threatens to return to square one, a single chiming bell is heard, followed by a haunting unaccompanied line which rings out from three part harmony into silence, stating simply: It’s time that you knew.
It is my hope that, with or without these program notes, ‘Warning Signs’ can create a space for the listener to question both their sonic impact on the environment, and the environments sonic impact on them. Like any relationship, the one we have with our earth needs regular maintenance and check-ins to ensure its health and balance. Sound can be a powerful tool for examining the strengths and weaknesses of this relationship, and it its my intent that this piece aid in that process, and spark questions and renewed awareness in the listener.
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