Courtesy of Alana Blackburn

Sounds of High Country: the relationship between performer and sound recording in the performance of Re-growth?

Re-growth? Is a new multimedia work by sound artist Ros Bandt for recorders and soundscape performed by recorder player Alana Blackburn. The work uses sound recordings taken from both the natural and industrial environments of New South Wales, in particular the New England region. This presentation follows the collaborative process between sound designer and performer in creating a unique performance work that harnesses the role of acoustic ecology to ignite awareness of the environment, and spark conversation around what ecological disasters such as bushfires have had on political, social and cultural levels.

While scientific fact has been driving the discussion around climate change, researchers have been calling on interdisciplinary action to engage the public, in particular, the creative arts to evoke emotional responses to climate change (Boulton, 2006). Re-growth? is a four-part work based on fire, air, water and earth. The rich sonic fabric comprises sounds and words captured from my local community and the wider NSW region, and my relationship with it over 2019-2020 as a way to capture the destruction caused by humans, and nature fighting back to bring us hope into the future. The fixed soundscape acts as a springboard for improvisatory ideas, providing stimuli for the performer, ensuring no two performances are alike. The relationship between performer and sound recording further deepens the connection between humans and environment. When performed live, the piece emerges out of its own context in place and time, always evolving and provoking personal thoughts experiences for different listening audiences.

Boulton, E. (2016). Climate change as a ‘hyperobject’: a critical review of Timothy Morton’s reframing narrative. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 7(5), 772-785.

https://www.alana-blackburn.com/