Dream

I’ve found what I’m looking for – a brilliant version of John Cage’s “Dream” performed by Percussionist Justin Stolarik ( now Dr Stolarik ) . I found it on youtube http://www.youtube.com/datimpster after searching the web ( and other places ) and almost immediately recognised something familiar and long lost and perfect for "There is a Tide". It is everything I wanted and more - The music is rhythmic and melodic that will find a good place with the rhythms and movements within the sculptures - it has the undisturbed quality and sweet tone that should sit low beneath the sound of the wind in the masts - and it has its own energy and sense of experiment. I approach Justin to check that he is happy for me to use the performance and he is very generous in his reponse. See http://www.justinstolarik.com/ for more information about this wonderful Conductor, Percussionist and Music Educator . I can't stop smiling - how strange that a musical piece of work by another artist should bring about the same sense that I am more familiar with when I deliver a colour or a shape or a stroke that becomes the key to a visual piece that I am working on. I am so happy too that John Cage should revisit the process having been a main source of inspiration when I first considered sound as part of the exhibition. Now, for my part, all I need to do is to get a good recording of the wind in the masts - some early mornings ahead.


Clare McNiven

Rethinking Sound

I've been thinking a lot about the aspect of sound in the exhibition. I'm not sure that reproducing the sound of the waves crashing, or trickling, on to a beach is really what I'm after - even if I could achive it with my limited recording experience and equipment. Yes, I want to invoke the particular feelings of space and air and optimism that can be experienced near the sea but I'm not sure of the value of reproducing an atmospheric that may be better suited to a yoga studio or a reike room. I think if the sound is to be part of the exhbition it needs to bear the hallmark of art - or at least experiment. With the string sculptures almost complete, I allow my self some time to experiment - digitally manipulate the beach sounds and layer significant sound that I find around me. I stay close to home, this time, for my sound inspiration My daughter has a natural musicality - like many children she sings with nonsense words - language is abandoned and only the notes and herself and their relationship with each other take on value.On the other hand, on the sea loch outside my house the yachts rest in the natural harbour - early in the morning the wind drives up the loch and howls through the masks rattling the halliards and the mainsails. The sound it makes is random and musical and full of the air it carries with it. This is my sound of the sea. This is where I will look to for the base of my exhibition soundscape. But still something is missing - something beautiful - I know I will recognise it when I hear it.

Sound

Working on the soundscape for the exhibition. I want to have a piece that is musical in nature but not instrument-oriented. I hope that by incorporating the sound of the sea that I can give a feeling of dimension rather than oppression to to the gallery visitor - to let them breath a little in the windowless gallery space. When confronted by the string in its new form, the spectator may need to to re-evaluate its meaning and re-align the relationship with the material. I think the sounds provided at this time may provide a key to that activity. So, I am trying to remove the oppressive dull whirring type noise that I have picked up onto my recordings of the sea. This recording was made at Port-no-Ba on Mull. I have found two ways, using audacity software to remove them. On way is by carrying out 'noise removal' which strips a particular selected noise from the track - I can select what I think is the bad sound and try to remove it . This leaves a nice tingling sound that I think is quite melodic - if just a little bit digital sounding Another technique I am exploring is to minimise the gain and restrict to only left hand sounds. This gives a dull, peaceful rhythmic sound that I thinks of as the base line. I think I'm moving in the right direction