Work » Projects » Dissolution Studies 2020

Since summer of 2013 I have been conducting visits to Mammoth Cave National Park, which has very slowly evolved into an ongoing research and sound project examining the various overlaps in the cave’s resonances, ecosystems, and history of tourism. Working with the National Park Service, and in particular Rick Toomey and Brice Leech, I was able to conduct a series of recordings inside the cave and conduct period research in the archives on site at the park. In September of 2019, I was able to visit specifically targeted sites within the cave with the SPLICE Ensemble (Keith Kirchoff, Sam Wells, and Adam Vidiksis) along with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Beattie and conduct a series of recordings based on this research. Dissolution Studies is the first presentation of these recordings and music made through this process.

Dissolution Studies exists as a set of seven overlapping sonic spaces, which may be accessed as separate audio streams. If desired, please load these links in separate tabs of a web browser, or on multiple devices, in any combination or order. These links are:
I. AIR
II. ECHO (part I)
III. DARKNESS
IV. WATER
V. ECHO (part 2)
VI. DIRT
VII. TIME

The links are also accessible through dissolutionstudies.com. This work was conducted as part of a generous faculty fellowship at the Center for Humanities this last fall. A companion talk/performance presentation accompanies these streams, entitled Projected Resonances: Intersections of Sound, Performance, and Tourism Underground at Mammoth Cave. Special thanks to the Center for Humanities, Wesleyan University Music Department, the Center for the Arts, SPLICE Ensemble, and Mammoth Cave National Park for making this work possible.

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