EXHIBITION STATEMENT

Introduction

Music is incredibly powerful. It can overwhelm us with a wide array of powerful emotions, and it has the power to transport us to incredibly specific times and places. This project aims to explore how music does this; how its relationship to emotion and place are intrinsically linked. The defining question for the research of this project was: how can ambient music create strong emotions in its listener? The goal for this project was to create a full-length ambient album incorporating field recordings of the surroundings, which will ultimately end up shorter than a full length project. 

Literature Review 

One work that was incredibly influential on this project is the 1978 album The Pavilion of Dreams by minimalist composer Harold Budd. This album is one of the earliest ones in the ambient genre, and it stands the test of time as one of the best as well. The album, which was produced by ambient pioneer Brian Eno, incorporates a wide arrange of instruments such as saxophone, marimba, and choral voice while simultaneously crafting a calm and enveloping environment. David Toop’s Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds (1995) is also helpful in providing a digestible history of ambient sounds and their relation to other genres and was crucial in this project’s understanding of the history of the genre. 

Methods

The main method behind this project was to collect field recordings of the surrounding areas, both of natural sounds and man made, and use those as the background for a collection of ambient songs. This was meant to represent music’s fundamental connection to the location in which it is created. This project aimed to include the playing of instruments from other musicians, although less outside music was used than was intended. The field recordings and instrumental recordings were then combined with digital instrumentation from a Digital Audio Workspace (DAW) and crafted into full length ambient songs. 

Audience & Impact

The primary target audience for this project was the community surrounding the University of Maryland. The sounds collected, such as those of crowd noise at a soccer game and the rushing of Paint Branch, were meant to represent living in College Park and being part of the campus community. In general though the audience for this project is anyone who is interested in the concept behind the music, especially if they are looking for an introduction into ambient music. This project had a huge impact on me as it taught me a lot about producing and ultimately just how difficult it can be. I also learned a lot by studying other works of ambient music and examining how they make me feel very strong emotions. 

References

Budd, H. (1978). The Pavilion of Dreams [Album]. E.G.

Toop, David. Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds. Serpent’s Tail, 1995.  

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all my advisors in Arts Scholars: Harold, Heather, and Gabi, who provided great guidance on this project. I’d like to thank for friend Em Powers, who played keyboard at places on the record, as well as my mother Sandra Mayers, who provided a field recording on the work. Finally I’d like to thank all the fantastic musicians who inspired me in creating this work, namely Harold Budd, Brian Eno, and Stars of the Lid.