Chad Gesser - Earth Day

The schedule is below with more information about the programming and technology at the video links following the schedule.

April 22, 2023

Owensboro Museum of Science and History

10:00am-10:30am - Encore presentation of my DJ set from the 2018 Owensboro Multicultural Festival in spatial audio format

10:45am-11:15am - An audio immersion in the sounds of the Earth, with video accompaniment

Birds from Kentucky, cranes from Poland, ducks from Germany, orioles from France, frogs from all over, a trickling stream from southern Indiana, and the sonification of NASA data analysis of the oceans

11:30am-12:15pm - An immersion in the sounds of the Earth, with video accompaniment

Oceans, waterfalls, streams, and more

12:30pm-1:15pm - Encore presentation of enter Brahma

Program repeats

1:30pm-2:15pm - An audio immersion in the sounds of the Earth, with video accompaniment

2:30pm-3:15pm - An immersion in the sounds of the Earth, with video accompaniment oceans, waterfalls, streams, and more

3:30pm-4pm - Encore presentation of enter Brahma

How I got here

First off, I don't get here without my decision to dive into sound and music production with computers and related technology in mid 2010. Around that time I became interested in modern, electronic music. While walking for exercise and wearing over the ear headphones, I discovered a very unique sonic experience I had not heard before. I remember being struck by my perception of the music in my mind.

I then began to consider music produced historically with these considerations, and I realized that the Beatles were one of the first bands to use stereo recording techniques. I also discovered that if I listened to Rush with headphones, that I could flip them and imagine sitting on the drummer's throne and having a better understanding of how Neil Peart played his set.

Like most studio produced music, that music was produced from the vantage point of the engineer, not of the musicians. I was particularly interested in this because I taught myself how to play drums in my late teens but always noticed that when listening to most music produced from the 1970s-1990s, the instruments seemed to be "flip flopped" in the sound field.

A very important part of my early sound/music/DJ process and my modern sound/music production is the use of Ableton Live. Fast forward now to 2023 and I have discovered the recent capabilities with Envelope for Live, ambisonics, and the Surround Panner effects. These features allow me to better create more complex and immersive soundscapes.

Very recently too I also discovered the work of Prof. Michael Wagner, who is an expert in ambisonics. Given the equipment needs, the creation of a true ambisonics environment is currently out of my realm of possibility. Reviewing and researching similar sonic phenomena, I soon realized that I could though create a similar environment with my existing sound equipment. I conducted a brief test of a configuration, and once my son told me it "feels like the sound is passing through me," well I decided it was worth an effort to scale this beyond the headphone and vehicle experience as a potential project in the community.

I decided to go public with the possibilities of this project. I was surprised by the positive feedback I received, and I was encouraged to continue the effort. And as a result, I was approached by the Owensboro Museum of Science and History about an immersive experience, including an installation for Earth Day.

So here we are

The installation to be created is called "Zone of Reflection." It is a type of immersive experience that allows visitors to position themselves within the sounds of the sonic environment. It will include a video component. The installation will be made up of 6 professional grade speakers with subwoofers that will surround a seating area, with each speaker set capable of emitting a different sound. (the corresponding image reflects a set up with 8 speakers). The sounds will range from the trickling water through a creek I field recorded recently at Hemlock Cliffs in southern Indiana, to the sound of the ocean lapping the shore I field recorded at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2013.

The collection of sounds that day will be based on Earth Day themes, including some music, sampled vocals, and perhaps a bit of live improvisational sound. The installation is designed to recognize and celebrate the Earth, and to provide a calming and relaxing experience.