"The first National Park in the United States was Yellowstone, and the most recognised attraction is the geyser Old Faithful. Predictions of Old Faithful eruptions are central to human activity at the site. People plan their days around these times. Efforts are made to make the most accurate predictions possible, however there are variations and it is never exactly known at what moment the geyser will erupt. It is a wonderful representation of human reliance on natural rhythms, which we only partially understand. "In my composition Pulse of Yellowstone, I explore the rhythms and predictability of Old Faithful. There is a predictability of pattern and rhythm, yet it is slightly off of what is expected, reflecting the experience of those who attempt to predict the geyser. The raw recording occurs in its entirety twice in the piece - at the very beginning, sped up very fast to give the listener the essence of its overall shape, and at around half speed across the entire piece to set the pace and drama of the composition. "Joining the field recording are percussive, vocal, and instrumental sounds created and recorded by me. These musical elements play with the idea of predictability, as well as the history of predictions of this geyser. Over the years, and seemingly in response to earthquakes, the intervals between eruptions have gotten shorter. I have quickened the pace toward the end of the piece to represent this shift. Rhythmic elements are inspired by the bimodal nature of the geysers eruptions (longer duration eruptions are followed by longer periods of rest). "The instrument I used is the bass viola da gamba, an early bowed stringed instrument. The shape of the waveform of the rise and fall of the geyser’s spray is reminiscent to me of the sound of a bowed note, especially in the underhand bowing method used in viola da gamba. "The field recording inspired me because it is a powerful sound of water. It sounds a bit like the breath of a whale! In addition to being a composer, I am a marine biologist, and it pleases me to hear the power of this water feature, as the Earth is surfacing water up onto dry land." Old Faithful geyser reimagined by Heather Spence. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related