1

Jonathan Gilmurray







ECOACOUSTICS
Ecology and Environmentalism in Contemporary Music and Sound Art


























2

ABSTRACT

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the number of composers and sound artists directly responding to
global environmental issues, such as biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change, through their creative practice.
The philosophical concerns and practical methodologies of these composers and sound artists build on the established
field of acoustic ecology, and the related genre of soundscape composition, but also venture well beyond them, setting
them apart as a distinct new movement in music and sound art. However, as yet no new terminology has been found
to define and describe this movement, either as an academic field of study or as an artistic genre.

Two composers who are at the forefront of this movement, David Monacchi and Matthew Burtner, have each
independently adopted the term ecoacoustic" in reference to their work: a term which this paper will propose as the
most suitable to describe this contemporary movement of environmentally-concerned music and sound art. Although
some significant differences exist between the artistic philosophies and creative practices of the two composers
which also, therefore, inevitably carry through into differences between their uses of the term it will be argued that
the similarities between them are significant enough for these differences to be regarded as variations upon a core set
of principles and methodologies.

Through an investigation into what the term ecoacoustic" means in the context of the work of Monacchi and Burtner,
this paper will identify these core principles and methodologies, employing them as the basis for an initial definition-
in-progress" of ecoacoustic music and sound art. Finally, a selection of other composers and sound artists will be
proposed whose work embodies the fundamental characteristics of this new field of ecoacoustics".





































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1. INTRODUCTION

Contemporary environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, atmospheric pollution and climate change have in recent
years become one of the defining issues of our times: just three days before the deadline for this paper, President
Barack Obama's second inaugural address notably contained an unequivocal promise to 'respond to the threat of
climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations' (Obama 2013) a
clear sign that an issue that has until recent times been largely ignored, sidestepped, ridiculed, or even simply denied,
is now being taken seriously by the highest global powers.

As an expression of personal and social thoughts and feelings, the arts have by their very nature always reflected the
major concerns of their time; and accordingly, 'environmental' or 'eco art' is currently coalescing into a significant new
movement (Weintraub 2012). This is mirrored by a growing number of composers and sound artists who are also
placing the response to environmental concerns at the heart of their creative practice, something which is
demonstrated by an ever-increasing number of projects, festivals, conferences and organisations, exemplified by Ear to
the Earth, which began as an annual festival in 2006 and has since expanded to form 'A worldwide network for
environmental sound art' (Ear to the Earth 2012). As the ecological issues it addresses look set to play an ever-more
significant part in the lives of people across the globe, this movement can only continue to increase; however, there is
still no accepted terminology in existence with which to identify it.

Two of the artists at the forefront of this movement, David Monacchi and Matthew Burtner, have both adopted the
term ecoacoustic" to describe their work; and it will be the argument of this paper that this term, more than any
other, successfully circumscribes the movement of environmentally-concerned music and sound art under discussion.
Through an investigation into what ecoacoustic" means in the context of the work of these two composers, the core
principles and methodologies of the field will be identified, and a definition-in-progress" will be proposed. Finally, in
light of this definition a selection of other composers and sound artists will be identified, whose work will be proposed
as falling within the domain of ecoacoustics".


2. NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN MUSIC AND SOUND ART

The expression of our relationship with the world around us through sound and music is nothing new; in fact, recent
theories argue that mimesis of the sounds of the natural world was the basis of the first human music, which in turn
led to the development of language. In many cultures this connection with nature remains music's primary focus and
function (as in the throat singing of Tuva (Levin 2006), or the lift-up-over-sounding" of the Kaluli (Feld 2009)), while
western musical history is replete with musical evocations of the natural world and human emotional responses to it.
Since the advent of recording technology, the concrete sounds of nature have themselves been incorporated into
musical compositions, with Franois-Bernard Mche proposing the use of natural sound as a compositional 'model' as
the next great development in western music (Mche 1992); and recordings of natural sound are now widely used as
sonic material in the fields of electroacoustic music, musique concrte, and soundscape composition.

Soundscape composition is a genre based primarily on the arrangement and manipulation of field recordings, but
adhering to the fundamental principle that 'the original sounds must stay recognisable and the listener's contextual
and symbolic associations should be invoked' (Truax 2008: 105). Compositions by artists such as Barry Truax and
Hildegard Westerkamp often poetically touch on the issues raised by acoustic ecology, a field pioneered by Canadian
composer R. Murray Schafer and defined by Truax as 'the study of the effects of the acoustic environment, or
soundscape, on the physical responses or behavioural characteristics of those living within it' (Truax 1999). Schafer and
his colleagues formed the World Soundscape Project (WSP) in the late 1960s, aiming to increase public awareness of
issues associated with acoustic ecology such as the preservation of natural, 'hi-fi' soundscapes, and limiting the spread
of noise pollution. A significant part of its activity involved building an extensive library of field recordings in an
attempt to preserve" endangered sounds and soundscapes for posterity, and to study the ways in which soundscapes
were changing over time.

However, recent years have seen increasing awareness that modern environmental problems demand the preservation
of more than just sounds. Electroacoustic composer Francis Dhomont has observed that 'I consecrate kilometres of
polyesLer Lo preserve Lhe songs of clcadas, frogs, sLreams and nlghLlngales, Lo avold loslng Lhem forever Wlll Lhey
compensate for the disappearance of real life?' (Dhomont 1993: 31); while Hildegard Westerkamp comments that 'A
sound sample in itself even if it is preserving a disappearing sound cannot be something ecological' (Westerkamp
2000).
4

Many contemporary composers and sound artists have responded by making environmental issues the primary focus
of their work, representing a growing movement which has become significant enough to form the basis for a distinct
new discipline of environmentally-concerned music and sound art. This demands the adoption of some form of
accepted terminology under which it might be circumscribed and defined, both as a field of academic study, and as a
musical and artistic genre; however, as yet no such terminology exists.

As an academic field, it is still often grouped with acoustic ecology; however, Brian Pijanowski, currently pioneering the
emerging field of soundscape ecology, argues that 'the humanities-drlven focus of acousLlc ecology ls noL ecologlcal
in a true sense' (Pijanowski, Farina et al. 2011: 1213-6). Soundscape ecology, on the other hand, combines acoustic
ecology with the related fields of bioacoustics, psychoacoustics and spatial ecology to form a multidisciplinary study of
the dynamics and health of ecosystems through their soundscapes; thus this field might be proposed to exhibit a far
greater relevance to the wider environmental concerns expressed by contemporary composers and sound artists.

Most pertinent from a musicological perspective, meanwhile, is the recently established field of ecomusicology, which
will be defined in the 2013 edition of the Grove Dictionary of American Music as the study of 'musical and sonic issues,
both textual and performative, related to ecology and the natural environment' (Allen 2012). Ecomusicology brings
together several interrelated movements including acoustic ecology, soundscape composition and biomusicology 'via a
socially engaged scholarship that connects them with environmental concerns' (ibid.); thus the movement of
environmentally-concerned music and sound art discussed here falls squarely within its sphere of interest.

Having thus established the relevant fields of academic study, the question remains of the appropriate generic
terminology for the movement that has thus far been rather clumsily referred to as environmentally-concerned music
and sound art"; but we must first ensure that we are not simply attempting to discover a new term for something that
already exists under another name. Many environmentally-concerned musical works are, after all, still grouped with
soundscape composition; however, the range of approaches used, such as instrumental composition, electronic music
and sonification, are incompatible with what is a fundamentally field recording-based genre. Both the record label
EarthEar and the organisation Ear to the Earth, as well as some sound artists, have adopted the term environmental
sound art"; however, the prefix environmental" is not currently used in reference to any contemporary composers.
This is perhaps due to the fact that, while it might denote the subject matter, message or motive behind a work,
environmental music" tells us nothing regarding actual musical content or form, and could thus refer to any music
with an environmental agenda, such as protest song (in fact, an internet search for the term results in a multitude of
examples of exactly that). Other terminology in use includes ecomusic" (Branchi 2012), ecocentric music" (Shimoni
2012), eco-composition" (Keller and Capasso 2006), eco-structuralism" (Opie and Brown 2006), and environmental
performance works" (David Dunn 2009). However, each of these terms is used to describe a very specific set of
techniques and methodologies practiced by only one or two composers, and they are hence too prescriptive to
encompass the wider movement discussed here.

Composers and sound artists David Monacchi and Matthew Burtner have each independently labelled their work
ecoacoustic"
1
; and it will be argued here that this term is by far the most appropriate for describing the contemporary
movement of environmentally-concerned music and sound art under discussion. Of course, the fact that they are the
only two artists to use the term means that there cannot currently be any consensus as to what exactly ecoacoustic"
music and sound art is and what it is not; and the differences between their artistic practices inevitably result in
differing usage of the term. However, this paper will argue that the similarities between them are significant enough
for any differences to be regarded as variations upon a core set of artistic principles and methodologies, which form
the basis for a coherent definition of ecoacoustic" music and sound art. We will therefore proceed to examine what
ecoacoustic" means in the context of each composer's work, beginning with Italian composer and sound artist David
Monacchi.



1 It should be noted that, in writing the term, Monacchi includes a hyphen eco-acoustic" and Burtner does not. This is not a fact which
should simply be dismissed, as in some cases this can be enough to signify two completely separate fields (one pertinent example is found in the
case of the above-mentioned eco-composition", which, when written with a hyphen, refers to the sonification-based form of musical composition
pioneered by Damian Keller, and when written without ecocomposition" refers to an ecology-based literary field within composition studies).
However, the fact that the term eco(-)acoustic" with or without the hyphen is not yet in common usage apart from by Monacchi and Burtner
means that its characteristics are presently defined solely by these two composers; and so the presence or absence of the hyphen cannot justifiably
be said to signify two distinct fields. Out of respect for the two composers' preferences, this paper will continue to use the hyphenated version when
discussing Monacchi's work, and the non-hyphenated when discussing Burtner's; however, when referring to the term as the proposed name for a
new artistic genre, the non-hyphenated version will be adopted. This merely reflects the author's personal preference regarding the writing of the
term, rather than any favouring of Burtner's practice over Monacchi's.
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3. DAVID MONACCHI

Monacchi describes his eco-acoustic" work as 'a place where technology and science meet music and art to address
environmental issues' (Monacchi 2007: CD liner notes), commenting that his 'ultimate vision as a composer is to build
a musical system that enhances our listening sensitivity and reveals the density, beauty and phenomena of natural
sound' (Monacchi 2008: CD liner notes). The subjects of his compositions have included birds (Nightingale (1999)),
whales (Fading Away Whales (2006)), and rivers (Stati dAcqua (2006)); however, the majority of Monacchi's eco-
acoustic work over the past decade has been the product of a major research project, sponsored by Greenpeace
International, entitled Fragments of Extinction. The main objective of this project lies in 'raising public awareness of
the bio-acoustic aspect of our environmental heritage and of the serious environmental issues pertaining to the loss of
tropical forests and the related extinction of species' (Monacchi 2007: CD liner notes), and involves the composer
making recordings in the earth's three remaining areas of primary equatorial rainforest, to be used both for
straightforward presentation at conferences and in museum and gallery installations, and as the basis for eco-acoustic
compositions. Monacchi's first trip, to the Amazon in 2002, yielded a CD of field recordings (Prima Amazonia (2007))
and three eco-acoustic works (Ma Amazon (2002), Fragments of Extinction (2003) and Acoustic Niche (2004)); while
recordings made during a 2008 expedition to the Dzanga-Sangha reserve in the Central African Republic have been
presented as AmbiSonic installations, and provided the basis for the eco-acoustic work Integrated Ecosystem (2009).

Monacchi's compositional process is shaped at every stage by his 'eco-acoustic paradigm' (Monacchi 2008: CD liner
notes), a methodology in which 'all the compositional processes are directly inspired and derived from the internal
conflguraLlon of Lhe recorded blome, carefully analyzed and dlssecLed for exploraLlon of Lhe soundscapes'
behavioural characteristics and for exposing the audience to the ecological principles that are concealed in the sound
masses' (Monacchi 2011: 244). First, the practice of deep listening in the field is 'considered the first step of
compositlon dlrecLly lnsplr[lng] Lhe key concepts of any work' (ibid.: 240). Second, spectrogram analysis of the
recordings helps maintain 'consideration of, and deference to, the original sound contexts during audio manipulation'
(ibid.: 240). Third, only basic processing techniques are used, to emphasise the natural musicality within the
soundscape while preserving 'the original configuration and order in the existing biophonies' (ibid.: 243). Finally,
'horizon harmonics', electronically synthesised drones tuned to the harmonic series, are added to provide a harmonic
foundation for the natural sounds and 'enhance the perception of the soundscapes' (ibid.: 243).

All of the eco-acoustic works resulting from the Fragments of Extinction project (as well as Nightingale and Fading
Away Whales) are presented as multichannel spatialisations accompanied by projected spectrogram analyses which
scroll across a screen in real-time. This allows the audience to correlate the sounds they are hearing with their
arrangement in the frequency spectrum, an experience analogous to that of following a musical score (Pijanowski,
Villanueva-Rivera et al. 2011). Katharine Norman believes that they also perform the additional function of assisting
the listener in practicing place-making" activity: 'Monacchi's visual projection of a 'score' that is constantly 'coming
into being' simultaneously with sound is a powerful metaphor. The presentation means we are not so much following
a score, as moving our perception in tandem with the frontier of the visual-aural evenLs we are engaging" with the
environment of the work (that is, with its performance ecology rather than the environmental sounds per se) in a
matter that, metaphorically, is not dissimilar from mapping place' (Norman 2012: 261). This, Norman argues, results in
a feeling of personal connectedness" with the work, lending powerful support to its message of rediscovering a
similar state of connectedness" with the natural world.

Monacchi, meanwhile, sees the purpose of his spectrogram vlsuallsaLlons as 'for augmenting the auditory focus, and
increasing the perception of sound (Monacchi 2011: 243). A vital part of this is the visual demonstration of Acoustic
Niche Hypothesis (ANH), a theory (and key principle in soundscape ecology) developed by sound recordist Bernie
Krause which employs spectrogram analyses to demonstrate how 'each creaLure [has] lLs own sonlc nlche (channel,
or space) in the frequency spectrum and/or time slot occupied by no other at that particular moment' (Krause 1987:
3). Monacchi regards ANH as a key component of his eco-acoustic paradigm", stating that 'niche segregation dynamics
are some of Lhe lmporLanL mechanlsms LhaL l always refer Lo, and Lry Lo convey Lo large audlences Lhrough sound-
art and music' (Monacchi 2011: 244); and Krause suggests that other contemporary composers might benefit from
following Monacchi's example, observing that 'The natural world holds many secrets that can inform our music, yet as
composers, many of us have ignored them' (Krause 2012: 152). Both Nightingale and Integrated Ecosystem additionally
feature live improvisations by the composer (on a transverse wooden flute in the former, and using sensors attached to
his hands to control an electronically synthesised part in the latter); and it is perhaps in these works that Monacchi's
eco-acoustic message finds its most powerful expression, as he strictly confines his contributions to 'the available
frequency and temporal eco-acousLlc nlches bulldlng a powerful meLaphor as of one species that performs within a
composite ecosystem while trying to find a balanced, harmonic relationship to it' (Monacchi 2011: 247-8).

6

In contrast to much of the soundscape composition born from acoustic ecology, then, Monacchi's eco-acoustic work
does not represent an idealised" version of a natural world untouched by human presence; rather, as Norman points
out, 'In positioning the body as engaged with, and seeking knowledge and understanding of, this sonic ecosystem,
Monacchi's work strives for coexistence rather than eradication of human intervention integration' (Norman 2012:
264). Monacchi's potent metaphorical enactment of a reintegration into the natural world through sound aims to
highlight the fact that humans merely represent one part of a complex ecosystem, which relies on our acting
conscientiously for its continued healthy functioning: a state which, ironically, we also ultimately depend on for our
own continued existence. As composer John Luther Adams puts it: 'As we treat the world, so we treat ourselves'
(Adams 2004: 128). For his part, Monacchi's fundamental hope for his eco-acoustic compositions is that 'bringing the
sound of these biomes into concert halls, and perhaps revealing and interacting with their hidden aesthetic, helps to
create an ecological awareness for repositioning our species within nature' (Monacchi 2011: 248); he thus fulfils
Franois-Bernard Mche's exhortations to 'seek () ouLslde man and hls own muslcal convenLlons Lhe source of a new
music, which could be both an instrument of knowledge and intercessor of a harmony with the world' (Mche 1992:
190).


4. MATTHEW BURTNER

With this in mind, we will now proceed to examine the ecoacoustic" work of Matthew Burtner, a Canadian composer
whose upbringing in Alaska strongly influences an artistic practice which summed up by the composer as 'a type of
envlronmenLallsm ln sound Lak[lng] Lhe form of muslcal procedures and maLerlals LhaL elLher dlrecLly or lndlrecLly
draw on environmental systems to structure music' (Burtner 2005: 10), in a way which might help us to 'imagine
ourselves in dialogue with these systems' (Burtner 2011b: 666). Burtner identifies three main techniques involved in
his ecoacoustic compositional practice, which will now be outlined here.

First, 'syntactically organised ecoacoustic instruments' (Burtner 2011b: 654) refers to the employment of natural
environmental sounds as instrumental voices within an ensemble, 'such that the sounding voice of nature is set in
musical counterpoint with human-performed instruments' (ibid.: 654). In Snowprints (2001), a part is scored for
unprocessed recordings of sounds made by snow, alongside flute, cello and piano parts which mirror the changing
acoustic characteristics of the snow sounds, with the different soundworlds further bound together through mapping
selected acoustic parameters of the snow sounds onto synthesized versions of the acoustic instruments. The Syntax of
Snow (2010), meanwhile, uses actual snow as an instrument to be played" in live performance alongside a
glockenspiel 'in very specific ways for each note of the piece, so we hear this kind of counterpoint with the notes of
the bells' (Burtner, in Seal 2011).

Second, 'acoustic ecological data mapping' (Burtner 2011b: 657), otherwise known as sonification", involves
remapping ecological data sets onto musical parameters so that the music's 'structure is infused with environmental
modalities of time and texture' (Burtner 2005: 12). In Windprints (2005), data from a spectrographic analysis of wind
blowing across the arctic tundra is used to determine harmony, meter and dynamics, so that 'the form of the
composition is essentially determined by the gusting characteristics of the wind, as if the wind were blowing through
the ensemble and shaping the music' (Burtner 2011b: 657). Iceprints (2009), meanwhile, combines sonification on
several levels: a transcription of a hydrophone recording made beneath the Arctic ice forms the basis for the piano
part, while the pitch is determined by mapping the progressive decline in Arctic ice over the forty years between 1970-
2010 onto the first six octaves of the keyboard, with each page of the score covering one year; thus the listener, rather
than hearing the concrete environmental sound itself, is enabled to hear" the process of ecological change.

Finally, 'interactive multimedia physical model performance systems' (ibid.: 663) involves the use of sensor-based
technology to control instruments in a way which is modelled on the behaviour of natural phenomena.
Windcombs/Imaq (2005), for example, features the Windtree", a cone-shaped sculpture which uses sensors to track
the movements of four dancers, mapping the data onto a 'computer-generated physical model of a complex turbulent
wind system' (ibid.: 664) which determines the turbulence" of a synthesised wind sound, enabling the dancers to
perform" the wind in a way which serves to represent 'a symbiotic connection between the environment and human
actions' (ibid.: 666).

Burtner has also combined his ecoacoustic compositions with dance, theatre and video in the three large-scale works
which form his Alaskan New Media Opera Triptych": Winter Raven (Ukiuq Tulugaq) (2002), Kuik (2006), and Auksalaq
(2012). This last work, co-written with Scott Deal, incorporates Windprints and Iceprints among other movements,
addressing the effects of climate change upon Alaska and the Arctic through commentaries from scientists, interviews
7

with native peoples, and a fictional narrative (Deal and Burtner 2011). It also employs software called NOMADS
(Network-Operational Mobile Applied Digital System) which enables the audience to directly influence several aspects
of the libretto, music and video display; and for the dramatic opening, 'the audience performs the melting of a glacier,
person by person, drop by drop' (ibid.: 512). Finally, telematics are employed to enable the various sections of
Auksalaq to be performed in several distinct locations and brought together over high-speed networks such as
Internet2, resulting in each audience experiencing a different combination of in-person" live performances and those
transmitted from other locations, creating a powerful metaphor for being impacted by geographically distant events.
Auksalaq premiered on 29
th
October 2012, performed by five separate ensembles and audiences situated in Alaska,
Montreal, Virginia, Indiana and Norway; while in an ironic twist of fate, performances by ensembles in New York and
Washington DC had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, a catastrophic natural disaster whose severity was, by
many scientists, directly attributed to the effects of climate change.

Since 2008, Burtner's ecoacoustic work has explored new avenues through EcoSono, 'an activism network advocating
environmental preservation through experimental sound art' (Burtner 2011a: 234), whose activities he views as 'part
of a growing technology-based lnLeracLlve envlronmenLal arL form [whlch] wlll foreground personal engagemenL, or
adventure, in collaboration with the environment' (ibid.: 237-8). A four-month around-the-world expedition by MICE
(the Mobile Interactive Computer Ensemble) in 2009 represents one of EcoSono's major projects to date. This involved
improvised performances in real-world" environmental situations, characterised by Burtner as 'engagement activism'
(ibid.: 239), in which 'humans perform in counterpoint with the real-Llme forces of Lhe envlronmenL [creaLlng] muslc
[which] contains aspects of the occurring physical system filtered through human technology and imagination in real
time' (ibid.: 239).

Burtner also works to spread the practice of ecoacoustics in a number of ways: he teaches a degree-level module in
Ecoacoustics" at the University of Virginia; tours with a lecture series entitled EcoSono: Experimental Music as
Environmental Activism"; and, since 2010, has run an annual EcoSono Institute" in which participants 'study the
science of the natural world, engage with the environment in a sustainable way, and collaborate with nature on the
creation of new sound artworks' (Burtner 2012a). Finally, EcoSono has recently begun offering sponsorship and
support to 'innovative musicians and multimedia artists who are pioneering ecoacoustics and reimagining the
possibilities of music to touch and move people' (Burtner 2012b), thus actively encouraging other musicians and
sound artists to adopt the practice of ecoacoustics" and increasing its potential for wider recognition as a distinct new
genre.


5. COMPARISON AND DEFINITION

In order to move towards a working definition, then, there are two major similarities that can be identified in the
ecoacoustic practices of Monacchi and Burtner. First, the work of both artists is born out of, and infused with,
explicitly-stated environmental concerns, with both choosing to work primarily with the sounds of ecosystems under
particular threat from climate change (areas of primary equatorial rainforest in Monacchi's case, and the icy
environments of Alaska and the Arctic in Burtner's); and second, these concerns are expressed through works which
enable human performers to duet" with the sounds of the environment, or even to play" environmental systems
themselves, creating powerful musical metaphors which aim to 'define a collaborative and symbiotic relationship
between humans and the natural world' (Burtner 2011a: 234). It could be suggested that ecoacoustics thus represents
an artistic realisation of the core principles of ecopsychology, defined as 'an explicitly moral psychology with the goal of
discovering how people can connect with the natural world in ways that are healthy and sustainable both for people
and for the planet' (Scull 2008: 68-9).

The major difference between the two, meanwhile, lies in the range of techniques they employ: Monacchi's eco-
acoustic paradigm", strongly grounded in the principles of the Acoustic Niche Hypothesis, comprises a very specific set
of compositional and performative techniques which communicate a simple, clear message without the need for
further explanation; while Burtner's approach follows the broader principle of simply 'deriving musical procedures
from abstracted environmental processes' (Burtner 2005: 10), employing a far wider range of methodologies which
often results in a prior knowledge of the compositional process being required in order to be fully comprehended and
appreciated. It could thus be argued that Monacchi's approach exhibits a tight internal logic and artistic coherence
which Burtner's work lacks; however, when considered in the light of the wider practice of ecoacoustics, Monacchi's
approach could perhaps be regarded as overly prescriptive, while Burtner's much more open and inclusive practice
results in a greater potential for other artists to develop their own individual strands of ecoacoustic music and sound
art.
8


Having established the ground covered by both Monacchi's and Burtner's conceptions of ecoacoustics", then, this
paper will propose the following as a definition-in-progress":

Ecoacoustic (or ecoacoustics") describes an area of music and sound art which focuses on human engagement with
an ecosystem through sound, functioning as a creative response to contemporary environmental issues. It draws from
a range of techniques related to the artistic use of natural sound, including soundscape composition, sonification, and
direct musical engagements with nature. Its key characteristics include revealing and emphasising the musical
characteristics of natural environmental sound, and the employment of musical metaphors for the rediscovery of
humankind's harmonious functioning within the earth's ecosystems.


6. OTHER ECOACOUSTIC ARTISTS

In light of the above proposed definition, this paper will finally proceed to identify a small selection of the growing
number of composers and sound artists whose work, although not currently identified as ecoacoustic", might
subsequently be proposed to fall within its sphere of interest.

John Luther Adams composes music which evokes the landscape and ecology of his Alaskan home, and which stem
from his conviction that 'music can contribute to the awakening of our ecological understanding. By deepening our
awareness of our connections to the earth, music can provide a sounding model for the renewal of human
consciousness and culture' (Adams 2009: 1). His works are largely orchestral, but have also included electroacoustic
music and field recordings; while The Place Where You Go To Listen is a permanent sound and light installation
involving the sonification of geophysical and climatalogical data, providing audiences with an immersive, real-time
sensory experience of the dynamics of the Alaskan ecosystem. David Shimoni describes Adams' work as ecocentric",
observing that 'Instead of making music from nature, in which nature is treated as a resource, [Adams] make[s] music
with nature, in such a way that both humans (composer, performers, listeners) and the rest of the natural world retain
a sense of auLonomy and creaLlvlLy ln Lhe process' (Shimoni 2012: 237).

Leah Barclay is a composer and sound artist whose work is underpinned by her belief that 'Electro-acoustic music,
with the use of natural sounds exposing the state of the world, could be an unprecedented tool in artists taking action
in ecological crisis' (Barclay 2012: 22). Many of Barclay's artistic projects follow her Sonic Ecologies Framework", a
methodology comprising site-specific subject matter, multi-platform dissemination, community engagement and
education tools, interdisciplinary partnerships and collaborations, and a long-term strategic vision (ibid.). Her works
include Sound Mirrors (2010), 'an immersive sonic environment that responds to significant rivers across the world'
(Barclay 2013a); Remnant Breath (2011), a soundwalk created for New Zealand's EcoSapiens which 'explored stories of
water, breath, place and the Maori concept of interconnection and the environment' (Barclay 2013b); and
Transvergence (2011), a work based on hydrophone recordings which explores 'the role immersive performance can
play in igniting a connection to the environment' (Barclay 2013c). She is also responsible for several significant
environmental arts projects, including the interactive educational programme Sonic Explorers, and Biosphere
Soundscapes, which will see composers and sound artists collaborating on networked site-specific projects at the
world's 580 Biosphere Reserves.

Walter Branchi composes what he terms eco-music", purely electronic works designed specifically for natural,
outdoor environments, with the intention of complementing the environmental soundscape and facilitating a
heightened, musical appreciation of the sounds of nature: 'It is a music that goes beyond the concept of the world
cenLered excluslvely on anLhropocenLrlc values, buL ls based on ecocenLrlc values lL ls a muslc lnLerwoven lnLo a
network of interdependent relationships with Lhe world ouLslde [ln whlch Lhe llsLener] ls noL Lhe cenLer of Lhe
happening, but is included; he listens to music, listening to the environment' (Branchi 2012: 71).

David Dunn divides his work into hybrid soundscape compositions" which aim to represent the realities" of natural
environments as an antidote to the fantasies" perpetuated by many soundscape works; and environmental
performance works" which investigate, and often become a functioning part of, living environmental systems (Dunn
2009). These include site-specific pieces such as Entrainments 1 (1984), Sonic Mirror (1986-87) and Autonomous
Systems (2003-05), which involve the soundscape of a natural ecosystem being recorded, processed, played back into
the environment and then recorded again, creating a feedback loop shaped by the interaction between the
technological system and the living ecosystem, in which 'certain participants in the environment the flies, the birds
begin to play" the system, interacting with it' (Burt 2007: CD liner notes). This ultimately springs from Dunn's
9

conception of music as 'a conservation strategy for keeping something alive that we now need to make more
conscious, a way of making sense of the world from which we might refashion our relationship to nonhuman living
sysLems l have a guL lnLulLlon LhaL muslc, as Lhls vasL Lerraln of human acLlvlLy and lnherlLance of our specles, wlll
provide us with clues to our future survival, and that is a responsibility worth pursuing' (Dunn 2009: 97).

Andrea Polli creates 'media and technology artworks related to environmental science issues' (Polli [undated]a),
encompassing compositions, installations and collaborative research projects which employ sonification as a tool to aid
understanding of climate data. Her projects include Atmospherics/Weather Works (2002), which used sonifications of
historic storms to create 'turbulent and evocative compositions which allowed listeners to experience geographically
scaled events on a human scale and gain a deeper understanding of some of the more unpredictable complex rhythms
and melodies of nature' (Polli [undated]b); T2 (2006), which translated wind and wave data into image and sound with
a view to 'increase awareness and appreciation of the beauty, power and importance of the ocean in a warming world'
(Polli [undated]c); and 90 Degrees South (2007-8), an artistic residency with the National Science Foundation in
Antarctica which resulted in several compositions and sound-based artworks, the CD Sonic Antarctica (2009), and a
book, Far Field: Digital Culture, Climate Change and the Poles (2011).

Douglas Quin is a sound recordist and composer whose works Oropendola (1994) and Forests: A Book of Hours (1999)
blend acoustic and electronic musical improvisation with 'unadulterated and unedited field recordings, processed
soundscapes, electroacoustic instruments, human voice and hybridized sounds that comprise both living voices and
electronically generated timbres' (Quin 1999: CD liner notes). His recent Polar Suite (2011), meanwhile, employs a
wireless sensor bow called the 'K-Bow' to enable the Kronos Quartet to play" sounds captured by Quin at the North
and South Poles, articulating them through their string instruments, such as 'the violin transforming a seal sound and
being transformed by the seal sound' (Quin, in Jepson 2012). Quin reflects that the process of 'negotiat[ing] the
Lechnology and relaLlonshlp Lo naLural sound, and soundscape lnLo muslc allows me and Lhe people l'm working
withlike KronosLo undersLand Lhe connective tissue that binds us all together as living creatures and beings on
this planet' (Quin, in Harrison 2011).


7. CONCLUSION

At a time when western society appears deeply conflicted about how to approach contemporary environmental issues,
'Those of us who want our species to pay more attention to the environment will not achieve our goal by only stating
scary facts and harboring inadequate feelings of guilt at the damage we have wrought' (Rothenberg 2009: 8). The arts
can play a major role both in expressing thoughts and feelings related to these issues, and, most crucially, in helping us
to conceive creative solutions. The movement of contemporary composers and sound artists doing exactly that is
growing; and, if climatologists are to be believed, can only continue to do so as the issues they address become ever-
more urgent and increasingly affect our everyday lives.

The adoption of suitable generic terminology is a prerequisite for any field of endeavour if it is to become part of a
meaningful discourse. With the closest existing fields of acoustic ecology and soundscape composition no longer
sufficient to describe this fast-growing and increasingly significant field of environmentally-concerned music and sound
art, a new term is clearly needed; and 'ecoacoustics', pioneered by David Monacchi and Matthew Burtner and now
defined here, successfully fulfils this function, accurately and succinctly circumscribing a movement which, in the
words of Burtner, 'allows for a productive collaboration between the artist and the environment, one that can also
allow transformation between observed and invented systems of order, foregrounding art's ability to re-imagine the
world' (Burtner 2011a: 234).











10

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