About the Project
a TIMARA senior recital - Fall 2019 - Piper Hill
Oberlin College and Conservatory
Science Center - Bird Hallway
This is an installation in the hallway with the glass cases of stuffed birds in the Oberlin College Science Center. If you do not have physical access to this location, do not worry! You can still enjoy all the audio on this website, along with images of the birds to help you imagine that you are there. Visit the installation at 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH 44074, enter through the south entrance facing W Lorain St / 511, and go through the second doorway on your left off of the main hallway. Bring a smartphone and headphones!
I have always been drawn to these birds, and they have provided me with company during solitary moments throughout my years here. The goals of these pieces vary from simple praise of these exquisite creatures to metaphorical reanimation - giving them a new life.
There are nine pieces of music / sound art. I recorded or created all of the raw sound material used for these pieces, unless otherwise specified in the descriptions. Most of the original recordings used to make these pieces come from birdsong / bird calls, outdoor environmental sounds, guitar, singing, marimba, and underwater sounds. However, what you hear will not always be recognizably coming from these original sources.
There are five signs posted next to the display cases on this hallway. Each contain the titles and brief descriptions of the pieces meant to accompany the contents of the adjacent case. Here is a map of the locations of these signs:
At the bottom of each sign is a QR code - a code that most smart phones will recognize when scanned in the phone’s built-in camera application. Each code leads to a webpage where you can listen to the pieces and read more detailed descriptions about them. If this doesn’t work for you, I have also provided the web address at the bottom of each sign that you can manually type into a browser like Safari or Chrome. This project was mixed with headphone listening in mind.
I hope these augmented displays provide you with some of the comfort and curiosity that you need today!
Special Thanks:
Tyler Smith - access to the percussion studio and being patient while I took recordings of every note on the marimba
Hannah Sandoz - percussive ideas
Neal Baker - title brainstorming
Maxwell Addae - listening, feedback
Katarina Mazur - posters
Aurie Hsu’s Spring and Fall 2019 Studio Class
Autumn Culp and Jason McCauley - performing and recording the flamingo piece
My Family
Forrest Rose and the Biology Department - enthusiasm and support for this project, logistical assistance, sharing this space with me, and providing these excellent birds
Aurie Hsu - musical, logistical, emotional guidance, support, inspiration, wisdom and overall excellence, without which this would not have happened