I will be performing a brand-new, live sound-telling experience at the inaugural artArctica Festival! Held in Helsinki, Finland from February 11 - 13, 2016, this promises to be a collection of performers, poets and artists from across the world's nordic countries including Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Russia, Norway, Canada, Sápmi (Lapland).
My performance will be all about small sounds- the quiet, rare, and even imaginary sounds that make up much of the soundscape of the sub-Arctic. Some of my most precious field recordings will be woven with stories, science and soundscape composition in a style I call sound-telling. Ants munching spruce trees, buffalo snorting, raven wing vortices, and perhaps even the aurora will be heard during this presentation, along with other small sounds I have encountered.
I am also in the final stages of composing the music for a contemporary dance called Sinking/Floating. This new work presents the tension of social concerns as well as the potential effects of climate change, and asks the difficult question: what if the end of the world is a beautiful thing? Very excited to be working long-distance with Calgary-based choreographers/dancers Meghann Michalsky and Hailey McLeod (formerly of Yellowknife!) on this work for dance.
Land of reindeer, land of the Moomins (my childhood storybook best-friends), land of saunas and birch swatches... Helsinki is almost the same latitude as Yellowknife and I'm anticipating a very different and exciting place to explore!
Other great Canadian artists heading there: Yellowknifers Casey Koyczan and Davis Heslep, Yukoner poet Clea Roberts, and Yellowknifer/Greenlander Tiffany Ayalik and Klaus Geisler. Check out the festival line up here!
