Freddy's Story wins best Installation at 2009 Media Innovation Awards

The interactive audio/video/installation piece "Freddy's Story" has won the 2009 Media Innovation Award for best installation/Exhibition. The Awards were held on March 12th at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol and the award was for the Installation's showing at the 2008 Sonic Arts Network Expo held in the Lighthouse arts centre in Brighton. It is great that a sonic art piece has now won in this category for two years running and hopefully signifies the start of the artforms re-invention as a truly accessible experience for everyone, from contemporary art fans, and those more familiar with traditional visual work to older patrons and children. It was also heartening as an individual artist to be able to compete with companies and organisations with much greater financial and human resources. Thanks of course to Freddy who is currently recovering from an eye operation (Get well soon), and all the cast who helped recreate a remarkable life.

Mayan Aural Adventure

Just returned from the Yucutan Peninsula in Mexico after visiting many ancient Mayan sites. Was overwhelmed by Chichen Itza and taken aback by the acoustic phenomenom present at most sites. Made some binaural recordings but forgot to pack headphones( so couldn't monitor) and spare hi-MDiscs so didn't have much useable footage, enough though for a short sonic response to these magical sites. On returning found, as i thought, that road noise was a clearly audible presence but have decided against trying to remove it..after all it was there and i do not feel it is my job to hide noise pollution. R. Murray Schaefer's "Tuning of the world" came to mind. I feel ignorant that i was not aware that Mayan as a language was still widely spoken but our guide Antonio Gonzalez was a proud Mayan with an encyclopedic knowledge of each site, ancient customs, symbols and the multitude of flora and fauna of this beautiful part of the world.

Freddy's Story nominated for Installation category in 2009 Media Innovation Awards

"Freddy's Story" has been nominated in the Installation Category for this years Media Innovation Awards. I am up against some tough competition but I hope for Freddy's sake that we can win. Freddy is getting very old now and it would be a real vindication for him having the courage to tell me his completely un-selfcensored life story. His frank and disarming manner seems to draw people of all ages and backgrounds into the installation and his astonishing memory and good humour make the interactive elements possible and ensure that the piece is lifted out of being merely an oral history. The constant reference throughout to existing sonic art classics would also not have been possible were it not for the exposure to luminaries like Steve Reich, Pierre Schaffer and Francis Dhomont, a fact for which i owe a debt of gratitude to Phinneas de Thornley-Head, Nick Trussler and Neil Rose among others. So thanks everyone and here's to March 12th at Ashton Gate, home of Bristol City (BOOO). I shall be proudly wearing my Plymouth Argyle scarf on top of my suit!