Ecosystem [512]: Acoustic Ecology Surveys as Music

Acoustic ecology is a rapidly expanding discipline which can reveal details about ecosystems that are not visually apparent, and field recording has been used in an increasing variety of ways in music compositions, opening the door to collaborative projects that walk the line between science and art. Ecosystem [512] is rooted in acoustic surveys that I carried out over nine months in Iceland’s National Parks. These surveys provided more than 10,000 hours of recordings that are processed, compressed, combined, and analyzed before being used as the fundamental material for a music composition for electronics and clarinet. The piece uses multiple strategies such as algorithmic composition to handle the transition from rough acoustic survey recordings to final music product. The process of composing this piece reveal insights about both acoustic ecology processes and music composition considerations.