Greetings, fellow Earth-listeners.
Welcome to the January 2007 edition of my little e-newsletter. In this mailing:
- 1. THE EARTH CALLS US HOME
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In December National Public Radio aired a segment on “All Things Considered” that featured the sounds of the Earth from my Deep Earth Dome project. These sounds of our home planet resonated deeply with dozens of listeners, who kindly sent me appreciative e-mails and phone calls from all over the US. One listener referred me to some lovely writings by the pioneering environmentalist John Muir, who spoke of “the orderly love beats of Nature’s heart.” Another wrote that these beating sounds confirmed for him the Native American view that “the drum is the mirror and the voice of Mother Earth.” Several were reminded of listening to sonograms of their unborn children in the womb, hearing the beating of two hearts against the background swoooshing of the blood. I heard from dancers and musicians; artists and physicists; mothers, fathers, and grandparents; all had marvelous stories to tell.
In reading these many thoughtful responses, I was heartened to discover that I am not the only one who believes that these Earth sounds are important, that they have the power to open and transform the heart. After all, we are creatures born of the atoms of the Earth; along its surface we skim and shout our busy lives; and into its ancient soil our bodies will one day return; we are Earth.
But how often do we stop to listen to our lifelong companion and protector’s own words? They may at first sound alien to us; their melodies obscure. But when we listen well, the message telegraphs, laser-like, through time and space into our ears and hearts: “Deep within this fractured world there lies a still point of order, beauty, awe, and peace, which belongs to all, but is owned by none.” It is the voice of our own home, calling us home.
Now that’s something worth listening to.
- 2. EARTH SOUNDS CD
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I’ve begun preparations for a full-length audio CD version of sounds from the Deep Earth Dome. I’m tentatively aiming for a release date in early spring. As the project progresses, I’ll post updates on the website and in this e-newsletter.
- 3. “A DAY IN MADIKWE” (CD?)
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A day after that NPR piece aired, I left on a two-week sound safari to South Africa. I spent a week of that time at the Madikwe Game Reserve, bordering Botswana, where I collected some 20 hours of wildlife sounds from the South African bushveld. This area is home not only to the fabled “big five” (buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant, and rhino), but to an uncountable number of other magnificent creatures, large and small, many of which produce glorious songs, chirps, gurgles, buzzes, swishes, crackles, and slurps. (One short excerpt has already made an appearance as a recent Sound of the Week.) With the kind assistance of a park ranger, I was able to make several long (2-3 hour) unattended recordings that capture the ambient natural sounds of this rich wildlife area. I have begun distilling these recordings down to an hour-length piece that will encompass a “typical” 24 hours in the sonic life of Madikwe. Perhaps this, too, will become a CD. Stay tuned…
- 4. OPEN STUDIOS, 2007
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On May 5-6, 2007, artists across the city of Somerville, Massachusetts will open their doors to the public, in the annual Somerville Open Studios. Mark the date on your calendar! Open Studios is a great opportunity to sample a wide variety of art across the city, by hundreds of artists, in all media. I do hope you’ll stop by the Joy Street Studios and drop in for a visit. I plan to have a few new things to show — sonic and non-sonic. (Details to follow — check my website from time to time.)
With best wishes to all of you, and my deepest hope that we can all keep our ears and hearts wide open to the awe and beauty of this world.
— John
{ John Bullitt
www.jtbullitt.com
john@jtbullitt.com
617.629.2500 (GMT -5 hours) }
