Moonsong (I have dwelt upon the moon)

Abstract

The initial aim of this project was to take a time-based, repetitive sonic practice, timed with the movements of the moon, and investigate this practice in relation to memory, process and meaning. The attendant goal was to see if I could, through contemplating on and adapting this practice, relay – through the sound of a sonic work – part of the notion of the 'thick present' as conveyed through the writings of Donna Haraway in Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in in the Chthulucene (2016). Could I create a sonic work within the conventions of an online journal platform that conveys both the passage of time enfolded into its creation, punctuated by the process of following the moon, as well as one that – through its own sounding – says something about my journey toward a more sympoietic making process? What follows constitutes a thinking between practice and theoretical writings that develops through an iterative practice: initial process (born of a time-related artistic process curiosity) returns to theoretical investigation, returns to process, which in turn returns to theoretical reflection and assessment. This text has been co-composed with the sonic work moonsong and is meant to be read alongside – co-listened to with – the sonic work. Excerpts taken from emails, sent to friends and artists almost daily during the initial 30-day process of recording and journaling, called moonsong writings, are included throughout this article, with links. The 'Appendix: Artistic process of moon-song' contains a more technical and detailed overview of the process, equipment, and recording acts involved.