The whispering of the wind in 色界吧鈥檚 olive grove will be joined this fall by a surprising soundtrack created by professor Bruno Louchouarn.
Louchouarn, composer, adjunct associate professor, and director of the College鈥檚 Keck Language and Culture Studio, is creating a sound and music collage that reflects the 色界吧 experience. The , commissioned by President Jonathan Veitch, will be composed of audio snippets of 色界吧 alumni, students, parents, faculty, administrators and staff sharing their experiences and memories of the College. The project will also include music composed by Louchouarn.
"I want to create a very long 鈥榮ound ribbon鈥 made up of multiple voices out of which intimate moments as well as larger communal meanings will emerge," Louchouarn said. "This archive of recorded experiences will unfold as an open-ended invitation to ponder our community."
To that end, the composer welcomes more audio by people connected to 色界吧. While he has about several dozen audio submissions already, he needs at least several hundred more. He encourages people to email digital audio of their College anecdotes and memories as well as advice and insight to blouchou@oxy.edu. Alternatively, people may record their sound samples in person over Alumni Weekend, June 15-17, at a recording booth on campus.
"I want anything that鈥檚 honest and comes from the moment," said Louchouarn.
The audio samples don鈥檛 have to be professionally recorded, he added. For example, people can simply use the memo application on their iPhone or other smartphone to record and send their audio. They may also use other audio software apps such as Audioboo.com or SoundCloud.com. The submissions, which Louchouarn will accept through this fall, can be as short or as long as people wish. For more information, go .
The Olive Grove Project will debut this fall in the campus鈥檚 shady olive grove. Located on the east side of the student quad, next to Samuelson Pavilion, the grove is a popular place to eat lunch, study and relax. Speakers will be installed on some of the olive trees to broadcast the meditative and musical sound art throughout the day.
"I admire Bruno, and I am particularly enamored of art that brings delight and surprise in unexpected places," Veitch said.
Louchouarn chose that location for its meditative atmosphere and because olive trees traditionally symbolize peace and growth.
"This sound art project will draw upon the rich symbolism of the olive tree as well as the values and contributions of the extended Occidental community to compose an environmental artwork," he said.
It鈥檚 not the first time Louchouarn has used sound bites of others鈥 voices to compose art. He recently created an audio piece for "Three Weeks in January," an exhibition that was part of Pacific Standard Time, a public art festival sponsored by more than 60 Southern California cultural institutions. He has also created the sound design and musical scores of many plays, such as the San Diego Repertory Theater鈥檚 recent production of "Tortilla Flat" and Los Angeles Theater Center鈥檚 "A Weekend With Pablo Picasso."
