48: From Here to Ear

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Craig

The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusettes opened in 1799 and has been exploring the intersections of art, culture, and technology across various disciplines over its tenure as one of the longest continuously operating museums in the United States. The French artist and composer, Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, created an exhibition that is right at home at the PEM. “From here to Ear” is a composition that utilizes space, sounds, and 70 zebra finches interacting with their surroundings. Learn more about this unique sonic art experimentation from from Céleste himself andTrevor Smith, the Curator of the Present Tense at the PEM.

Watch a video featuring Céleste with footage from the exhibition below:

47: The Heartbeat

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Craig

“…I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.” – Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart

The Tell-Tale Heart, one of Edgar Allan Poe’s best known works, was written in 1842. The tale of madness involves a number of senses, but comes to a dramatic climax with a single sound — a heart beating beneath the floor. George adapted the story into a radio drama, The Heartbeat, which was then produced by Auburn University’s Radio Flyer Theatre. Enjoy this modern re-imagining of the classic story on this episode!

Also, find out more about Edgar Allan Poe at The Poe Museum Website.

The Heartbeat was directed by Anna Claire Walker. It was produced by Taylor Dyleski, Kelly Walker as well as additional production, sound design and audio engineering from Scott Waters for Auburn University’s Radio Flyer Theatre. It was adapted by George Drake Jr.

You can listen to the full version from Scott Waters’ SoundCloud page.

This presentation featured the voice talents of:

Jordan Molineux as Detective Buckland
Marisa Pierluisi as Officer Tebbs
Benjamin Strickland as Martin Williams
Kristen Lazarchick as Ollie
Steven Hatcher as Officer Spires
and David Tourtellotte as The Old Man

If you haven’t read the original prose of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe, you should read that first.

46: Dr. Blankenstein

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Craig

Drew Blanke was fascinated with sci-fi, music, and electronics growing up. Over time, he began wiring circuits, performing techno, and building his own marketing company. He eventually left the New York rave scene, sold his marketing business, and began looking for his next project. After adding a color-changing LED to a computer mouse, Dr. Blankenstein was born. Drew has since been drawing upon a lifetime of his interests and experiences to build a company specializing in custom synthesizers and effects. Learn more about Drew and the birth of Dr. Blankenstein in this episode.

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Listen to some of Dr. Blankenstein’s creations in action: