Listen to Gould’s 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations. Then listen to his 1981 version of the same piece. You may find it more effective to listen via Spotify instead of YouTube as the individual sections are easier to access.

I chose to listen to the first variation in both the 1955 and 1981 recordings of the Goldberg Variations. In Gould’s 1955 rendition of the first variation the song has a real sense of urgency. Between the tight and up tempo melodic rhythms and the punchy yet non-intrusive bass it is clear that this performance was made to impress. Meanwhile on the 1981 rendition we get a much different take on the variation. Gould decides to take the variation at a slower and more moderate tempo. What once sounded like a percussive rush of notes flying at you now sounds like a gentle river washing over you. The punchy bass notes now replaced with longer deliberate tones that guide you through the piece not once trying to rush you along. An example of the clear difference between these two performances comes at the end of the piece. In the 1955 recording you are left on the edge of your seat as the rampant melodic runs never seem to stop. Gould doesn’t give you time to take a breath until finally the last note is struck and you are left gasping for air. Whereas in the 1981 performance the melodic runs are played with more leisure and with direction. In this version you aren’t caught off guard by the end of the piece and instead are ushered to the last note at a digestible pace. The two recordings are both masterworks in their own right but only when you look at them side by side can you see how quick and relentless the 1955 recording is or how gradual and settled the 1981 recording sounds.

Imagine you’ve been hired by Elon Musk to create a golden record type project for a space probe leaving Earth today.

Select 3 examples of music, sound or noise that you would include. Include links (if possible) of your choices.

Now I’m not sure if I’m cheating with this pick but to be quite honest I think it deserves a spot either way. Rush’s 2112 is a seven part rock opera set on a planetary scale. Regardless of alien-life’s ability to understand the human speech in this song the sheer variety of sound and texture in each distinct part earns it the spot on this golden record.

This pick is less about the specific audio clip itself and more the idea it stands for. This golden record project is going to focus more on planet earth as a whole, not to focus so much on the creations of human beings. For that reason I’m choosing to include the sounds of one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on planet earth, the Amazon Rainforest.

Finally I am going to add an audio clip of the first 24 harmonics in the harmonic series. I am curious as to what alien-life would make of these frequency ratios. Since the harmonic series is what much of western music is based off of I don’t think it is far fetched to say aliens might have some experience with it as well.

With these 3 audio clips I want to diversify sound as much as possible on this golden record. With Rush’s 2112 I want to show aliens part of human culture, and how we perceive a future galactic government. To add to that, I honestly just want to teach aliens how to use rock to fight against, “the man.” As I explained above, I want the sounds of the Amazon Rainforest to show intergalactic life how creatures on earth live and interact with one another. Finally I want to pose a question to alien life with my last clip. I want to know if they have studied the harmonic series as we have. I want to know if they can recognize it and if their understanding of it is anywhere close to ours.

Looking back at the “bones of summer” how have you engaged or created art? If you haven’t engaged or created art, please describe why.

When I look back at this past summer I reflect on the emotions that I felt while in my quarantine. Nearing the end of phase 1,  restrictions were being lifted and all of my feelings of loneliness/anxiety were at their peak. I decided to confront those feelings head on by writing a song with my fellow bandmates. Through various email chains and demos sent back and forth we ended up writing a “quarantine song” about a fictional girl unable to go to her high-school prom due to COVID-19.  This culminated in us recording the song together in a bandmate’s basement and promptly releasing on Spotify in August. This single was a beautiful outlet for the feelings of the band members during the waning summer months. Our band goes by Poncho + The Rain on Spotify and the single is titled “No Place To Go” if you want to check it out.

What things, if any, surround you that you consider powerful?

I consider relationships between people to be among the most powerful things in this world. They are quite literally what brings us together as human beings. Relationships can influence our psyche making us feel powerful emotions.  Love or hate, frustration or satisfaction, sadness or joy, all of these are examples of feelings that are influenced and nurtured by the relationships we amass over our time here on earth. This idea of relationships holding great power even extends to our art as artists. One will create art that reflects one’s own experiences with the world and the people that inhabit it.

Over the next couple of days, take note of the dominant sounds in areas that you consistently walk. What are the sounds you notice most of all? Be specific.

I have become hyper-aware of the sound of rain outside my window after months without it. Returning to my room after a meal and being welcomed with notion of rain droplets on the pavement brings me into a mood of reflection. I also have started to notice the ever-present chatter of people throughout my suburban neighborhood. Never loud enough to be intelligible but just enough to be perceived as human speech. I have noticed it can almost be recognized as a hum that accompanies any modern community of people. Something that tends to fall into the background if one isn’t listening for the indication of human life.

How do you relate to the phrase “free time only works if you steal it?”

I can’t say I agree with the phrase entirely. I understand the meaning behind it, but I think the message is confused. As a university student I have a rather packed schedule and less free time than I would like.  But that being said it doesn’t mean when I do have free time that I necessarily have to “steal” it. The idea of stealing free time implies that free time in and of itself is unproductive. This couldn’t be further from the truth because as artists we can’t always just be inspired. It’s in the time where you aren’t actively working on something that you can find things about life to motivate yourself. Without free time you can often find yourself in burn out, productivity cannot come from constant work. For that reason I believe that free time isn’t stolen, it must be planned into your day in order to be a successful artist and a successful human being.

Do you have any other takeaways from the film?

I found the film really inspiring. Seeing someone so experienced in life still so passionate about his art made me excited to be an artist. I want to be able to be his age and creating art of any sort from what inspires me most. The part of the film about him painting the burnt piece of metal spoke to me. It really shows how an artist can find inspiration in the most mundane parts of life and make it into something beautiful.