Energy as a Manifestation of the DivineOn the New Electronic Instrument: Prana
The Elements: Earth, Wind, Water, Fire
Collaborating on this piece has been one of the most satisfying endeavors of my artistic life. Being surrounded by talented, creative souls who also happen to be thoughtful, kind people is a precious gift. Also, I have never before been so moved by a text. I hope some of the joy I experienced while working on and rehearsing this piece comes across in the performance.
There is a constant hum of energy pervading the material world. Many spiritual traditions understand this all-pervasive energy to be a manifestation of the Divine. The sound "AUM" is considered an allegory for the vibration of the infinite universe in the Hindu religion. There are forms of meditation which focus on hearing what is called Shabd, or the Divine Sound. In the Essene Gospel of Peace, Enoch is told to "be still" so he may hear this sound. This text waxes upon the omnipresence and atemporality of this "voice", which speaks to any one listening, whether through the mountains, stars, rainbow, lightning, or angels.
With this idea in mind, Be Still explores the notion that with quiet attention, we may hear sounds that are ever-present but typically not perceived.
Acoustic energy has many complex components, even in an apparently static tone. Certain elements, such as vibrato, have a frequency much lower than the perceived pitch. Harmonic partials, on the other hand, are high enough to be perceived simply as tone color. To call attention to the composite nature of sound, these elements are treated as discrete sonic components in Be Still.
On the New Electronic Instrument: Prana A sound's relationship to energy with frequencies outside the range of hearing is explored by the new analog electronic instrument, Prana, which was designed and built by the composer.
Four modes of energy: kinetic, photonic, electronic and acoustic are intersected by this instrument. As the dancer moves, light falls differently on Prana, changing its internal state of electronic flux. The electrical oscillation modulates radio waves, and is finally translated into sound.
In the Hindu religion, Prana is understood to be the animating life force of all creatures. As images of the world enter our consciousness via the senses, Prana leaks out through the same portals. This instrument is named for its electronic "eyes". Ambient light enters and allegorically changes the instrument's internal balance of energy.
Several oscillators are connected on an analog network. Each oscillator's frequency is determined by the amount of light upon individual light sensors, but also upon driving voltage. The amount of voltage going to any one oscillator changes depending on the amount of light on the other sub-circuits, which redistributes the electrical potential across the circuit as a whole.
The frequencies of these sub-circuits are quite high. Difference tones, created by their interactions, are much lower and easier to perceive as sound. The composite oscillation modulates the radio frequency of a tiny FM transmitter. Prana is small enough to be sown into the dancer's costume.
A remote receiver and amplifier converts the radio waves back to an audible frequency. The development of Prana was made possible in part by a generous grant from the Mills College Graduate Research Committee.
The Four Elements Water: “Be Still” begins with the sound of water drops.
Wind: The shakuhachi, which is a wind instrument, starts out by mimicking the percussive nature of the pebbles dropping in water, the sound gives way to sustained tones.
Fire: Lesley begins to move. The vital animating energy of living things, Prana, has entered another body. The least physical of the elements, fire is represented by the high-pitched tones of an instrument that has no apparent form. With no moving parts, the electronic instrument named after Prana creates sound from light, electrical flux, radio waves and magnetic flux.
Earth: In the material world but not of it, the dancer's body appears to be planted in the earth, yet it reaches upward.
Be Still shares a Sunday, 7 April 2002 program with Anne Hege's Sea Odyssey and Brett Larner's Mystic Seven Big Band. Be Still is being presented during the Signal Flow 2002 Festival. Remember Daylight Savings Time!