Made of solar-powered sound circuits, wood, recycled materials and solar panels,
hideout
is a quiet, immersive soundscape based on environmentally-empowered sound circuits. Evoking the structural acoustics of hidden, safe zones in nature and architecture, these sounds can evoke feelings of safety and security, as well as a heightened sense of intrusions from outside sources. As one adapts to the quiet sounds that are often masked or silenced by the presence of crowded social spaces, the piece is also subtly interactive, as the sounds are directly responsive to the presence of light in the space and changes of light distribution through the presence of shadows, reflections, and absorption caused by movement through the space.
hideout will show March 15 - April 29.
Bio
Scott Smallwood was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up at 10,000 feet in elevation in the Colorado Rockies. At the age of 10, his father gave him a cassette tape recorder, and ever since he has been fascinated by the possibilities of recorded sound. He listens and makes recordings and observations of places and objects, and draws the resulting sounds into compositions and performances. Ranging from sonic photographs, studio compositions, instrumental pieces, sound installations, and improvisations, the resulting pieces are often textural, always mindful of space and subtlety.
As a performing artist, Smallwood has performed as a percussionist, pianist, and electronic musician on laptops, synthesizers, noise generators, and handmade electronic instruments. He has performed with a variety of improvisors including Cor Fuhler, Joe McPhee, Phil Gelb, Todd Reynolds, John Butcher, Mark Dresser, and Pauline Oliveros. As a composer, he has written works for small and large ensembles, including recent works for Continuum Ensemble of Toronto, the Nash Ensemble of London, and the New York Virtuoso Singers.
His work has been presented worldwide, including recent presentations at the Stone in NYC, the Burning Man Festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, and the The Hong Kong Arts Centre. His work has been released on Autumn Records, Deep Listening, Wowcool, Simple Logic, Static Caravan, and others.
From 1997 until 2003, he worked as a studio engineer, faculty member, and technical director in the electronic arts program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He holds music degrees from Seattle Pacific University, Miami University, Peabody Conservatory, and Princeton University, where he also held postdoctoral research associate position, working with the legendary Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk). He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he is an assistant professor of composition at the University of Alberta, and where he also serves as Director of the Humanities Computing MA program.
