World Tune continues to grow. The seed
planted in Springfield, Missouri is growing strong roots under the supervision of gardener
and artist, Jeffrey Allen Price. Price joined the project in March of 1998, and was
named International Online coordinator in November, by World Tune creator Wolfgang
Neuhaus.
Jeffrey Price started the Springfield sound library from
archive sounds of some previous experimental nature recordings. Inspired by the
concept of a worldwide sculpture sound-machine, he recorded all kinds of new environmental
sounds from Springfield as well as sounds recorded during his travels in Louisiana,
Florida, and the Southwestern United States.
Last summer, World Tune was officially presented to
Springfield, Missouri at the 1st Annual Music Festival at Juanita K. Hammonds Hall for the
Performing Arts. A big screen projected the World Tune Interface while visitors
changed the broadcasts on the computers provided. A hidden Fender amplifier served in
place of a World Tune Loudspeaker. The Interactive Sound Sculpture was well
received and is invited back to the Summer 1999 Music Festival.
World Tune has also made friends at Southwest Missouri State
University in Springfield. Mike Garton is one, Coordinator for the Technology
Enhanced Classroom, with a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology at SMSU. With
help from Mike, the TEC room has provided the project with laptops for interactive
demonstrations, digital cameras for documentation, video conferencing capabilities, and
data projectors for big screen viewings of World Tune presentations. His experience
with online education and his interest in Dewey's educational philosophies has given the
World Tune project another good advisor.
Music Professor Norma McClellan of SMSU, has also joined the
effort. She thinks the World Tune project is a good one, especially for the Music
Education students. World Tune's Virtual Communication Terminals provide SMSU
students with Channels for communicating their ideas to transnational colleagues.
World Tune hopes that McClellan's students will also collaborate on the Distributed Sound
Lab project, with students from the Netherlands.
Plans for a 7 1/2' World Tune Speaker/Sculpture in
Springfield, Missouri are well underway. In April 1999, Jeffrey Price completed a
1/7th scale model of an actual World Tune Loudspeaker. This working model will be
used as part of a proposal presentation to University officials. A sponsor and
location for the Sound Sculpture have not been decided upon yet. Price is confident
there will be a Loudspeaker Sculpture in place by October of 1999. |
