The only published stuff I'm aware of, Rob, are the publications noted
on Arcana Press (http://www.patria.org/arcana/arcbooks.html) his self-
publishing site (run and administered by others). Other than that, we
are long-time friends and colleagues engaged in a long arc of personal
exchanges. Schafer, as far as I know, is keenly aware of what's going
on around him. Even in his mid-70s, he expresses the energy and
curiosity of an 18 year old. He just feels more energized, mentally
and physically healthy, when he's able to focus his attention on more
organic aspects of our world. I suspect that if I was out in the field
with a bunch of recordists with every piece of current gear available,
and our collective battery supply was wiped out by sun-spots or some
such weird thing, I'd rather turn to Schafer to guide me out of the
woods than anyone with a dead GPS.
What's neat about his craft and art is that it demonstrates a profound
and intimate knowledge of the sonic world around him...specifics and
details that most of us could only dream about. For instance, many of
us have tried to capture the efx of wind in a recording. It is
arguably one of the most elusive and difficult sounds to capture so
that it evokes an impression. Schafer wrote an a capella choral piece
titled Once on a Windy Night. He didn't need to record it. It got
transformed to a fascinating piece of music. His 12-piece Patria
series consists of a number of operatic performance pieces. One
(Princess of the Stars) takes place on a lake on the southern border
of Algonquin Park (Ontario). The performance begins in mid-summer at
4:30AM just before sunrise. The orchestra -- made up of Toronto
Symphony members -- is placed around the lakeshore out of sight in the
woods. Singers and performers are on boats that emerge from around
hidden coves on the lake. The audience is seated in low bleachers at
certain locations around the lake. Singers and instrumentalists are
cued not by a conductor, but by birdsong that makes up the dawn
chorus. When a particular wren begins to sing, the soprano is cued and
begins to sing. Likewise the musicians in the forest. Thus this
lyrical story unfolds. The score is written several ways to
accommodate for weather variation. In order for this to happen,
EVERYONE involved needs to know how to listen and respond. The
physical score, itself, is a beautiful piece of work more reminiscent
of a 13th Century illumination. When you see his graphics, you'd want
to kill for a copy.
Anyway, so much for Schafer. Main point is that he's damned good at
what he does. We should all be so knowledgeable.
Bernie
On Apr 20, 2010, at 8:32 AM, Rob Danielson wrote:
> Hi Bernie--
> Its difficult for me and I'm sure many others, given the sonic
> onslaught of natural spaces and the increased awareness that personal
> field recording as a whole has brought to the troubles and battles,
> to understand how Schaefer could be unaware of key allies. Many of
> the folks networked through various lists are recordists, first. The
> ways one records and why one records remain largely mysterious even
> as one develops more and more sophisticated reasons. Its hopeful to
> think that what we do will somehow have increasing historical value
> and added impact to the politic we commit today, but our perceptions
> also tell us that we are a small, albeit passionate force.
>
> I admit that I'm out of touch on my RMS reading. Along these lines,
> are there, particular, new methodologies or politics Schaefer is
> proposing that you can direct us to? I'm all for more purpose and
> action. Rob D.
>
> =3D =3D =3D
>
> At 7:03 AM -0700 4/20/10, Bernie Krause wrote:
>> All good points. But aren't those assumptions predicated on the basis
>> that everyone is equally wired all the time from pre- to post-field
>> experience? Are we absolutely certain that those links won't, at some
>> point, break down? Then what?
>>
>> Schafer is very much "out of touch." One cannot reach him even by
>> phone. He lives very privately with his wife in southern Ontario and
>> has none. If you want to contact RMS, you write him a
>> letter...preferably in long-hand and he'll eventually (if he likes
>> the
>> subject matter) answer -- in long hand. He certainly is not wired in
>> any way. His farm barely has electricity (a bit of hyperbole, here,
>> to
>> make a point). You won't find him distracted by iPods, iPads, i
>> Phones, nor will his face be found buried 24/7 in a computer screen.
>> When one meets him, one can expect complete human and eye-contact and
>> attention and exchange. When one hears his presentations, lectures,
>> performances, music, one cannot but be impressed with his
>> extraordinary Renaissance-man range of knowledge on everything from
>> acoustics to natural history and his ability to deliver those
>> messages
>> in any of several languages.
>>
>> Yes, indeed. Schafer is a dinosaur. And if I had a choice between
>> being constantly wired or Socratically curious and informed and self-
>> sufficient...? Actually, I'm delighted to be part of both worlds.
>>
>> Bernie
>>
>> On Apr 20, 2010, at 5:46 AM, simmosonics wrote:
>>
>>> I am glad I am not alone in my indignation!
>>>
>>> Aaron, I particularly like your summation that "...expertise is not
>>> longer required to reside in each individual, but within the network
>>> of those with ready access to the network's resources..." I find
>>> this time and time again with my ethnic music recordings, many of
>>> which are made spontaneously or with very little forewarning. I may
>>> not understand them at the time, but I take as much care and apply
>>> as much expertise as possible for every recording, knowing that at
>>> the very least I'll get something I'll enjoy and can be proud of.
>>> Even better when someone in my social network is able to offer some
>>> illumination.
>>>
>>> RMS' 'prescient' words seem very much out of touch with what is
>>> happening today. We can lament the overall lack of expertise,
>>> technique and/or high quality recording equipment, but the reality
>>> is that there are now more people than ever recording just about
>>> anything, and that's a good thing for the awareness of sounds in
>>> general.
>>>
>>> - Greg Simmons
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>>
>>> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
>>> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
>>> Krause
>>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Wild Sanctuary
>> POB 536
>> Glen Ellen, CA 95442
>> 707-996-6677
>> <http://www.wildsanctuary.com>http://www.wildsanctuary.com
>> <chirp%40wildsanctuary.com>
>> Google Earth zooms:
>> <http://earth.wildsanctuary.com>http://earth.wildsanctuary.com
>> SKYPE: biophony
>>
>>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
> Krause
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
Wild Sanctuary
POB 536
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-6677
http://www.wildsanctuary.com
Google Earth zooms: http://earth.wildsanctuary.com
SKYPE: biophony
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