World Ocean Day 2020
Happy World Ocean Day everyone!
The celebration, started in 1992 and designated by the United Nations as World Ocean Day in 2008, happens every year on June 8th. The organisation exists to celebrate the ocean, to raise awareness of ocean related issues and to make positive changes to our environment. The present focus is to have 30% of our land and sea protected by 2030 - the 30x30 petition. You can find out more about it by clicking here.
Whale Song for Contrabass Flute and Electronics (use headphones or external speakers for best sound).
To celebrate this year’s day, my contrabass flute-playing friend Carla Rees and I have collaborated to produce a piece of music, Whale Song. Working at a distance we agreed on a three-layered process to make the piece over a few days. The process involved a base layer of my electronics, Carla’s contrabass improvisations to that layer, plus a third layer of electronic sounds and effects, made by me, built on the first two layers.
Working with another creative musician keeps things fresh and unexpected - while keeping one improvisation in its entirety, we in fact used parts of three other improvisations Carla made - plus, my role expanded to involve a kind of glacial, slowed down, improvisational approach, responding to Carla’s improvisation in the third layer, as well as working in a more 'solo' capacity as the composer-originator of the first layer of music.
In my musical celebrations each year I explore different inspirations from the ocean, from stories of discoveries of the sea to instrumental impressions of waves. This year, sea mammals' communication across the vastness of the ocean was at the forefront of my thoughts, and what it might be like to be immersed in the other-worldly environment of the sea.
There are around 3000 World Ocean Day activities happening today, in 150 countries, with strong involvement of young people in the Youth Advisory Council. You can find out about more events and year-long activities on the World Ocean Day website and discover about how to get involved.Happy World Ocean Day!
Photo credits:
Contrabass flute: Carla Rees
Diving whale: Iswanto Arif on Unsplash