BoroMag_0417_p38

BM042017

SONGS of ICE 38 APRI L 2 0 1 7 BORO: What inspired you to write “Music for Icebergs”? Mike Sayre: It was one of those rare instances where an idea came to me fully formed. I was sitting at a conference last summer, the OZY Fusion Fest, when I saw a presentation by a visual artist named Zaria Forman. She makes these enormous drawings of icebergs and ice formations and such. When she showed her art and described what it felt like to be there, I was immediately drawn to what it might sound like. I started jotting down ideas like crazy. It’s such an evocative, dramatic environment, and I wanted to give people a way to immerse themselves in that world wherever they happen to be. Zaria also pointed out — and I absolutely agree — that we often talk about climate change in a sterile, scientific way that simply doesn’t affect people who aren’t already activists. When you talk about a two-degree global temperature change, you can just feel everybody’s eyes glaze over. Even though that’s cataclysmic from a climate point of view, it simply has no bearing on their lives. But if you give them an emotional experience, if you can somehow make it real, then they can relate. Also, it was fun to make. BORO: When I listen to tracks from “Music for Icebergs,” certain nature sounds such as wind, droplets and trickling water stick out to me. I am also struck by a sense of urgency. What instruments and other techniques did you use to create this sound? MS: Some of the sounds are instruments I play — some French horn, some guitar, some keyboards. There’s a little of my voice hidden in there too. A few of the sounds, like running water, are actual recordings. But most of the elements are things I created using a variety of synths and sound design tools. For example, the sound of the wind is actually a synthesizer that I manipulated to simulate wind, because real wind is ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Astoria film composer and French horn player Mike Sayre is releasing his first album, “Music for Icebergs,” around Earth Day. The music — a fusion of ambient music, sound design and contemporary film score — creates a “sound world,” he said, that he hopes will transport listeners to Antarctica and spark an interest in climate change. “Most of us will never go to Antarctica, but it’s one of Earth’s treasures,” he said. “As more people develop an emotional connection with that landscape, I think we’re all more likely to protect it.” We spoke with Sayre about the inspiration behind his album and how art can change the world: Whale Bay, Antarctica no.4, 84”x144”, soft pastel on paper, 2016 Courtesy of the artist Zaria Forman Photos: Marie Torio/BORO By KATRINA MEDOFF @KATRINAMEDOFF @KATYA_M22


BM042017
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