CONFEST EASTER 1999 PROPOSAL:

Environmental Accoustic Enancements


The idea is that we humans enter a natural evironment in an 
attempt to get 'down to earth', and yet once there we take 
over- have dominion, we cause mass exodus of beings from 
their home and pollute their environment with noise and rubbish.

      This proposal is a  bit about restoring the balance- 
              that between humans and nature
               in the acoustic environment.

Historically music and soundwaves have been used extensively to 
serve medicinal and overall well being- shamanism and 
drumming being the most overt examples.  
It has only been in recent history that music has been turned into 
an entertainment ideal- been disempowered (surprise surprise)

I have been working with soundwaves, and the positive effects they 
can have physically, and psychologically on people-  
ie as a healing mechanism, over the past 5 years, in both a sanctioned 
(empirically as part of a post grad psychology course) and 'semi 
empirical or experentially based level' (my own observation)  
I work with these ideas both in the production of my own music and 
when tuning p.a systems.


ISSUE OF AMPLIFIED MUSIC.....

Amplified music has been a contentious issue at confest for as long as 
i can remember- resulting in some pretty nasty incidents.  

My proposal is to extend the definition of amplified music.  
I would like to pre-record the natural environment before the punters 
arrive.  (I also would like to try pure live miccing, 
where a remote microphone is placed on site and the signal sent 
straight through.  The possibility arises that the punters in all 
areas will overwhelm the natural environment, thus the pre recording 
option as a safety net.)  

Using a portable 12V p.a system, of about 100w, 
i would then pipe the recorded environment into different areas throughout
 confest- for example pt chang or first aid.  

Control of volume would be had by the area in which the system is.  
So for example if the p.a was at first aid, any worker there could turn it
 down or off as is required.  

The other area of interest to me is the drumming circles.  
The function of the system here would be two fold-  
to incorporate the previously mentioned natural sounds as well as 
miccing up didgeredoos or any other instrument not managing to cut 
through the volume of the drums. 

Because the system will be portable- one person with trolley many other
 uses are feasible- for example as an emergency call.
.pa
Š
HOW MUCH...

amplifiers		150			
speakers		 80
microphones-    
        1 stereo	 60
        3 normal	 20			
                 
minidisc recorder	 70
inverter		 50
4 batteries		 60          
storage	(small tent)	100
transport		 60
mixer			100
                      -----
total			750