Sonic Verse

Utilizing voice recognition with responsive spatial audio and location-dependent sounds, this piece is designed as an accompaniment to spoken-word performances such as poetry readings.  Best experienced in a multi-speaker array format, the system detects key spoken words and uses these as signals to move 8 independent audio channels to pre-determined locations throughout the space, adjusting their volumes accordingly. The location of each individual channel determines which audio file it will play (3 options for each channel,  thus a total of 24 possible sound files), as well as the pitch and speed of each sound. Taken together, movement of these 8 channels creates a near-infinite variety of layered sounds,  which may be used as a soundtrack tied to individual stanzas during a poetry reading, or as a continuously unfolding background to any spoken word performance.