The solitude during the COVID-19 quarantine draws me to the incidental sounds of everyday life, both those of nature and those we have imposed upon our sonic environment. In the spirit of John Cage or Brian Eno, Music for Earbuds accompanies rather than distracts from the soft sonic stirrings around the listener during daily tasks. Electronic music from earbuds frames ambient sounds through contrasts of soft melodic gestures, processed intimate natural and mechanical sound samples, and complete silence. By gently drawing attention to soft, processed and synthesized sounds, intermittent silences invite the listener to experience the ambient music already in motion.

Commissioned by the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts for their Art for Uncertain Times project.

Performances:

Virtual premiere, June 2020.