TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

VIEWING ALL POSTS FOR: DECEMBER 2003

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

5:49 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Takaka
Golden Bay, NZ
An action packed, fun-filled family adventure so far. It's quite strange coming from my relatively disconnected life in Melbourne back to the farm, where I'm surrounded by family, and seem to have cousins scattered all over the country. I didn't meet a single person in Wellington who hadn't been involved with lord of the rings in some way. Erin's partner Mark's mother and sister were hobbits, Paul went surfing with Viggo and the boys - although he didn't know it at the time - and their neighbours Jo and Karl did visual fx and lighting/extras casting - he also taught some of the lads to surf. Damn, got here a few months too late! Karl is from a chiefly line in the Cook Islands, and he was dropped in the ocean by an elder at 11 months old, to get used to the waves and ebb and flow of the water.
Never quite got my bearings in Wellington, constantly surrounded by hills and water. Went to the chocolate fish cafe, very funky and lush, right on the beach in seatoun, and then stayed at Titahi Bay.
It's quite strange being back in Takaka which always had some 'alternate lifestylers up in the hills', but it seems is now a major hippy tourist destination. Also visionz dance party is being held on farewell spit, just along the bay. so the town has been packed with 'alternate lifestylers', the funny thing is that at home I would be more likely to be one of them, but here it's a very different project, and I'm with the generations of dairy farmers. We've been to the salmon farm where Philip works, out to Bencarri where tame eels are fed in the river 3 times a day - the eels are very cool, the female ones live in the estuary or river and where between 60-120 years old, the males hang out at the mouth of the river and impregnate as many of the females as they can, who then swim to fiji to lay their eggs or lavae? and promptly die. The new baby eels find their way back to nz from fiji and hang out together until they're big enough to survive in the adult eel community. Robbie and the boys used to catch eels when they were kids - on the stretch of river that Fran owns. Quite amazing waking up on a 200 acre riverfront farm with mountains all around and two farmhouses of Rose clan to have breakfast with. We had a spontaneous family trip to Paton's Rocks last night for a swim, which ended up with about 20 people hanging out on the beach building sandcastles and talking in the twilight - quite a feat to get everyone out at the same time. Visited Collingwood, a small coastal town about 28km from Takaka, not much happening but it amused me, coming from Collingwood, melbourne.
The school swimming pool where Fran taught me and hundreds of other kids to swim, is much smaller than I remember - funny that, but otherwise the same. Did a few laps yesterday - or was it the day before? All going a bit vague. Mum and I are heading to christchurch in a few days, and tonight we've all been invited down to Marie's bach at Ligar Bay for NYE on the beach with a bonfire and fireworks.
Happy new year, xxxx jr

Friday, December 19, 2003

5:25 PM
Posted by jodi rose

At the airport - I love airports! Especially when all cashed up to buy treats duty free for the kids on the farm.....
waiting to board my flight to Wellington. It's been a bumpy ride the last few days, sad to be leaving melbourne even though it's all for a good cause. Last time I had a family xmas in new zealand I was 12. Crazy. Can't wait to see all the kids - second cousins or third or once removed somewhere down the track. I don't know. Catching the ferry across the sound from wellington to picton, with my mum. yay!
The last few weeks have been intense, trying to finish off everything for the year, post all the CD's I promised to people months ago, finally handed in the report from george paton gallery, and got some sound up on the sound design website.
www.sounddesign.unimelb.edu.au I think or maybe just one 'd' in there.
Had an online interview with Roger Mills on furthernoise.org last week, it was a very cool experience. Writing answers to questions in this open space where anyone could upload images and sounds - messed with my head a bit, someone kept putting up pictures of war atrocities and violence, which was a little confronting. But ultimately a reminder that peace is a fragile state, I guess 'we' take for granted living out here in the pacific, it was interesting having that intervention in this very esoteric sound art conversation. And people seemed to enjoy the sounds I put up, it was fun hearing the bridges play together, a small rehearsal for the global symphony thing. I can see a way to create that now - all set to come back from nz refreshed and holidayed and start working at the ABC on my australian bridge project.
Better go check out the gate see if it's time to get on board the plane, love to all, merry mishmash xxxjr

Thursday, December 04, 2003

12:17 PM
Posted by jodi rose

My life is hilarious at the moment! I'm just quietly meandering along, slept through the biggest storm in a century which actually flooded my street - well I was up until about 2am watching this incredible strobe-lightning flash continually across the sky, if you saw it in a film you'd be going, yeah, storms don't last for that long, but it went for HOURS - fantastic! anyway, after I went back to bed, the swamp that is collingwood totally flooded, people were being rescued in boats from the freeway at the end of my street - which is actually an old creek bed, before it was built up - and all the garbage bins were floating down the street. Amy's Pub on the corner had the cellar completely flooded, the watermark on my flatmate's car is about a foot above the pavement, which means our front garden was also flooded and the water pretty much lapping at the front door. So we've had fire and flood now, but famine is very unlikely!

Anyway, having slept through the storm of a century, I've been just hangin' out, doing 'stuff' - finally replying to the 9 pages of emails that had built up in my inbox - sorry everyone for the delay! - and following up connections and ideas.
I seem to be going off! in Italy now!! Had another email from a journalist interested in writing about the project, for an 'italian tourism, fashion and contemporary art monthly magazine' - bring it on!! and have also been accepted into a very exciting art exhibition in Finland next year. I can't give you any details, as they're not finalised yet, but my lovely friend Mari in Helsinki is going to be 'on the ground' with installation and all the practical stuff, although I am hoping to get some funding and go over for it.

Speaking of which, I was knocked back this week by the visual arts and crafts board at ozco - applied for the PS1 studio, and unfortunately PS1 then decided to withdraw the program for australian artists, so it wasn't a rejection really, but that means I need to find another way to spend a year in new york. Still waiting to hear about the bridge guard in Hungary/Slovakia. Find out in December sometime if Arts Victoria are going to help fund the CD release of bridge compositions and remixes- if not, I may have to set up a save karen style donation box on the site.
In fact, maybe I'll do that anyway - why rely on government funding?! Take it to the people!!! It could be a 'Help the Bridges Sing' appeal, with all money going towards the realisation of a global bridge symphony. I'll talk to the fabulous jonathon about that, anything from a dollar/euro to whatever you feel like giving! That and selling the CD on line, once it gets produced.
The future's looking bright! I love you all,
xxxx jr

Wednesday, December 03, 2003

2:45 PM
Posted by jodi rose

I've been receiving emails from italy recently - a journalist and some dj's, wondering why there is a sudden surge of interest from the mediterranean, I googled my project. This is what I came up with... unabashed self-promotion!

http://www.neural.it/
http://www.neural.it/nnews/singingbridges.htm
Neural - hacktivism, e-music, new media art

26.11.03 Singing bridges, acciaio oscillante.
Il 'soundscape' quotidiano difficilmente potrebbe prescindere dalle strutture architetturali e dalle vibrazioni della materia, capaci di produrre toni e suoni rivelatori. Singing bridges è il progetto di Jodi Rose che ha concentrato la sua indagine sui mastodontici ponti in acciaio sparsi in giro per il mondo, strutturalmente fondati sulla gestione della risonanza e delle frequenze della materia, hanno fornito composizioni altamente suggestive amplificando le loro oscillazioni. Questo coro di cavi d'acciaio strimpellati dai venti e registrati da microfoni a contatto, visto nel suo insieme richiama pure un network globale di collegamenti fra lembi di terra separati che unisce e una continuità di comunicazione simile alle linee di telecomunicazioni. E dopo aver ascoltato i brani in streaming, immaginare un concerto di ponti contemporaneo in più continenti, come cerca di fare l'autrice, infonde una visione di impercettibile vibrazione che, pur naturalmente plausibile, scuote le certezze di stabilità di queste grandi strutture, dandogli voce e suono, nel loro naturale e, a volte impercettibile, oscillare.

This is the same page, via google auto-translation - hilarious and gorgeous!

Singing bridges, oscillating steel.
The ' soundscape' daily one difficultly could prescind from the architetturali structures and the vibrations of the matter, able to produce to tones and sounds detectors. Singing bridges is the plan of Jodi Roses that its surveying has concentrated on the mastodontici bridges in steel scattered in turn for the world, structurally founds to you on the management of the resonance and of the frequencies of the matter, they have supplied highly evocative compositions amplifying their oscillations. This strimpellati steel cable chorus from the twenty and records to you from microphones to contact, approval in its entirety also recalls a network total of connections between earth borders separates you that it joins and one continuity of communication similar to the lines of telecommunicationses. And after to have listened to the brani in streaming, to imagine a contemporary concert of bridges in more continents, as it tries to make the author, it instills a vision of imperceptible vibration who, also naturally reasonable, shakes the certainties of stability of these great structures, dandogli voice and sound, in natural and, to their times imperceptible, to oscillate.

http://www.cultur-e.it/archivio_c.asp?L=1&page=7
Singing bridges
di Elena Dalla Massara
27/06/2003 Come fosse un monaco tibetano, una compositrice australiana suona i cavi di sospensione dei ponti di tutto il mondo
I ponti possono cantare? È la convinzione della scultrice del suono Rose Jodi. Un'australiana che gira di città in città per far vibrare i collegamenti alla terra ferma più famosi o particolari del mondo. Il Behmstrasse Brücke a Berlino, il My Thuan a Mekong Delta (Vietnam), il Matinkaari Bridge a Helsinki, sono alcune delle architetture che Rose ha scelto come strumenti per la sua musica.
La sua nascita, da giovani genitori hippie, fu ripresa in diretta per un documentario trasmesso dalla tv nazionale australiana ABC: il destino della bambina, farsi conoscere dal grande pubblico, sembra già segnato. Un'infanzia trascorsa on the road e una passione per i telefoni, hanno poi fatto il resto, determinando la vocazione per viaggi e cavi metallici.
Nel 1995 la prima performance, a Sidney, sua città Natale. I cavi del ponte ancora in costruzione di Glebe Island vengono "pizzicati" dalle sue abili dita e il suono emesso viene registrato dalla ABC Radio e diffuso all'interno del programma "The Art of the Bridge".
Da allora Rose Jodi si è esibita in Europa, America, Asia, Nordafrica, trasmettendo i suoi "concerti" dalle pagine del sito Singing Bridges, in diretta live o in differita, oltre che da altoparlanti posizionati sui ponti per accompagnare autisti e passanti durante l'attraversamento della passerella. Nelle ultime performance la scultrice del suono, così ama definirsi, ha creato una connessione radio tra più ponti, suonati ognuno da un musicista diverso, per dare vita a una International Bridge Symphony.
Sul sito la storia del progetto, le voci dei ponti e un diario di viaggio in cui Rose annota sensazioni, pensieri ed emozioni.

Singing bridges
of Elena From the Massara
27/06/2003 As it was a monaco tibetano, one compositrice Australian sound the cables of suspension of the bridges of all the world.
The bridges can sing? It is the conviction of the scultrice of the sound Jodi Roses. An Australian who turns of city in city in order to make to vibrate the more famous or particular connections to the firm earth of the world. The Behmstrasse Brücke to Berlin, the My Thuan to Mekong Delta (Vietnam), the Matinkaari Bridge to Helsinki, is some of the architectures that Roses it has chosen like instruments for its music.
Its birth, from young parents hippie, was directed resumption in for a documentary transmitted from tv the national ABC Australian: the destiny of the child, is introduced from the great public, seems marked already. A passed infancy on the road and a passion for the telephones, have then made the rest, determining the metallic vocation for travels and cables.
In 1995 the first performance, to Sidney, its city Born them. The cables of the bridge still under construction of Glebe Island come "pizzicati" from its skillful fingers and the issued sound comes recorded from the ABC diffused Radio and to the inside of the program "The Art of the Bridge".
From then Jodi Roses one has exhibited in Europe, America, Asia, Nordafrica, transmitting its "concerts" from the pages of the situated Singing Bridges, in directed live or differed, beyond that from loudspeakers posizionati on the bridges in order accompanying drivers and passing during the attraversamento of the footbridge. In the last performances the scultrice of the sound, therefore loves to define itself, has created one logon radio between more bridges, played everyone from a various musician, for giving life one International Bridge Symphony.
On situated the history of the plan, the voices of the bridges and a per diem one of travel in which Roses it annotates feelings, thoughts and emotions.



http://www.konstperspektiv.nu/tips/rhizome.asp
Konstprojekten som presenteras utgör en brokig mångfald, från enklare dokumentation av genomförda projekt till avancerade multimediatillämpningar (som kräver att man har den senaste programvaran installerad på sin dator). Ibland lyfter sig projekten till poetiska höjder, som Jodi Roses "Singing Bridges". Rose reser runt i världen och "spelar" på broar. De inspelade "konserterna" kan avnjutas via Internet. När hon spelat sig igenom samtliga broar på listan är hennes vision att kunna hålla en konsert i realtid med alla broar som instrument i en global symfoniorkester. Och visst - Öresundsbron skall vara med...
Här är länken till Rhizome.org!
Anders Olofsson
[2002-07-17]

http://www.thec-minusproject.com/links.html
The C-Minus Project's core member is singer-songwriter Sam Schinazzi. Living in Sydney Australia, he has been playing shows under the name of The C-Minus Project
since 1999.

Let's get one thing straight. It is not a project as such; it is his fulltime musical act. Writing emotive songs that often document time, place and life. Detailed moments that can pass quickly, remembered in song. A shyness one cannot shake. A combination of regret with the winnable challenge of hope. Critics and supporters have had the following to say about The C-Minus Project.

"Songs that have a low-key human feeling about them... Pretty melodies from the less-is-more school of songwriting. Songs about boys and girls, friends and family, work and play, the darkness that lurks in the suburbs. It's like stealing a kiss from that special boy or girl you've had your eye on for some time... Beautiful snippets of music that exhibits what so much music at the moment lacks; an uninhibited honesty and openess that stirs up every emotion imaginable..."

Singing Bridges
Amazing project by Jodi Rose (Oz) who records bridges! (log on for more intelligent explanation)

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/arts/archive/artery_2003_August2003.htm
13/08/2003 Singing Bridges
Your average bridge is better known for it's practical applications than for its musical properties. However, there are those bridges that not only look spectacular, but also sound rather good as well. Jodie Rose has travelled the world recording the sounds of suspension bridges and her recordings are part of an exhibition called Singing Bridges as well as the website where you can listen to the compositions. Fenella Kernebone caught up with her for Artery.

http://www.brantacan.co.uk/bridgeupdates.htm
Bridges in Art - mentions singing bridges project.
Comprehensive outline of bridges in painting, film, great links and other technical info.

http://www.kalvo.com/linkit.html
link to singing bridges from Finish site
Kalvo is a duo performing musically challenging and psycho-physically straining soundscapes.

The raw material used by Kalvo covers the whole bandwidth received by human ear and body and is composed of traditional and prepared acoustic and electric stringed instruments and percussion. While main focus is on samples and repetitive loops, the performaces also include live playing.

The music of Kalvo is based on sound ideas, resonance of the performing space, sensitivity to climatic changes and also physical and psychical reactions of audience and performers.
Soundscapes are sculptured during the performance by means of spontaneus and structured improvisation.

Mr Mikko Heikkilä plays sampler, bass guitar, real-time electronics and occasionally other electric and acoustic string instruments.
Mr Lasse Kaikkonen plays percussion, prepared piano, cheap and /or broken keyboards, nännikumi and operates MD-loops.
Both do prepare samples and loops for sampler, live sampler and MD.
Mr Mesq is responsible for visual arts and stuff.

http://www.stageleft.com.au/features/mudfes03.html
Singing Bridges, for example, is a mind-blowing concept devised and executed by Jodi Rose. Created by amplifying and recording the vibrations of stay-cabled suspension bridges from around the world, this symphony of sound is further enhanced by visual material and text. Could this be the next wave in innovative music?