The Festival has started! In addition to our daily music programs, we also have interactive installations, live papers, and live workshops throughout the week! Please refer to our updated program booklet for all of the latest information at https://nycemf.org.
To participate in our remote paper and workshop sessions please sign up via below links and thank you for those that have already signed up!
For papers sign up here.
For workshops sign up here.
Once you have signed up we will send you a session zoom link to the email you provided.
For fixed media concerts, please see the Program Book and play pieces from the hyperlinks in the book.
Papers scheduled for today include:
11 AM
Emma Camell
Comparing the Soundscapes of Three New York City Train Stations
In the fall of 2019, sound profiles were made of three Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) train stations in New York City (NYC), to compare their environments from the perspectives of health, efficiency, and personal impact. From comparison of the sound profiles, the 86th Street Q Station, built recently with comprehensive sound dampening techniques, was determined to have the most “hi-fi” soundscape. The Lorimer Street J/M and Bedford Avenue L stations had more “lo-fi” soundscapes, in part, due to lack of sound-absorption materials, and the clashing of various sound signals including broadcasted announcements, turnstile beeps, and the train itself. High peak decibel levels oftentimes exceeding 94 dBA were measured at every station, with averages resulting in approximately 77.9 dBA – considered in line with current noise level expectations set by the MTA. The subway soundscape was found to be an important acoustic definition of the “city that never sleeps,” affecting the character of the city, its residents, and each subway station.
11:30 AM
Filipe Leitão
Isaac’s World: An Electronic Work Featuring Audio Samples of a Three-Year Old Child
Isaac’s World is an electronic piece featuring audio samples of Isaac, a three-year old, Brazilian and American citizen who speaks both Portuguese and English. Through this composition, I attempted to capture and musically evoke a child’s sense of personal experience, growth, and development, using Isaac’s diverse vocal sounds, including English and Portuguese words spoken by Isaac. The title of the composition, Isaac’s World, is a result of my endeavor to artistically illustrate not only Isaac’s experience thus far as a curious toddler, but also the new world awaiting future generations of our family, descendants of Isaac, the first American-born child of our lineage. Compositional matter consists of extant audio recordings and recent recordings of my son Isaac. The composition’s source material was manipulated in Logic Pro X to create varied pitches, articulations, rhythms, textures, and timbres that were used as my palette of musical elements. These elements were further developed, in order to produce both vertical and horizontal sonorities in a multidimensional space.