The Response Project

The world is only just beginning to understand the depth of influence late composer Pauline Oliveros has had on our lives and our work. Her focus on”deep listening” taught us to listen “in every possible way to every possible thing”. In particular, her 25 Sonic Meditations embodied her generous compositional spirit, offering opportunity for people of all ages and skill levels to learn “how to focus on, listen to, and produce sound naturally.”

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The Oliveros Response Project is a four-part series, created as a city-wide response to Pauline Oliveros' Sonic Meditations.The program intent is to explore the intersection between historical building preservation, mindfulness, and classical music performance. Throughout the four films, audiences are invited into a unique historical landscape to witness its ruin and revival, and in turn, they learn to listen more mindfully not only to music, but also to themselves and to their community. As such, each film begins with a documentary-style historical overview of the space, then moves into a guided meditation, and concludes with a musical performance. 

Filmed during pandemic lockdown of 2020, these films explore the importance of self awareness and reflection at a time when many were faced with uncertainty, as well as fulfilling the desire to create art and entertain during a moment in history when shared social experiences were not possible.