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Writing Songs in Nature: The Ecomusicology of Sequoia National Park
Topics: Cultural Geography
, Environment
, Cultural Ecology
Keywords: nature and music, musical creativity, ecomusicology, Sequoia National Park, Jason Ringenberg Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract Day: Sunday Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) Room: Virtual 23
Authors:
Ola Johansson, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
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Abstract
Ecomusicological research has explored how musicians seek inspiration in nature by composing songs that describe, mimic, or represent natural environments. What is little known about that process, however, is the how this creative process unfolds. Through the album Stand Tall by singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg, I investigate how a prolonged encounter with the natural environment of the Sequoia National Park in California resulted in a burst of creativity. Based on in-depth interviews with the artist, I show how creativity in nature can take many shapes. This includes the importance of specific sites and the circumstances in which Ringenberg encountered nature, and the experience of solitude and closeness to nature during hikes and through primitive living arrangements. A spiritual connection with nature, filtered through the artist’s own beliefs and experiences, informed the musical expressions of the album. Importantly, the history and nature of the park inspired songs that were either representational of that environment or, though opaque mechanisms of creativity, resulted in songs not thematically connected to the setting.
Writing Songs in Nature: The Ecomusicology of Sequoia National Park