Wade [Music for River and People]
Chosen "Best Sonic Public Art Project" by the Nashville Scene!
"haunting...mysterious, meditative."
Nashville Scene, Best of Nashville 2018MUSIC WRITTEN BY RIVERS, AND MOVED BY YOU.
We have a troublesome relationship with the rivers and streams that flow through our cities. At best they have become an avenue for economics, or venues entertainment. At worst, with all of the chaos of the environment, they are seen as a threat. What we forget is that these rivers bring us life; they have lives of their own. And my hope is that this project will give us a more instinctual connection to the waterways that sustain us.
Wade [Music for River and People] is an invitation for people to step into and create a musical experience with our rivers. It is an interactive music installation composed in real time by the flowing river and the movement of people. Real time data about the river’s depth and flow is pulled from the United States Geological Survey website and transformed into changing pitches and dynamics of the piece. As the river subtly changes over time the notes and volumes of the work also change, reflecting the movement of the river. New musical elements are added, and existing ones are modulated as people move throughout the installation space. The audience is immersed in, and changes, the sonic flow of the river around them. Wade was designed to be installed on Pedestrian Bridges or river walks or water-side parks. The source of the data is customizable to nearly any waterway monitored by the USGS.
Press for Wade [Music for River and People]
"something totally original...a really cool feat of technical engineering."
Critics Pick: Rivive! River Talk featuring Aaron Doenges.Nashville Scene"presents a spiritual reverence for nature..."
An installation art piece, “Wade,” melds nature and peopleKenyon Collegian"the bridge and the river felt 'more alive.'"
‘Wade: Music for River and People’ comes to Mount VernonColumbus AliveSound Artist' Creates Interactive Music Installation On Nashville's Pedestrian Bridge. - News Channel 5 Nashville
Wade [Music for River and People] - Today in Nashville
Wade [Nashville]
The first installation of Wade was April 5 – May 23, 2018 on the The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Nashville, TN. For the installation in Nashville, data reflected the Cumberland River, the Harpeth River, and Richland Creek.
The Nashville installation was presented in partnership with the Nashville Waterways Consortium‘s Rivive! Nashville movement and funded in part by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission. Rivive! Nashville is a movement initiated by the five conservation groups of the consortium in an effort to revitalize Nashville’s streams and rivers. Therate of development in the area continues to threaten Nashville’s waterways and our relationship with them. Please check out the work that is happening with Rivive!, learnwhat is happening, and how you can help.
Wade [Mount Vernon]
On August 2, 2019, Mount Vernon native Aaron Hoke Doenges’ interactive music installation began playing the music of Ohio’s Kokosing, Walhonding and Muskingum Rivers. The installation ran through September 8, 2019 on the downtown pedestrian bridge in Aaron's home town of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Wade [Mount Vernon] was produced with special assistance from the Foundation Park Conservancy and with the generous support of city residents.