Contours

Contours invites performers to explore a virtual landscape through sound using an interactive map. The immersive soundscape shifts as players navigate the map with cardinal directions, revealing notated musical fragments that provide inspiration for improvisation.

Pauline Oliveros’ Sonic Meditation Environmental Dialogue instructs performers to “reinforce” sounds in their environment, “either vocally, mentally, or with an instrument.” Contours encourages Deep Listening in the context of a musical game by reimagining Environmental Dialogue in a digital space that allows players to navigate and interact with a virtual soundscape in real time.

Contours can be played by two soloists or two groups of players and offers performers multiple ways to engage with the work. It can be enjoyed privately or presented publicly, with the app’s interface and sounds projected in a performance space. Each region of the map features a distinct harmonic and timbral personality, allowing performers to start at a random location or focus on a specific area. Navigation can be guided purely by sound or by enabling an overlay that displays the player’s position on the map grid.