This image depicts a retroreflective dome that I designed and constructed. The dome’s geometry is precisely engineered to reflect sound directly back to its source, creating a unique and immersive auditory environment for performers. Below, you will find audio files of cello improvisations recorded within this dome. The recordings were captured binaurally at my ear positions, offering a highly realistic and spatially detailed listening experience that closely mirrors what a performer would hear inside the structure. In addition to its artistic applications, this dome has been utilised in acoustics research as a specialised reflector, enabling individuals to hear themselves more clearly in environments with multiple simultaneous speakers.
Below are examples of acoustic resonances that will inform upcoming compositions. These were captured during an impulse response measurement workshop I led with composition students in the Richard Gill Auditorium at WAAPA. The recorded responses have been convolved with themselves, enhancing the distinctive resonances that are unique to each microphone position—noticeable as changes in pitch correlating to different locations. WAAPA composition students are now using these processed recordings as a creative stimulus to compose a new saxophone ensemble work, specifically designed to be performed in the Richard Gill Auditorium.
For my PhD, I explored the extremes of vocal performance—ranging from very loud improvised singing to ultra-quiet techniques—drawing on the unique properties of both found and purpose-built acoustic environments. Below are excerpts from a new album that applies refined approaches to ultra-quiet singing, alongside innovative song forms inspired by p’ansori, the traditional Korean vocal art I have studied for 15 years.
Below are excerpts of loud improvised singing, recorded in collaboration with other improvisers as part of my PhD creative music outcomes. These recordings showcase explorations of vocal intensity and dynamic range, highlighting the interplay between voices and the acoustic possibilities of the environment.