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Ron Kuivila (b. 1955) Hearing Things (1991) 1. Hearing Things Hearing Things (1991) Uses music, interviews, and other sonic specimens in a meditation on the unheard and the unhearable. An example of unheard sound is found in the 5 Hertz chirp produced at irregular intervals by the Tappan Zee Bridge. More figuratively, there is the Foley artist, who carefully crafts "misheard" sound effects. And, on the most abstract level, there is the contingency of "musical meaning." What, for instance, is hidden in the Kreutzer Sonata that it could trigger marital rape on the part of both Tolstoy and Mahler? What in Brahms, that it could render a parking lot mugger free? And what in Easy Listening, that it could empty a 7-11 of punk teenagers? Commissioned by NEW AMERICAN RADIO. Linear Predictive Zoo [10:04] from Tellus 22 Parodicals from Tellus 9 Canon Y for C.N. from Tellus 9 Ron Kuivila (1955) is a sound artist and a teacher at Wesleyan University. He composes music and designs sound installations that revolve around the unusual homemade and home modified electronic instruments he designs. He pioneered the use of ultrasound (In Appreciation) and sound sampling (Alphabet) in live performance. More recent pieces have explored compositional algorithms (Loose Canons), speech synthesis (The Linear Predictive Zoo) and high voltage phenomena (Pythagorean Puppet Theatre). Kuivila has performed and exhibited installations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He has collaborated with other composers, artists, and choreographers including Anthony Braxton, Rudy Burckhardt, Nicolas Collins, Merce Cunningham, Hugh Davies, Douglas Dunn, Susan Foster, and Larry Johnson. UbuWeb Sound | UbuWeb PennSound | Artmob | EPC | WFMU