Sweet Sounds Soundscapes Project

The sugar industry in Australia is experiencing a major transition, with the largest stakeholders taking over smaller cane farms, mills closing, technological changes to farming, milling and refining practices, and alterations to trading practices on a global and national level threatening the viability of the industry.

Rebecca’s project aims to reflect several aspects of the sugar industry. These include:

• operations of the industry at present: recordings have been gathered from a mill and refinery, the bulk sugar shipping terminal, a canefarm


• changes the industry is facing: voice recordings are planned for representatives engaged in the industry


• organic elements of the canefields including sounds of frogs, toads, insects and other creatures that are part of canefields ecologies


• personal expressive engagements with the textures and qualities of the sounds available.

A virtual exhibition of the project will be presented from the Conservatorium website, and available as a work in progress from October [www.cqu.edu.au/cqcm]. The CD will be released on the Coral Music label in mid 2004.

Those interested in more information or dialogue about the project can contact Rebecca Coyle at rcoyle@scu.edu.au.

Artist

• Coyle, Rebecca

Organisation

• Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music