Spiral THE SOUND ISSUE The acoustics of Music that makes Learn to listen like The sonic desires of the universe Moby smile Krista Tippett your reptilian brain ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This magazine is published in Deborah Kapchan, Ernst conjunction with the exhibition Karel, Karma Raja Maha The World Is Sound, organized Vihar Monastery (Kathmandu, and presented by the Rubin Nepal), Katherine Kasdorf, Museum of Art, New York Christine Sun Kim, Seth Kim- (June 16, 2017–January 8, Cohen, Michael Lee, Tom Lee, 2018) and curated by Risha Claire Lehmann, David Little, Lee with the assistance of Annea Lockwood, Donald S. Anna Cahn and Amy Goudge. Lopez, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Tod Machover, Thomas The exhibition is made pos- Mader, Miya Masaoka, Beata sible through the generosity and Michael McCormick, Andy of HARMAN, with additional McGraw, James McHugh, support provided by contrib- Michael Monhart, Caroline utors to the 2017 Exhibitions Moore, MSHR, Namdroling Fund. This publication is made Nyingmapa Monastery possible through the support (Arlikumari, Karnataka, of an anonymous donor. India), Ida Jean Newton, Daniel Neumann, Dr. Sean We would also like to thank Olive, Lama Ugen Rongdrol the many people who have Palden, Dinesh Paliwal, Palyul made this publication and Retreat Center (McDonough, exhibition possible: New York), Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche, Pauline Ravi Akhoury, Walter Arader, Oliveros, Aniruddh D. Patel, Liz Armstrong, Rick Asher, Ramon Prats, Éliane Radigue, Sharon Matt Atkins, John Matthew Rahaim, Rasika Bernard “Barney” Bate, Reddy, Sara Reisman, Rigon Lois and Bob Baylis, Guy Tashi Choeling Monastery L. Beck, Scott Beiben, (Pharping, Nepal), David Luciano Bernardi, Bob Rothenberg, Sharon Salzberg, Bielecki, Marcus Boon, Martin Carla Shen, Manoj P. Singh, Brauen, Jennifer Brennan Samita Sinha, Laetitia Sonami, and Nora Orallo (Elizabeth Alexandre Tannous, Benjamin Dee Gallery), Emily Capper, Tausig, Rick Temkin, Lama Terence Caulkins, Jessica Jigmey Tenzin, Christopher Cerasi (Carroll/Fletcher Tester, Krista Tippett, Gallery), Columbia Sound Dominique Townsend, Vivian Arts MFA Students, Harold Trakinski, Stephen Vitiello, G. Coward, Christoph Cox, Lucianne Walkowicz, Lama Bryan J. Cuevas, Jake Dalton, Rapjee Wangchuk, Laura Paula Davis, Dip Tse Chok Wein, Laura Weinstein, Ling Monastery (Dharamsala, Hildegard Westerkamp, Nate India), Yeshe Dorje, Edward Wooley, and C. Spencer Yeh. Dougherty, Dylan Dougherty, Stephen Duncombe, Daniel Eisenstein, David Ellenbogen, Published by the Rubin Carter Emmart, Charlotte Museum of Art, June 2017 Ford Feng, Deborah Fisher, Danny Fox, Ashley Fure, Writer and editor: Alex Gardner, Dylan Geil, Howard Kaplan Finn Moore Gerety, Jules Gimbrone, John Giorno, Ron Publication manager and “Chant Fairy” Goldberg, Sam copy editor: Jonathan Kuhr Gould, Saisha Grayson-Knoth, Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Graphic designer: Rinpoche, Tomie Hahn (The Andrea Pemberton Center for Deep Listening), Lauran R. Hartley and Ria Cover image: Water Vibrating Koopmans-Debruijn (C. V. at 11 Hz, photograph by Jordi Starr East Asian Library, Torrents Columbia University), Wendy Hsu, IONE, Lucy Ives, Serene Jones, Denise Kahler-Braaten, B SPIRAL / THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART THE SOUND ISSUE Spiral 2017 02 CONTRIBUTORS 04 SYNTHESIS 18 FEATURE 28 READING The Cosmic Listening On Listening 03 LETTER Drone and Liberation From Becoming Wise Christoph Cox The World Is Sound Krista Tippett Risha Lee CODA 06 PROFILE 32 PROFILE 09 Composing Mediated Voices THE SOUNDSCAPES OF INDIA HILDEGARD WESTERKAMP a Life The Art of John Giorno Electroacoustic Pioneer and Christine Sun Kim Éliane Radigue’s Path 13 Risha Lee SENSING THE SOUND WEB through Sound and Spirit ANNEA LOCKWOOD Howard Kaplan 31 THE POWER OF LISTENING C. SPENCER YEH 10 FOCUS 24 GALLERY 35 One Verse Notes on Notation AUDITORY CHOREOGRAPHY IN TAIWAN Carter Emmart Illustrated by Neal Peterson WENDY HSU and Tim Paglione 39 CYMATICS: SOUND SCIENCE OF THE FUTURE JOHN STUART REID 14 INTERVIEW 26 PERSPECTIVE 36 INTERVIEW Music, The Wisdom The Ear of Molecules, of Silence the Beholder and the (and Chocolate) Daniel Levitin Middle Way Khenpo Pema Wangdak 40 ABOUT THE MUSEUM Moby 45 PARTNER: HARMAN LISTEN TO AUDIO, FIND ADDITIONAL CONTENT, AND EXPERIENCE MORE OF SPIRAL AT RUBINMUSEUM.ORG. 1 CONTRIBUTORS Christoph Cox is a critic, Risha Lee is a curator at Tim Paglione is a physicist Khenpo Pema Wangdak theorist, and curator of visual the Rubin Museum who whose main field is the became a monk at the age and sonic art, with exhibitions was born in Oakland and microwave spectroscopy of of seven and went on to presented across the United is now based in Brooklyn. interstellar molecular clouds. attend the Central Institute of States. He sits on the faculty of She earned a BA with high He studies primarily the very Higher Tibetan Studies and Hampshire College and Bard honors from Harvard College largest clouds in galaxies, Sanskrit University. In 1982 College. He is an editor and and a PhD in Art History from which form the most massive he was sent to teach in New author of several volumes, in- Columbia University. Her stars. These stars live furi- York City, becoming the first cluding the forthcoming Sonic work has focused on artistic ously, greatly affecting their of his generation of Tibetan Flux: Sound, Art, and Meta- connections and encounters surroundings with their winds teachers to settle in the physics, and his writing has that traditionally have fallen and radiation, then die dra- United States. He founded appeared in several journals, under the rubric of Asian art matically in giant explosions the Vikramasila Foundation magazines, and exhibition but defy easy categorization. that enrich the interstellar in 1989 to support edu- catalogues. She has taught a variety of art medium in heavy elements. cational initiatives around history courses at Columbia the world. In recognition of Carter Emmart is the director University and the American Neal Peterson is an artist his humanitarian work, he of astrovisualization for University of Beirut. based in Minneapolis. His became the first Tibetan to production and education recent projects include a be awarded the Ellis Island at the Rose Center for Earth Daniel Levitin is a neurosci- series of photo collages of Medal of Honor. and Space at the American entist and musician who in- cities inspired by Buddhist Museum of Natural History. He vestigates pattern processing mandalas, a sound and Hildegard Westerkamp is was one of the original team in the brain. Currently a pro- video installation about a composer, educator, and members at AMNH of the fessor of psychology, behav- propaganda in Tibet, and a radio artist whose career NASA funded Digital Galaxy ioral neuroscience, and music global pencil dissemination began when she joined the Project that helped redefine at McGill University, Levitin aimed at inspiring creativity influential World Soundscape how a planetarium theater can has served as a consultant and raising awareness of Project under the direction of present science to the public. for the United States Navy, a education inequality. R. Murray Schafer. She has He directs space show pro- producer and audio engineer written prolifically on sound- duction and oversees software for artists as varied as Stevie John Stuart Reid is an scapes and listening and has development for interactive Wonder and Blue Oyster Cult, English acoustics engineer, given lectures and conduct- use of the 3D universe atlas and the best-selling author of scientist, and inventor. He ed soundscape workshops known as the Digital Universe. This Is Your Brain on Music, has studied the world of around the world. The The World in Six Songs, and sound for more than thirty majority of her compositional Wendy Hsu is a research- The Organized Mind. years and speaks extensively output deals with aspects of er, strategist, and educator on his research findings to the acoustic environment, who engages with research Annea Lockwood is known audiences throughout the including soundscapes, and organizing for equity in for her explorations of the United States and the United voices, noise, silence, music, arts, technology, and civic rich world of natural acoustic Kingdom. Inventor of the and the sounds of different participation. Hsu currently sounds and environments, in CymaScope Pro, a tool for vi- cultures. works as the digital strategist works ranging from sound art sualizing sound, his primary for the City of Los Angeles and installations, through text- interests lie in investigating C. Spencer Yeh is recog- Department of Cultural Affairs. sound and performance art to sound as a formative force nized for his interdisciplinary Hsu has published on a wide concert music. Her music has and discovering why sound activities and collaborations array of topics, from digital been performed in venues heals. as an artist, composer, and ethnography to open access and festivals around the world improviser as well as for his publishing to Yoko Ono and and has been issued on CD Krista Tippett is the Pea- music project Burning Star Bollywood. Hsu is also an and online on the Lovely Mu- body Award-winning host Core. Yeh has toured and active performer in music sic, Ambitus, EM, XI, Rattle, and executive producer of performed at venues ranging projects of various genres. Lorelt, and Pogus labels. the radio program On Being from the 2014 Liverpool, and the New York Times Whitney Museum, and Howard Kaplan is the former Moby was named the world’s best-selling author of Becom- Museum of Arts