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Jess Dunn

Pathways

-86.080139, 39.772417

The Indianapolis Greenways System is a multi-generational effort stemming from the early 20th-century City Beautiful movement, which led to George Kessler’s pioneering Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System, aiming to connect public spaces via linear parks along the city’s major waterways and later, defunct railways and the Central Canal Towpath. Dunn’s “Pathways” is a musical journey inspired by the Indianapolis Greenways System, exploring three distinct time periods: the distant past before urbanization, the near past and present iterations of the Greenways System, and an optimistic imagining of an interconnected future. The first movement of Dunn’s piece features layered field recordings of natural sounds like streams and birds, interwoven with analog synthesizers and vocal fragments. Gradually, human-made sounds—such as wind chimes, bicycles, skateboards, automobiles, and crossing signals—emerge, creating a textured soundscape that reflects the current state of the greenways. As the composition progresses, these elements align rhythmically, envisioning a harmonious future between humans, nature, and the evolving city. Dunn collected many of the sounds directly from the greenways, processing some through her modular system and manipulating vocal recordings to create a blend of human, avian, and mechanical timbres that invite listeners to discern between natural and electronic sounds.

• Duration: 08:29