Each track on the soundtrack is a commission where an artist was paired with a site for the creation of a new composition. Like each unique site in Indianapolis, no two compositions are the same. These sounds reflect real experiences of the city that capture both the iconic, as well as the mundane. The Sound Expeditions artists have conceptualized complex social, environmental, imaginative, cultural, and political ideas and spaces into evocative soundscapes and musical scores that range from joyful to melancholic.

The initial collection of tracks in Sound Expeditions 1.0 (Sites 1-30) established a framework by navigating inherent tensions in Indianapolis, including the relationship between nature and urban infrastructures, the erasures and exposures of community identity, and the recognition of unsolved mysteries and commemorative historical events. The continuing expansion of Sound Expeditions deepens these conceptual motifs, focusing intensely on the layering and reclamation of suppressed histories and the enduring spirit that remains when foundational elements of the city’s culture are threatened or destroyed.

The compositions featured in Sound Expeditions 2.0 (Sites 31-38) were commissioned by the 16 Tech, a 50-acre innovation district designed to catalyze growth in the tech-enabled life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors, by bringing together entrepreneurs, academics, startups, corporations, and community members in a single place dedicated to collaboration and creative problem-solving.

Many of the compositions in this collection are rooted in the area surrounding the 16 Tech campus — specifically the historic Indiana Avenue neighborhood. Much like 16 Tech, Indiana Avenue was a center for innovation, in this case, innovation within music and the performing arts. During the era of segregation, the Avenue was a cultural hub for Indianapolis’ Black community. The Avenue was an incubator for many prominent artists whose work shaped the development of American popular culture. The breadth of artistic expression on the Avenue ranged from dancers like John W. Bubbles, his rhythmic tap style influenced the work of Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson, to composers including Shirley Graham Du Bois, the first Black woman to write and stage a major opera production, to instrumentalists such as guitarists Bill Jennings, Wes Montgomery and Scrapper Blackwell, whose groundbreaking techniques are still utilized by contemporary guitar players.

Despite the Avenue’s significance to the culture of Indianapolis, much of the neighborhood’s history was destroyed during the era of urban renewal. A significant theme explored across these compositions involves the confrontation with erased histories and the execution of a responsibility to their memory. The compositions operate as a sonic tribute to the area, which flourished culturally despite segregation and disenfranchisement. The music memorializes this profound sense of loss while simultaneously honoring the inherent dignity and creative genius of the community. Themes of resistance are noted, reflecting the dedication and excellence of institutions and individuals, such as the students of Crispus Attucks High School, who pursued their goals despite external constraints.

The messages from track to track vary from cautionary warnings to hopeful visions for the future are expressed through vibrant lyrics and innovative musical tactics. The compositions in Sound Expeditions capture the unique sonic fingerprint of each composer, and together they create a unified portrait of Indianapolis. The way Indianapolis sounds is truly unique.

Curators
Current: Kyle Long and Jordan Munson
Past: Michael Kaufmann, Stuart Hyatt, Fiona P. McDonald, and Scott Stulen

Photographs
Hadley Fruits, Stuart Hyatt, and Mandy Crandell

Web Design, Kiosk, Branding & Logo
Ryan Hunley, Brose Partington Studio, Oliver Blank

Past Partners
Indiana State Museum, Harrison Center for the Arts, We Are City, Butler University, and TEAM Records.

Special Thanks
Sound Expeditions would not be possible without the generous support of the following organizations:

Simon Family Foundation, Central Indiana Community Foundation,16 Tech, the National Science Foundation, Newfields, and Eskenazi Health.