Oreo Jones
Meditation and Contemplation: A Sonic Reflection at Barton Towers
-86.149111, 39.774444The John J. Barton Apartments, commonly known as Barton Tower, are located at 555 N. Massachusetts Avenue. Designed by the firm Woollen, Molzan & Partners under the direction of architect Evans Woollen III, the building is a notable example of Brutalist architecture. Barton Tower was the first major public housing high-rise in Indianapolis built specifically for senior citizens. Jones’ “Meditation and Contemplation” offers a sonic reflection on Barton Tower, drawing inspiration from personal moments of vulnerability and healing experienced within the building and its vicinity. The piece particularly honors the spirit of poet Etheridge Knight, a revolutionary voice in the Black Arts Movement, who spent his final years in Barton Tower. Knight’s life, marked by struggle, incarceration, healing, and defiance, informs the raw honesty channeled in the music, transforming hardship into art. The composition also acknowledges the layered chorus of all who have called Barton Tower home, recognizing the building as a monument to memory where space can hold spirit, much like Jones’ own experience of watching a cousin pray during Ramadan from an upper floor, observing the city in a sacred hush. Using original compositions created with a JUNO-60 synthesizer, RE-20 Space Echo, alto saxophone, and voice, the piece blends fragments of jazz and ambient tones designed to create a space for listeners to reflect on their own health and recognize the ongoing acts of creation, connection, and contribution that define human experience.
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Duration: 07:13
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Year: 2025
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Commissioned by: 16 Tech