This conversation with interdisciplinary sound artist and composer Brian Harnetty covers everything from spirituality to creative process, to ethics of sampling, and beyond. We talk about (and listen to a few tracks from) his exquisite new album, Words and Silences, which was inspired by and includes archival recordings Thomas Merton made while in his Kentucky hermitage in 1967. I had a great time with this chat, and it inspired me to dive a bit more into the life and work of Thomas Merton. Enjoy!
BRIAN HARNETTY is an interdisciplinary sound artist who uses listening to foster social change. He works with sound archives and the communities connected to them, creating encounters that are centered on place and the transformative power of listening. Since 2010, Harnetty’s projects have brought together myth, history, ecology, and economy in Appalachian Ohio, informed by his family’s roots there. His current project, Words and Silences, is a musical portrait of Kentucky monk and writer Thomas Merton, fusing archival recordings of Merton’s voice with newly composed music.
Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:22 Sound of an Unperplexed Wren – Brian Harnetty10:17 Conversation with Brian Harnetty26:36 Who Is This I? – Brian Harnetty34:15 Conversation with Brian Harnetty52:14 Breath, Water, Silence – Brian Harnetty58:08 Outro
Follow Brian Harnetty on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Spotify.
Photo of Brian Harnetty by Poynter Photo.
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