Pauline Oliveros, Environmental Dialogue

Pauline Oliveros, Environmental Dialogue from 60dB on Vimeo.

I can't believe I missed this. On November 28th, Pauline Oliveros passed away. I discovered Pauline's work as I was at the master's, trying to catch up with the digital sounds of the world. As a music lover, I took a Wintersession class called Of Sound and Music by Mark Cettilia. It was my first semester at Providence and it was a pleasure to combine the stillness of the snow, the different types of noises (white, blue, pink, brown, grey, green and black) as small icicles slowly formed on the window and the deep listening of Pauline Oliveros (amongst others) as I watched a bus glide uncontrollably upon the black ice towards the entrance of the house where I was renting a small apartment.

Ever since, I've always kept a soft spot for female electronic music pioneers. I find them fascinating and though now it's very normal to find them everywhere, imagine back in the 1940's and your neighbor was one of them. WTF. Even today, I get questions around what digital media really encompasses, so you get the picture.

Today I was reading something in Frieze and just stumbled upon the Obituaries section. It amazes me how final does a date actually look in relation to your name: Pauline Oliveros 1932-2016. As long as that hyphen is open, you're still out and about, jumping everywhere, being creative and breathing. Once that hyphen is closed, there's a pause, a silence, the echo of a loud thud.

This would have been a sad news by itself but no more than that I assure thee. But. I contacted Pauline, or to be more precise Ione, at the beginning of this year for a project that seems to me now, almost life-long. She was interested to participate in it and to be completely honest I was elated and humbled. The only time I felt that close to someone I really admired was to a fax I received from Umberto Eco in the 90's and probably his secretary wrote and sent it for him after he scribbled a quick signature at the bottom of the paper.

After several emails, Ione sent a one minute excerpt from Environmental Dialogue for the project called Misty Minute. No charges were made. No small letter clauses, no royalties expected. 

At the end of this article, Geta Dayal sums up everything her character and her work was:

‘She had a huge and generous heart and gave freely of her musical treasures,’ says Terry Riley. ‘She has left a rich, vastly detailed legacy. A meaningful life lived to the fullest.’

 I'm sure she did.