White Noise is an allegory for all the background noise of life that can clog it up, and even make sure we waste great chunks of it on stuff with no meaning and value. It's not all bad, but it can be the enemy of silence, or clarity.
Intrada - The piece starts in a time of clarity, but hints at the introduction of electronic communications, static and morse code.
Hymn to the Generation We are Losing - Thinking about the recent losses of family in the generation above me, this is a call to challenge the white noise that makes us busy, and would have us miss listening to that generation before they all leave us. The memory of a last conversation, our final hug, a wave goodbye, should build a resolve to value and treasure the time we have with those who remain.
Chatter - Technology and computers, mobile phones and social media, have served to displace and marginalise people, and often serve to fill our lives with banality, vanity, and self absorption. There are dangers in clogging our lives with stuff designed to entertain us, and pervade all the hours of the day, every week, every month, every year, until...
What Matters Most - When we cut out the noise, we find the important things of life. The pandemic of 2020 has served this purpose to make us all stop and consider these things, and put life into focus.
The piece is dedicated to my late brother and two other beautiful family members who spent their lives doing things for others. All three did not seek personal riches or fame, but they all strived to do what they could for their families, their friends, acquaintances, and complete strangers. They gave their time, their skills, their music, and their love selflessly.
While saddened, I realised that these three heroes knew what mattered most, and did what they could with their lives as an inspiration to us all, as a reminder of what we can achieve when we silence the white noise, and do what is important. In an increasingly divided world, their example is a way forward.
Fendall Hill 2020
Aust $125 (approx. UK£74 US$85 NZ$138)
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