8 transmission from 4 hearing impaired artists,
we designed and installed a temporary underwater sound system in a lake in Skowhegan, Maine. The music of hearing impared artists was broadcast underwater for the duration of the installation. Underwater sound* is heard through the body, not the ears. One actually hears more clearly when plugging the ears with fingers. First, we wanted to give swimmers an experience that would baffle them. Stepping into the water you hear nothing. Immerse yourself in the water and hear a symphony. Second, we asked the question, "what is it to 'think' a sound? How is a sound imagined before it is produced?" We were able to use the lake water as a medium through which our audience could connect to another artist's experience, a composer's thoughts.
On a hot afternoon in August, students flocked to the lake for their afternoon swim. Soon they were surprised at the discovery of underwater sound and listened together. The following afternoon the water was once again silent. Our installation was perhaps as fleeting as that melody that gets stuck in your head for a moment, only to disappear at the next distraction. 2 photographs, Lake Intervention show participants synchronized in the act of listening. Apparent in the images is the intimacy of this particular group of swimmers and their awareness of a shared sense of hearing.