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the tomb of the unknown soldier
new cartographies of the middle east
multi-track audio performance
adapted from the unknown soldier by abdulla pashew
voice recordings by hasham khan, carlin dypko, leopold dorilas, and ella grimm
performed at cornell university computer music production showcase
listen to the full piece
The poem The Unknown Soldier by Kurdish poet Abdulla Pashew uses spatial imagery to represent the history of strife that has befallen upon the Kurdish people during their long struggle for autonomy, arguing that there is not a single place that represents their respective "tomb of the unknown soldier" but rather an entire landscape. In adapting this poem for a spatial audio performance, I chose to disperse readings of the text throughout the room by employing a quadruple stereo sound system, rearticulating the meaning of the poem by creating a space for it be experienced in. Additionally, over the duration of the piece, digitally-intervened sound recordings and manipulations to the backing instrumentals reduce the clarity of the entire composition, representing the strain put upon much of the Middle East due to the history narrated through the text.