UCF music faculty member and percussionist Thad Anderson will present two free performances next week of Northbound, a travel soundtrack he composed based on a SunRail commuter train trip. The performances will be Oct. 27 on the UCF campus and Oct. 30 at the Timucua Arts White House in Orlando.
Northbound uses processed audio from a ride on a northbound SunRail train, composed electronic playback, and live acoustic percussion sounds.
Anderson said he took a northbound train from its southern terminal at Sand Lake Road in Orlando to its final northern destination in DeBary with the plan to create a musical composition relating to the experience.
“I used an omni-directional microphone to record the sounds heard while on the train,” he said. “At each arrival and departure point, I created markers in my digital audio workstation to denote the 12 stations on the northbound route. These markers are used to create formal structure within the work.” The full trip – and performance – are a little more than an hour long.
Anderson said Patrick Greene, gallery director at The Gallery at Avalon Island and curator of the Transit Interpretation Project, inspired him to compose the piece.
“Even the shortest of train trips can be exciting,” Anderson said. “Changes in scenery, passengers and sounds, each leg and stop has its own character and mood.”
The premiere performance of Northbound was at The Gallery at Avalon Island’s In-Between Series in March and was recognized by the Orlando Weekly’s Best of Orlando, receiving the “Best City Soundtrack” award.
The 8 p.m. Oct. 27 performance will be in the UCF Rehearsal Hall Auditorium, 12784 Aquarius Agora Drive, and the 7:30 Oct. 30 performance will be at 2000 S. Summerlin Ave., Orlando.
Anderson is an assistant professor of music and joined the faculty in 2009. He coordinates the percussion studies program, teaches courses in music technology, and oversees the campus’ Collide Contemporary Music Series.
For more about Anderson and his work, visit www.thadanderson.com.