Sound Map of The North Central Sierra Foothills

Sound Map of the North Central Sierra Foothills is an interactive web-based sound-mapping project. As experimental geography, the project employs sound in order to move beyond the boundaries of the visual to examine how cultural meaning and geographic narratives shape notions of "place" over time. The collaborative project is a spatial analysis of twelve sites in the Sierra foothill region of Northern California. Oscillating between presence and absence, each site is intimately revealed through intersecting layers of sound that include, historical documentation, scientific data, field recordings, interviews, storytelling, and imaginings that uncover conflicting perspectives. The various sites foreground spaces where meaning has gathered together, dissipated, and in some cases re-formed over the course of thousands of years. The multiple two-minute sound pieces open up provocative topics for reflection while enabling listeners to experience the dynamic process of spatial production.

Excerpt from audio tour