About
Pieces of Grief is a seven-segment audio project that premiered on October 13, 2020. As a sonic meditation on grief and loss, it integrates field recordings, anonymous voicemails, archival interviews, and original music. It is intended to be listened to in quiet contemplation while walking the trails of the Durant Nature Preserve in Raleigh, North Carolina or in any quiet, natural area. The following route (see map) through the Preserve lines up almost exactly with the length of the entire piece if you walk at a leisurely pace.
Thank yous
The studio equipment I used to make this audio project was made possible by an Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant from the Durham Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Thank you to: the staff of Raleigh Arts & SEEK, Billy Sugarfix, Barnabas Poffley, Carrie Shull, Don Raleigh, Erin Binkley, Kathleen Block, Amanda Minor, Mario Arnez, Hugh Willard, Haven Parrott and the staff of Transitions LifeCare in Raleigh, the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, and The Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
My sincerest thank yous go to the people who called the hotline I set up for this project and who shared their stories of grief with me. This piece could not have been made without your voices and your wisdom, and I cannot thank you enough. I strived to incorporate your responses with empathy and thoughtfulness, and I hope you enjoy the final product.
