1745 San Antonio was a darker place where natives were often murdered, forced to convert to Catholicism, or pressured to assimilate. 1745 was also the year that the historic Espada Acequia was completed, a canal system used to bring water from the San Antonio River to the Missions and irrigate crops. The construction and operation of the Acequias was supervised by the Franciscan Friars and labor was completed by native slaves and Spanish soldiers.
I wanted to create an interactive piece that reflects the trauma of genocide and forced labor and the submission of sustainability, innovation, and community. The audio samples I generated, as well as working in the key of D-flat Major, help the listener envision an eerie, dark, and foreboding environment. I was also inspired to include nostalgic Cicada songs, to give a glimpse of what it may have been like to be outdoors in San Antonio in 1745, and connect Then to Now.
Lastly, for me, it is imperative that the viewer engage with my piece by directly communicating with the machines. I created this piece by-hand, drilling and soldering, so that they viewer may experience a personal, one-on-one, interaction with the sounds of the Espada Acequia and 1745 San Antonio.
Year2016TitleAcequia MDCCXLV in D-flat MajorMediumSound / Music Production / Samplers / Synthesizers / Soldering / Woodworking
