Incarnation 1

In the beginning…

OFS

Open Field Sound as a business entity grew out of Tremology Lab, a working partnership between myself and Kristin Miltner that began in 2023 with the goal of addressing some of these issues on a more intimate scale, and the mission of creating “Immersive sound art for science communication and public outreach.”. (See more about Tremology Lab here)

Through previous work, Kristin and I had created soundscapes and immersive installations at the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC, SXSW, and a very large outdoor immersive audio experience at a private residence. We made interactive experiences for education and health and wellness. In every situation we were struck by the moving effect that spatialized sound could have on people.

In general, the goals of Open Field Sound are to increase opportunities and applications for the practice and experience of spatial audio compositions:

• Develop inexpensive classroom and listening spaces, plus lightweight portable speaker systems that make the experience of spatialized sound a reasonable possibility for smaller, more intimate and contemplative public venues, like art galleries, small museums, community spaces, dance studios, lobbies. The use of immersive audio in these spaces can make events fun and engaging, create buzz and increase attendance.

• Make the means of creating immersive soundscapes more accessible, Increasing collaborative opportunities for a broad range of content creators, including students, scientists, musicians and storytellers.

• Use spatialized sound to support meaningful endeavors and communication, where it’s not just interesting to listen to but also useful for building emotional engagement with information. Science communication, public outreach, environmental awareness, health and wellness.

• Create soundscape spaces where visitors have agency, can move around and sample the experience on their own terms. Having sounds positioned and animated throughout a space as if they’re real objects lets us immerse the listener in an auditory experience that mimics how we perceive sound in the real world.  That experience can be powerful, creating positive memorable associations with the space itself and with other information that might be presented.

Get in touch

While I’m developing the means of creating these experiences through Open Field Sound, the possibilities of content creation are open to any interested parties who have an idea worth pursuing. Kristin and I hope to complement the work of OFS by expanding Tremology Lab into a community of spatial audio enthusiasts from a wide range of disciplines.

Contact me to share your ideas & interest! (link to contact page)

Ken Pearce

Open Field Sound

Don’t forget about interactivity!