Participation Type
Performance
Presentation #1 Title
Coal Trails on Rails by Brian DuFord
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This presentation is the performance of a newly composed work for oboe and pre-recorded sound reflecting Appalachian history, musical culture, and environment. Composed by Brian DuFord in 2018, this innovative piece features a soundtrack incorporating traditional bluegrass and classical instruments with real sound effects of coal and freight trains. Field recordings of the trains were collected at the Norfolk Southern rail yard in Roanoke, Virginia and along the CSX line in Kingsport, Tennessee. After writing the oboe melody and orchestrating the backing track using steel string guitar, banjo, upright bass, and standard orchestral instruments, DuFord incorporated the train sounds to create a cohesive, one-movement work of several short scenes linked by the sound effects.
Rail transport has inspired the creation of many musical compositions, ranging from folk songs to avant-garde works by Western classical composers. The unique instrumentation of this piece for live oboist with electronic accompaniment reflects the tradition of music inspired by the railroad. The unusual blend of acoustical oboe with recorded bluegrass instruments and sound effects gives this piece wide audience appeal and demonstrates the inventive means by which area musicians are collaborating to forge new connections between diverse musical traditions. An innovative and creative work, Coal Trails on Rails highlights the diversity of musical practices in Appalachia, its unique and varied soundscape, and the historical and cultural experiences of its people.
Funding for the creation of Coal Trails on Rails was provided by a grant from the East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Heather Killmeyer serves as Associate Professor of Double Reeds at East Tennessee State University. An active performer, Heather has explored her diverse skills and experience in a wide range of orchestral, chamber, and solo repertoire. Her research interests include audience engagement and sustainability. An advocate for contemporary music, she has participated in numerous commissions and premieres of new works for oboe.
Coal Trails on Rails by Brian DuFord
This presentation is the performance of a newly composed work for oboe and pre-recorded sound reflecting Appalachian history, musical culture, and environment. Composed by Brian DuFord in 2018, this innovative piece features a soundtrack incorporating traditional bluegrass and classical instruments with real sound effects of coal and freight trains. Field recordings of the trains were collected at the Norfolk Southern rail yard in Roanoke, Virginia and along the CSX line in Kingsport, Tennessee. After writing the oboe melody and orchestrating the backing track using steel string guitar, banjo, upright bass, and standard orchestral instruments, DuFord incorporated the train sounds to create a cohesive, one-movement work of several short scenes linked by the sound effects.
Rail transport has inspired the creation of many musical compositions, ranging from folk songs to avant-garde works by Western classical composers. The unique instrumentation of this piece for live oboist with electronic accompaniment reflects the tradition of music inspired by the railroad. The unusual blend of acoustical oboe with recorded bluegrass instruments and sound effects gives this piece wide audience appeal and demonstrates the inventive means by which area musicians are collaborating to forge new connections between diverse musical traditions. An innovative and creative work, Coal Trails on Rails highlights the diversity of musical practices in Appalachia, its unique and varied soundscape, and the historical and cultural experiences of its people.
Funding for the creation of Coal Trails on Rails was provided by a grant from the East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee.
