Listening room love letter
A look back at three months of listening
Over the past three months, I’ve been hanging out in a unique and relaxing third space. It’s part of the SF MoMA Art of Noise exhibit coming to a close on August 18th. The OJAS HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 2 is a hi-fidelity custom-built sound system. In layman’s terms (which is me) it’s huge speakers and turn table that plays records (and CDs, reel-to-reel tape, and I even heard digital files). When I closed my eyes I could imagine the performers standing in front of me in place of the speakers, transported directly from the recording studio to my ears.
There are only four museum days left of the exhibit (as of this writing). Throughout the last three months, I’ve visited nine times… so far.
My first visit
Early May, on my way to a dentist appointment, I planned a quick visit to the museum not knowing how many times I’d return over the coming weeks. As a member, I often don’t read about exhibits ahead of time, instead choosing to just show up for the experience.
I’d spent time in the bigger exhibit areas feeling pleased I owned versions of a couple of sound objects on exhibit. I headed to the elevators to grab some lunch and saw that tucked to the side was one more room to explore.
I walked in. Jazz was playing on giant speakers. The sounds were familiar, enveloping, and like nothing I’d ever experienced. I sat as long as I could, about 20 minutes because lunch and that dentist appointment were calling me. After the appointment, I rushed back to the museum until closing.
At home, I read up on what I’d experienced with my ears and eyes. And realized it was Devon Turnbull the creator playing that day.
I was moved. I’d come for the posters and stayed for the music. My drawing and pictures in this post can only represent a piece of being in the experience. If you haven’t heard it yourself my best metaphor of the quality of sound is like a hot tub for your ears. And you have until August 18th to check it out!
(Read ‘til the end for several Spotify playlists.)
Mark Ronson visits the listening room
My next listen was much longer in time than the first. I stayed for all five hours of Mark Ronson playing DJ. It was truly a dream musical experience. Took me back to listening to him on East Village (internet) radio in my 20s.
He played many favorites that live deep in my soul. When he played Radiohead it confirmed my ears’ perception of the musicians feeling in the room with us. I could imagine myself seeing them at The Greek.
Mark put on the Up Town Funk Backing track. I could feel the room smiling. Then he smiled and said, "I had to hear what it sounded like".
He talked to us at the end about being able to feel and adjust to the energy of the room. I heard a gal say she felt like she had changed in her body after all the hours in the room. I agree, and feel that way almost every time I leave.
Third space living room
The Art of Noise exhibit exposed me to HiFi listening. I’m an avid music goer and appreciate good sound quality at live music venues but this was my first experience with a HiFi system. A life experience I didn't know I'd been missing. The beauty of this exhibit is how accessible it became to have an audiophile experience.
Some flexibility in my schedule allowed me to treat the room as a third place. I regularly joined the communal living room with hosts playing their favorites and sharing the music important to them. I got to feel the room’s energy with small and larger groups. I brought friends, reconnected with old friends, and coincidentally bumped into friends!
I now have a desire in the future to build a speaker kit for my home. With this experience in mind, I don’t think it would truly come alive without being able to share it with friends.
”Playing” my own records
A very lucky experience was accompanying a museum employee and friend for a staff listening day. We brought way more vinyl than we could play. Joseph Becker, Art of Noise, curator generously cycled through playing everyone’s choices.
Special moments from the day were hearing a flexi-disk, part of the library collection, with music created for Timothy Leary's acid trip sessions. The three hours of listening ended with one long song, Tubular Bells, a 25 minute composition. The beginning is the familiar creepy rhythms from The Exorcist. For a movie I’ve never seen it’s amazing how that sound cuts through in familiarity. After the first minute it plays out in a completely lovely way.
I chose selections from Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey, Elliot Smith, and The Gifted Ones (Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Ray Brown, Micky Roker). And a bonus selection because someone else had also brought Daft Punk.
Sound textures played by Beck
An experience with the most concert-like aura was the announcement of a midday curation by Beck.
After an hour in line, a friend and I miraculously sat in my favorite listening spot to enjoy 2.5 hours of curation. Sometimes Beck would pause to tell a little story about his relationship to what we’d just heard.
He created a tapestry of sound with his influences. He didn’t play any Beck but his albums speak the same language of rhythmic choices he played that day.
He intentionally selected songs to highlight voice through the speakers and lots of Brazilian music. As a curated set it felt like being in an old movie, punctuated by some Henry Mancini and a nod to SF with the Bullitt soundtrack.
More unique listening experiences
Besides what I’ve already shared there were many more unique listening moments. It’s amazing that for months, every day the museum has been open, there’s been someone curating and in the room. I’m sure it took a lot of coordination. There was clear reverence for playing music on the sound system from each operator I encountered.
Hearing sides from Blue Note Records
Selections from Jazz Dispensary
Selections by DFA Records
Stuart Bogie playing clarinet live while accompanying a drone sound which was a collaboration between him and James Murphy (released on DFA)
Listening along with Susan Ciani, who herself was listening for the first time to her first-ever concert recorded on tape which is now newly released on vinyl.
Selections by Art of Noise curator Joesph Becker
And of course selections from OJAS creator Devon Turnbull!
All my experiences in the room are wrapped up in my drawings. I draw to create sense memories. When I flip through my sketchbook for years to come I hope to remember the sound waves on my soul during this summer of listening.
Did you go to the listening room?
I’d love to know if you went, who you saw operate, and if you have any sound memories. Have you been to other HiFi listening experiences? Please share in the comments!
Devon has a few other pieces currently on public exhibit nearer and farther away than San Francisco.
Los Angeles (weekly listening nights until Oct. 24, 2024) — Common Wave HiFi
London (listening time slots until Sept. 28, 2024) — The vinyl factory at 180 studios
Spotify playlist memories
Devon in the Listing Room – Some music heard over several sessions
Beck – A lounging about the living room dream
DFA and Stuart Bogie – He played the last song on this list live in the room
OJAS Dream 2 – Eclectic listening from SF MoMA staff
More workshops on the horizon
In July I taught a sold-out workshop at Arch including inkblot mono-prints, the same technique I used to make the OJAS prints I shared above. And earlier in August I taught the same workshop again in a private home. It was so fun sharing these concepts and activities with students.
Ahead for this year, I’m designing at least one more workshop about color to teach at Arch. I’ll share more info in my September Substack!