mina keohane
musician & composer
Mina planned to travel to Cork, Ireland, the city of origin of her surname, to connect to her ancestry. She also wanted to conduct field recordings of the speech patterns of the Irish Travellers to create microtonal music based on their speech patterns and inflections. As COVID halted travel plans, Mina decided to take a solo road trip in the U.S., using a field recorder and her phone to create soundscapes. One thing I discovered while gathering these sounds was how I had to become present while attuning to the environment from moment to moment. It was both such a calming and exhilarating experience. Mina stopped in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Glacier National Park in Montana; Zion National Park in Utah; Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and other places of natural wonder. She stayed in tiny homes and even camped among the stars.
" I feel more confident, more relaxed, stronger in my sense of self. I feel more certain of the steps ahead of me on my journey." Mina Keohane MINAKEOHANE.COM
When I began creating the soundscapes, it really hit home what the creative renewal was for. I was creating for the sake of art, for joy, for pleasure, for fun. For me, it also acted as a little audio scrapbook of memories. I can envision where I was and what I was feeling when listening to these sounds. Mina hiked or walked 5-12 miles on days when she wasn’t driving. She hadn’t realized how much the pressure of deadlines, writing, practicing, and performing had built up until she had a chance to be away from it. I am truly grateful for this experience and realize now how important and necessary reflection and renewal time is for the growth of any artist.
CR E AT I V E R EN EWA L A RTS F ELLOWSH I P
ISSUE#11
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