Incidental Music

The following is a map of a portion of my daily walk from my home to the termination of Third Street at Nieto Avenue in Long Beach, California.  The score consists of all the words I found along the way, words I could read aloud without stopping or diverging from my path.  After transcribing this "found poem," I fed words from each intersection into text-to-speech software and pushed the resulting sound files through numerous microsonic transmutations.  The resulting twenty-minute soundscape mirrors the amount of time it takes to walk the twenty city blocks along the route, and amplifies the latent sounds hidden in the verbal signs of the urban landscape.  Although far removed from the sounds it inspired, the map can also function as part of a sound walk in which my experience can be reenacted by participants with copies of the score and recording.  

I see many other possible manifestations of the score, and I invite others to interpret and perform the work.

Glenn Bach
May 8, 2002

"Glenn Bach's 'Incidental Music' is a work of amazing analytical depth. A combination of sound walk, poem and audio composition, 'Incidental Music' celebrates something seemingly inconsequential - a daily commute - by meticulously documenting the text and sounds associated with it, a combination lab report and instructions for an almost sacred ritual, a poetic interpretation of the layers of existence."

--John Kannenberg, Curator
Stasisfield

OBISPO Avenue_____They shall be like a tree planted by water, Jer. 17:8, Sunday Service 11:00 AM, Pastor Jane Galloway, Parking 300 & 319 Redondo Ave., Glory Tabernacle Metropolitan Community Church Celebration Service Sundays 9 AM, nurseries & children's church available, Immanuel Community Church, a sanctuary of love, acceptance and forgiveness, 562-438-2931, Recycle Long Beach, Mitsubishi Montero_____CORONADO Avenue_____Road Construction Ahead, Buick, 4H, Health Tree Natural Foods, No Parking 10 AM to 12 noon, Thursday, phone 438-7848, The Mechanic, specializing in foreign car repair, 3331, Deniz, 3316, 1-800-2-CHOOSE, U.S. Rentals_____REDONDO Avenue_____11, 3249 Network One, Enter Only, Speed Limit 30, 296, Lucent, Hotel, Casey's Liquor and Fine Wines, Millionaires Made Here, Super Lotto, Top of the Morning, push button, bulk herbs, ginseng, fresh juice, Health Tree, vitamins, herbs, allergy, cleaning, acupuncture, smoking control, pain control, Vanitique Hair Design, 433-6179, board certified colorist, Vanitique Hair Design, designers J. Hansen, K. Buress, M. Rule, P. Williamson, and C. Whalen, open 7 days, 300 Redondo, Clayton de Jong M.D., Perry Koseff, D.O., 300 Redondo Avenue, Internal Medicine, Primary Care, Grand Am, PS 861, Parking, California, Go Beach!, Hyundai, 3425, Grand Am, Phoebe Army, Jeep, Saturn of Cerritos, 4W08234 Saturn of Cerritos_____NEWPORT Avenue_____300, 3435, Quest, Newport Avenue, Third Street, Speed Limit 25, For Rent, 302, 3511, 3516, Huntington Beach, California, 3521, Heritage Door, 1-800-491-DOOR, Ranger, Come See Our Giant Showroom!, Legend, Acura, Stop, No Parking 8 AM to 10 AM Thursday_____LOMA Avenue_____300, Kool, the house of menthol, Newport Pleasure, Winston, Salem, Doral, Recycle, 302, triple Israel, Warning This is a Community Watch Neighborhood, 3610, Westec Patrol, Warning Neighborhood Watch, 3615, No Parking 8 AM to 10 AM Thursday Street Sweeping, 3626, Aces High Tattoo, Volvo S70, Safeway Sign Company, PS450B_____EUCLID Avenue_____Jamboree, Warning Neighborhood Watch Program in Force, We Report All Suspicious Activities to the Police Department, Long Beach BMW, Protection One, No Parking 8 AM to 10 AM Thursday street sweeping, 3702, 3704, 3DBU015, 24 hour alarm services, Protection One, 1-800-GET-HELP, 3716, 3724, 3717, R320, 3721, Dino's Pizza Fast Friendly Delivery_____GRAND Avenue_____302, 274, Thimble, 234, L.B. Gas Department, 302, Dan Baker for Mayor strong leadership proven results, No Advertising Matter no pegar anuncios, Nissan, lost cat_____MIRA MAR Avenue_____Stop, No Parking Vehicles Over 6 Feet High, happy everything, Belmont Heights United Methodist Church, to avoid criticism do nothing say nothing be nothing, rummage sale Saturday May 4 8am to 2 pm, Belmont Heights Methodist Church, Termino Avenue 1 block, 3rd Street, Mira Mar Avenue, 775 Termino_____TERMINO Avenue_____Belmont Heights Church Preschool, children 2 years 6 months to 5 years, a developmental learning environment for your children, school hours 8 am to 4 pm, bhcp.org 562-438-1466, Speed Limit 25, McKenna Volkswagen, 1433, 74 ½, 3925 Toyota, 3910, F250 XLT Lariatt, 3929, 3931, 3933, 3935, Cockrell, 3924, 3939, Managed by H&L Properties, private property, 3955, 3953, 3951, Dennis, Kathy, BMW, 3959, 4001, 4005, 4007, 4003, for rent, 562-951-9166 single, $625 monthly $550 deposit, parking available, rear apartment, 4009, 4011-15, 4013, 4019, 4021, F150 XLT, Triton V8, Downey, 4027B, Lucas Dealership Group Saturn Burlingame, Isuzu Rodeo, exit caution danger, keep clear, gate swings out 5 feet, warning children beware, automatic control gate can move without warning, keep clear, for sale, for rent, for sale 562-201-0693 Jeanne Murphy, Casa Grande 4045 private property no moving furniture or appliances through this door, no soliciting_____BELMONT Avenue_____enter caution danger, FC48120, 4100, 4111, Third Street Café and Deli, closed, local news, Press Telegram award winning, special, Temecula, paradise, for rent, Property Management Crestwave 434-0924, Ford California Sesquicentennial, 4129_____ROSWELL Avenue_____Third Street, God Bless America, City Light and Power, Toyota, Delta Nove, Bounty Hunter, Ford Lincoln, Wilson's Ford Sales, Explorer XLT, BMW E55, No Parking 8 AM to 10 AM Thursday, Stop Ahead, 4222, 4221, ADT Secured by, guard dog on duty, 4235_____BENNETT Avenue_____4305, Nissan California, California, 3WFL976 no parking, Wall Street Journal 4315, Honda, 405 Freeway exit Orange Avenue, Honda Long Beach Honda_____XIMENO Avenue_____Mail, 4343, 735I, water meter J&R, the latest thing for 120 years, Los Angeles Times, Isuzu Circle Rodeo V6, 4405, City of Long Beach, P133258, Volvo, 4415, 4423, Cerritos Auto Square, Browning Mitsubishi, V6, Trooper, 4444_____PROSPECT Avenue_____No Parking 8 AM to 10 AM Thursday, lost cat, Toyota Solara, 4435, United States Postal Service, street lighting high voltage, 4507, Prudential California Realty 562-494-4600, Moe Shabani 434-0018, 4511, irvinebmw.net, 528I, Rallye, Jamboree, Chevy Van 30, free brochures please take one, 4517, Greater Alarm Company, 4523, 4525, Edison Security Home Response, an Edison International Company_____QUINCY Avenue_____Renegade, skateboarding prohibited, Mazda, Subaru, Trimble, 414_____ROYCROFT Avenue_____4617, Protected by Brinks Home Security 1-800-2-BRINKS, 274, 272, 300, Civic, Long Beach Honda Mazda, LX, General GSS Security, PD195, General GSS Security Response, Take Pride Property Services, 4715, Accord LX, Total Protection, Edison Security, ¼ sheet, shown by appointment, for sale, Joan J.P. Peoples, RE/Max, residential 562-592-5606, RE/Max real estate specialists, 493-3004_____PARK Avenue_____No Parking 4 AM to 8 AM Friday street sweeping, Cerritos Auto Square Browning Mazda, letters, 4801, Range Rover, Redondo Beach, Land Rover South Bay, Belmont Shore, Mustang GT, Jeep Cherokee Sport, Goodyear Wrangler, 4532, 4832, 4835_____ST. JOSEPH Avenue_____300, No Parking in this Block Vehicles, No Parking 8 AM to 10 AM Thursday, Town Car, United States Postal Service collection times, Ford California, RAV 4, Toyota San Juan Capistrano Family, Recycle Long Beach, R173564, Rogers Middle School, (Eliot Lane), Warning Neighborhood Watch Program in Force, One Way_____ARGONNE Avenue_____Colt, since 1934, Toyota snugtop, Gordon and Smith, Hansen, skateboarding prohibited, PD367 PD343, 5003, Blue Rhino America's Choice for Grill Gas, 1234, 5015, Recycle Long Beach City of Long Beach, Q156541, another quality job by USA Remodeling, residential commercial new construction and remodeling, family owned and operated, 800-655-9989, rose cottage, birdies welcome, 300 Not a Through Street, Mazda MPV, I love Jenny, 5111, 300D Diesel, Westminster Hansen Motors, Home of the Mustangs_____NIETO Avenue_____Warning Neighborhood Watch, 5125, 5140, beware of dog, 5145, no advertising material, danger keep out, Naples sub, warning protected by alarm systems, important.

Incidental (derived from the score)

part 1.  20:00
part 2.  08:00
part 3.  10:00
part 4.  12:00

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.