Sparking Change Through Sonic Memoirs

How can art foster a deeper meaning of complex social issues? What are the benefits to placing art making at the center of community initiatives? In this episode of CMA Talks, Olivia Cosío and Renate Rohlfing of Sounds That Carry—a creative impact firm that helps organizations develop programs to connect with their communities—answer these questions as they discuss Sounds of Houston, CMA’s creative placemaking and oral history project. Developed with support from The Wallace Foundation, Sounds of Houston paired musicians with resident narrators to collaboratively create sonic memoirs, which aimed to preserve narratives, soundscapes, and music in Houston communities significantly affected by climate change.

To read more about Sounds of Houston, including a full report and project findings, visit: chambermusicamerica.org/community-engagement/

To learn more about Sounds That Carry, visit: www.soundsthatcarry.com/

Music featured in this episode:

• “An Ongoing Fight” composed by Aris Kian Brown; narrated by Tangi Smith
• “Time” composed by Jalen Baker; narrated by Nichole Redus
• “We Are the New Americans” composed by Austin Lewellen; narrated by Belay Andarge & Zed Minale
• “The Storms We Work” composed by Chelsea de Souza; narrated by Jaime Alvarado

This episode of CMA Talks is supported by the Wallace Foundation:
wallacefoundation.org

Guests: Renate Rohlfing & Olivia Cosío
Produced for Chamber Music America by Orchid McRae & Jenny Ouellette
Hosted by Jenny Ouellette
Theme Music by Orchid McRae
Cover Art by Jared Cavazos

Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.