Resource Recovery is a multimedia project that fuses visual, built, and musical performance art with themes of trash, waste, heartbreak, death, and loss. It aims to tell a story through the innovative use of discarded materials, generative AI, projection mapping, lighting, and music in live performance with an audience.
This project explores the intersection of physical waste and personal loss by transforming trash and recovered objects into a musical sound stage, complete with backdrops and set pieces designed for advanced projection mapping. The result is an immersive live performance experience, driven by my original six song concept album inspired by my year-long experience as a cleanup laborer at the Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Plant in Ames, Iowa where I worked part time while I completed my first year of the graduate program.
The performance will feature spoken word, original songs, and AI-generated music performed by a trio of musicians, led by Dan DeGeest on acoustic guitar, with Wayne Chittick on electric guitar and June Walker on cello. This fusion of sound and visuals will create a rich, multi-layered experience that bridges the tangible and the emotional.
At its core, the performance seeks to evoke a profound reflection on the duality of waste—both as a literal byproduct of consumerism and as a metaphor for personal loss. It will explore the environmental impact of global waste and landfill challenges, highlighting the workings of the Ames Waste-to-Energy program, often misunderstood as traditional recycling. Through the reclamation of discarded materials, the project will reveal the surprising beauty and potential hidden within the remnants of our material excess.
Beyond its environmental lens, Resource Recovery delves into existential themes of death, personal loss, identity, and the fleeting nature of life. Just as trash symbolizes the physical remnants of human activity, it mirrors the emotional and psychological detritus left in the wake of grief, trauma, and life's transient moments. The performance explores recovery in both environmental and personal terms—how we reclaim, repurpose, and rediscover meaning in what has been abandoned or lost.
Through the transformation of waste into music and art, the project becomes a powerful metaphor for resilience and renewal. By repurposing discarded materials into an immersive, expressive performance, Resource Recovery reflects humanity's ability to find beauty and hope amid despair and uncertainty. This dual narrative—of waste as both an environmental and emotional symbol—invites the audience to examine their own experiences of recovery and renewal, creating a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human journey.
View Project PlaylistTechnical Details
- Original Music and Lyrics
- Generative AI Videos
- Live Performance
- Projection Mapping
- Krea
- Runway
- Luma
- Suno
- Songwriting
- Video Editing
The project aims to develop and implement sustainable resource recovery solutions, creating a positive impact on environmental conservation while maintaining efficient operations.
