To Simon Trottier

courant.air is the continuation of the work begun in 2007 with the guitarist Simon Trottier in which we intertwine improvised electroacoustic and folk music. I wanted to explore this further within a formal compositional context.

I imagine myself on the banks of the St Lawrence river, this estuary to which I owe the history of my country. I look backwards in direction of its landscapes created by erosion caused by wind and water.

Here,
Wind is a constructive/destructive agent.
Wind is an agent of travel (oh! the sailing ships of Jacques Cartier).
Wind is a propulsion engine of particles in constant movement in the air.
Wind as noise.
Wind is sound.

[viii-10]

Two movements of courant.air were commissioned by Réseaux des arts médiatiques with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA); and three by NAISA with support from the CCA. Three more mouvement were realized with support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).

Premiere

• October 30, 2010, Simon Trottier, guitar • Akousma (7): Folktronica, Studio Hydro-Québec — Monument-National, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• August 7, 2009, Sound Travels 2009: Ecology: Water, Air Sound Concert, Loop Centre for Lively Arts and Learning, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)

Premiere

• August 7, 2009, Sound Travels 2009: Ecology: Water, Air Sound Concert, Loop Centre for Lively Arts and Learning, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)

This movement was realized with support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).

This movement was realized with support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).

This movement was realized with support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).

Premiere

• August 7, 2009, Sound Travels 2009: Ecology: Water, Air Sound Concert, Loop Centre for Lively Arts and Learning, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)