Ballast Point Park Walk

Welcome to Ballast Point. This beautiful park boasts scenic walking paths, historical sculptures and installations as well as amazing panoramic views of the harbour. This park is a great spot to go and relax while taking in the environment around you. The aim of this project is to explore the relationship between nature and ambient music, and what kind of effects it can have on your emotions. As you walk through the park, you will be immersed by an ambient composition that combines some of the most calming sounds that nature has to offer, with the gentle evolving sounds of ambient music.

Life is full of complications and roadblocks. I believe that meditation and self reflection can be extremely helpful in clearing a persons mind and giving you the opportunity to have a break from the stresses of life. Exposure to nature is inherently calming, but when combined with the sounds of music, I believe it can transport a person into another state of mind that is full of tranquility, self reflection and an appreciation for nature. 
On a personal level, I have a special connection with this park. I often come here when I feel like I want to escape the confines of my house that we often find ourself stuck in for so much of the day. The park and its environment gives me a sense of freedom and peace, which is why I’ve created this project in order to try and share some of that feeling through the art of music.

As you begin your walk the kind of instruments you will hear include soft oscillating pads, delicate synth leads, pianos playing simple melodic ideas and angelic vocals. The composition wasn’t created to be complex, but rather focuses on how each instrument and sound interacts with each other, and what kind of emotions they evoke. Further more, the music is intended to occupy your subconscious, rather than be the main focus of your walk. This way the music and environment work together in a way that is more impactful for you, the listener.

While listening, you will also begin to notice the presence of sounds from nature. I collected these recordings with the intention of adding another dimension of immersion to your experience. On a quiet day you will still be able to hear the songs of birds, on a calm day you will still be able to hear the gentle rustling of trees in the wind, and when the water is still you will still be able to enjoy the calming sounds of the water sloshing about as you look over the harbour. Because I didn’t want to simply add to the soundscape of sounds that already exist, these sounds were processed with unnatural reverbs and delays. My intentions while using these types of processings is to try to create a slight disconnect with reality as it’s often liberating to escape for a while. 
If you listen very closely, you may also hear a faint echoing voice speaking to you in certain parts of the walk. You may not be able to understand what it is saying, but interpret it however you desire.
 Before you begin on this walk, I’d like to ask that you try to clear your mind. Take your emotions with you but don’t focus too hard on what made you feel that way. You could take this walk on a warm summers day or a dull and drizzly day, and even though one might seem more enticing than the other, peace can be achieved on any kind of day. Note that the music will be perceived differently based on the emotions you take into it.

The park has been split up into 10 unique audio sites for you to explore. I hope I this walk will enable me to share a bit of what this place means to me, and most importantly that you enjoy your walk through the beautiful Ballast Point Park.