Memory Banks (2025), Ian Dicke
1 sound
Memory Banks (2025) is an analog synthesizer loop piece inspired by the South Mesa Garden’s 1300 year old giant redwood stump exhibit. Trees grow by adding a new ring each year, with the width and characteristics of the rings offering a glimpse into past climates, ecosystems, and geological events which extend beyond human-recorded history. Memory Banks’ continuous cyclical structure mirrors the ebb and flow of these rings to create a portrait of a tree’s amazing lifecycle. Ian Dicke is a composer, musician, and software designer inspired by the intersection of technology and social-political culture. Praised for his “refreshingly well-structured” (Feast of Music) and “uncommonly memorable” (Sequenza 21) catalogue of works, Dicke’s music has been commissioned and performed by ensembles and soloists around the world, including the New World Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Paul Dresher Ensemble, pianist Vicky Chow, The MATA Festival, ISCM World New Music Days, and the Atlantic Coast Center Band Director’s Association. Dicke is a Professor of Composition at the University of California, Riverside and founder of Novel Music, a software company that distributes innovative Max for Live devices. Notable features of the South Mesa Gardens: Ben's Wildlife Pond, Johnson's Oval w/ Gazebo, Rising Peace Sculpture, California's Courtyard, Genesis sculpture, Silent Sentinel Sculpture, Wildflowers, Tree Rings Exhibit
