When’s the last time you sat in nature and just listened, and I mean really listened to the ambient sounds surrounding you? Myriad evidence proves exposure and listening to nature can improve both mental and physical health. During the pandemic lockdown, two SLO County acquaintances—sound designer bryant keith bayhan (they/them and all lower case like e. e. cummings) and local artist and naturalist Derek Schultz (he/him)—began sharing nature-inspired recordings.
See the light!
Sound designer bryant keith bayhan and percussionist Aaron Kroeger will perform Memories of the Far Shore, an immersive light and ambient sound show at The Bunker SLO on Thursday, Oct. 30 (6 to 8 p.m.; all ages; free though donations are gratefully accepted; RSVP at my805tix.com). The Bunker is located at 810 Orcutt Road Learn more about the venue at thebunkerslo.com.
“We talked over email about music we were working on and realized we shared a lot of similar interests in slower music that emphasized your perception, sounds that were evocative of real places, and albums that felt like physical journeys,” bryant explained via email. “I used to be more of a songwriter and performed electronic pop music, and Derek used to play in metal bands, but I think we had both been shifting toward more ambient music styles, and not being able to perform for a while after COVID started encouraging a lot of introspective music making.”
Their online collaboration resulted in an album called Memories of the Far Shore, which is now the title of the light and sound show performed by bryant and Próxima Parada percussionist Aaron Kroeger, which aims to transport listeners to our coastal waters.
“The performance is about the Baywood estuary between Morro Bay and Los Osos, and the songs take you on a journey from the back bay area near where the boats dock, across the water to the sand dunes, and the ‘far shore’ is the western side of the sand dunes,” bryant explained. “There is also an element of light invoked by some of the songs. I’m fascinated by the way the morning fog in Morro Bay captures sunlight within it. It glows in a specific way that I haven’t seen anywhere else.
“Also, the shifting colors of diffuse light from a fading sunset as it shines from behind the sand dunes is an image that is important to this music. The colors changing from orange to red to purple is something we try to capture throughout the set.”
Though Schultz is still tangentially involved with the project, bryant and Kroeger are the performers.
“Derek is currently busy with other life commitments, but he’s been instrumental in developing the philosophy behind the live performance versions of the songs,” bryant noted. “We go for long walks together every few months to discuss how things are going and how we would like the project to build as time goes forward. The project is already activating both aural and visual senses.
“This performance at The Bunker is important, because our previous show at ShinyObject in Morro Bay was the testing ground to see what worked, and this is us refining from experience and feedback. It’s going to be a memorable show, but also, for us it’s just one step in a much larger collaboration which started five years ago and I’m sure will continue much further as we grow, learn, and share,” bryant said. “I’ve already talked with two local venues about doing related performances next year, and we have plans to tour the show as interest grows.”
When they perform the piece for just the second time on Thursday, Oct. 30, at The Bunker SLO, they’ll begin by doing a 30-minute “sound demonstration,” which will give people a chance to adjust to the surround sound speaker system.
“This isn’t a normal music performance, and people generally aren’t used to hearing sound played from all sides and it could be a little overwhelming or distracting if we just started up the whole system at once,” bryant said. “The music is very sensorial and stimulating, and it’s about teaching people how to listen in a different way than they are maybe used to. The software I use to perform my music on the surround sound system was developed by a French audio research team who refer to these types of setups involving multiple speakers as ‘sound gardens’: It’s alive around you, and I’m just the caretaker.”
Clearly, this is not a typical concert, and bryant hopes attendees will adjust to the unusual experience.
“Expect the event to start on time, maybe bring a cushion for the chairs provided, and be prepared to listen differently,” they stressed. “More so than preparing for the event, what I’d like people to do is to take away from the show a few moments of attention and to actively listen to what’s around them. To quote a big inspiration for me, the sound designed Walter Murch said, ‘In the womb, our consciousness develops in sound, and then we are born into light.’”
The event is free, but seating is limited. RSVP at my805tix.com, and bryant will also have small pieces of his visual art available for donation before and after the performance. He and Kroeger are also accepting tips if people are so inclined.
“Most of all, I’d like people to know that they can support this project by joining us for the performance, following me on Instagram at @IAmThePaperman, or telling people what an interesting show they saw because we’d love to continue bringing it to more people who are interested in original, cross-disciplinary art such as this.” ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Pets 2025.