Geodesium
Geodesium is the name of a music project by composer and recording artist Mark C. Petersen. The word is formed by combining the terms "geodesic dome" and "planetarium" and refers to the space music Petersen creates specifically for use as scores for planetarium shows.
Petersen has produced soundtracks for over 60 planetarium shows performed in installations in more than 50 countries around the world. [1] He has performed several live music shows in planetariums in the USA and the UK as well, but he considers his work to be a studio creation and not particularly well-suited to live performances,[2] as his music features multiple electronic musical instruments, difficult to operate in real time. [3]
The music of Geodesium has been featured in planetarium shows narrated by well-known screen personalities including James Earl Jones, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Patrick Stewart.[1] Petersen's music has also appeared in TV commercials for major corporations including AT&T, Ford, Pizza Hut, Honda, Coors, and the Colorado Lottery. [2] and has been featured in a variety of NASA-produced programs, Digistar demonstration shows for Evans & Sutherland, and special-effects laserdiscs for Sky-Skan. [2] Geodesium music has been featured on space music radio programs such as Musical Starstreams, Music from The Hearts of Space, and Opus 357. [4]
History
Petersen's interest in creating music for planetariums was sparked in 1975 when he observed the construction of the planetarium at the University of Colorado. After sharing some of his Moog synthesizer recordings with the planetarium's designer, Petersen was invited to create the music for the first show at the new facility, and was the composer-in-residence there from 1975 to 1978. [2]
Discography
All released by Loch Ness Productions:
- Geodesium, 1977
- Double Eclipse, 1981
- West of the Galaxy, 1987
- Fourth Universe, 1992
- Anasazi, 1993
- Stellar Collections, 2001
- "'Tis The Season", 2002
- A Gentle Rain Of Starlight, 2007
- "Music From SpacePark360", 2010
- Arcturian Archives, 2011
- Stella Novus, 2011
External links
Footnotes
- ^ a b Geodesium: Music for Planetariums By Matt Howarth Interview with Mark C. Petersen on space.com
- ^ a b c d An interview with Mark C. Petersen by Bruce Atchison, Voyager magazine
- ^ "Mark uses electronic keyboards, samplers and synthesizers to create his unique brand of planetarium space music. From verdant planetscapes to flights of fantasy through deep space, the music portrays magnificent visions of the universe." official site for Geodesium's label, Loch Ness Productions
- ^ Music from the Hearts of Space Playlist server entries featuring Geodesium at: [1], [2], [3].