Lines In The Water II, 2026

I had the idea to rust a score over the course of a performance after I saw a rusting buoy while on a site visit to the Robins Reef Light in the middle of New York Harbor. The buoy had these amazing wave shaped rust patterns on it, but also a huge spray painted “4” directly on the side. The unique rusting patterns showed the ocean actively eroding the buoy until it fully dissipates into nothingness, but here is this big “4” on the side which is a categorization from a human trying to impose their own navigational/segmented idea onto something so endless and eternal as the ocean.

This inspired me to begin thinking of what a sonic representation of this relationship could look like, and I settled on a rusting score, that actively dissipated during the course of a performance. On one side, the standard notation representing the symbolic quantification of sound created by people, and on the other side- rust, a natural process eroding the musical symbols.

A mixture of hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and saltwater leaks onto the score from a small water pump triggered at different intervals throughout the performance. The performers interpret the rust patterns as graphic notation. As the score erodes and changes, new opportunities of sonic growth emerge as the piece progresses.

This piece was made over the course of a one month residency with The New House Center for Performing Arts at Snug Harbor, Staten Island.

Link to Residency interview: https://www.shaolinartparty.com/blog/torge-goderstad-interview