Sonic Force

“Co‐composer Dwight Frizzell captured the full range of motion and two fully operational US Air Force attack planes from their flights to their subtle shutdown sounds. Orchestrator Michael Henry then wrote a score, using traditional (military band) instruments to echo the flaring motors and snorting exhaust. The (National Audio Theatre) plays the piece with stunt‐pilot daring, blurring the lines between music and machine.”—Andrew Miller, The Pitch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdCqfyUgJE&t=82s

http://www.isorhythm.com/Sonic_Force.html

Sonic Force National Audio Theatre version

for 2-A10 Warthog Attack Planes, Location Recording Group, Documentary Production Group, A10 Warthog Mixing Crew, Instrumental Ensemble, Jet Exhaust Choir, Sound Effects Squadron, and Sound Projection Specialists

Sonic Force is an unusual collaboration between the National Audio Theater and the A-10 Warthog Fighter Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri, newly created for multi-channel audio theater performance. The work, as introduced by the pilots and ground crew detailing their experience with the small and versatile A-10 attack plane, both celebrates military technology and retools it for artistic (rather than combat) purposes.

Digital recordings capturing the full range of motion of two A-10s, from their cacophonous takeoffs to their turbulent flights to their subtle shutdown sounds, are used by the musicians, vocalists and the sound effects crew to merge and interact with the Warthogs’ own turbo-jet musicality.

Written and composed by Dwight Frizzell and Michael Henry

Orchestrations and conducting by Michael Henry

Directed by Dwight Frizzell

Assistant Director Megan Hauser

Cast (Air Force Reserve)

Col. Roger Disrud

Captain Valerie Saur (pilot)

Technical Sergeant Dale Taylor

Air Evac Lifeteam James Lofton, Tim Pickering, Todd Shanks, Steve Rush

Actors (National Audio Theater)

Control Tower Narrator Lance Roger Axt

Pilot 1 (Saur) Megan Hauser

Pilot 2 (Caveman) Kevin Donnelly

Instrumentalists and Sound Effects

Native Flute Jerry Fretwell

Clarinets Dr. Thomas Aber, Zoe Aber, Nancy Fohn

Tenor sax Dave Taylor

Tibetan bowls Steve Donofrio

Alto sax and percussion Patrick Alonzo Conway

Guitar Julia Thro

Zwoom Dwight Frizzell

Whirl Wands David Shin and Don Priest

Water gong David Shinn

Cymbals Fredrick Greenhalgh

Other brass/woodwind realizations Michael Henry with newEar

Recording Engineers

Dwight Frizzell (Wabi Media)

Megan Henninger

David Shinn

Mark Wiener (CBS)

Tom Curley (CBS)

Renee Pringle (NPR)

Dianne Ballon

Tom Lopez (ZBS)

Michael Henry

Kerby Mitchell

Henry Howard

Dave Taylor

Michael Wilson

Mix engineers

Dwight Frizzell

Michael Henry

David Shinn

Kyle Harris

Ben Taylor

Mike Knopka

Stu Rushfield

Sponsored and Assisted by

Whiteman Air Force Base and the Ft. Leonard Wood Firing Range

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts The NEA believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Native American Public Telecommunications   Airos.org

Missouri Arts Council. This program was made possible with funding from the MAC, a state agency.

Ford Foundation

Missouri State University, West Plains University/Community Programs

The West Plains Civic Center

The West Plains Public Library

Yellow House Community Arts Center

Air Evac Lifeteam

Randy Story

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