Yosemite National Park Video Collage
Yosemite National Park Video Collage, 2022
Medium: Video
Video Duration: 1:23
The first in a series of video collages in which I explore the complexity of US national identity and citizenship. Sounds collected from Yosemite National Park are lightly edited and coded as notes, approximating pitch using a pitch finder. These collected sounds are then assigned a respective key on a digital piano and played to the tune of the first two lines of the US national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. After translating my audio collage into music I created a video collage mirroring the diegetic sounds of the park, reuniting video and audio in rhythmic synchronicity. The resulting anthem is subtle, and the ability to perceive or hear it is reliant on the viewer’s cultural background and familiarity with the song. This reflects my internal processing of national identity and what it means to be an American citizen after returning from living abroad.