Accidental Ornithology

Accidental Ornithology is a collection of 14 improvisations from multi-instrumentalists Sarah Belle Reid (trumpet, electronics) and Vinny Golia (woodwinds), inspired by the fascinating quirks and cries of imaginary birds. It’s a rare occurrence to hear the grumbling cry of the Autumn Bog Fowl, or witness the chaotic flight pattern of the Red Crested Floobog - they are elusive creatures, indeed. Fanciful plumage, mysterious diets, colorful horns...these birds seem almost too incredible to be real… Inspired by these wondrous creatures, multi-instrumentalists Vinny Golia and Sarah Belle Reid created Accidental Ornithology - fourteen improvised musical moments that each honour a different feathered friend... from the depths of the Mud Diver’s dwelling, to the contagious joy of the Laughing Grumblostt’s chortle...and beyond. This electroacoustic album is a collection of bizarre and spontaneous conversations between quarter-tone contrabass flute, piccolo, clarinet, trumpet, quarter-tone flugelhorn, modular synthesizer, and interactive electronics in MaxMSP—an ever-changing sound world that is at once alarming, delicate, woozy, incessant, and playful.