Bodies on the Border: Testimonios, Sonic Landscapes, and Artistic Sustainability in the Borderlands

Abstract

My hometown, Douglas, Arizona, is a small community situated on the U.S./Mexico border. It sits directly across from its sister city, Agua Prieta, Sonora. In our current political climate, the discourse surrounding immigration policies, procedures, and assumed risks have influenced the perception of and national conversation about already marginalized communities. Communities like Douglas and Agua Prieta are rich in culture and creative potential, but often lack resources and support systems to sustain creative artistic environments. This has led to a commodification and quantification mentality in regard to both occupational and avocational trajectories, especially in the younger demographics who come from immigrant backgrounds. This project continues the conversation of geographic and musical barriers by way of exploring the borderlands’ oral histories and embodied knowledge through communal participation via encuentros and the “mindfulness of presence with others.” I have generated musical material exploring the intersections of convivencia, testimonios, and the fluid sonic landscape of the borderlands via field recordings, and a sustainable artistic landscape that highlights social functions and dynamics in the borderlands. I have done so by utilizing the role of intergenerational storytelling and mapping those narratives on to works generated by way of improvisation, text-based notation, and sound installations that speak to the border experience. Artistic expression is a way for members of border communities like Douglas and Agua Prieta to engage with society and challenge the mainstream perception of these demographics both internally as well as externally. The critical witnessing of these stories encourages reflection, contemplation, and preservation while acting as a vehicle for action and social change.