Sound Artist Christopher Janney Makes Music For the Public Arena

Christopher Janney, a trained architect and a longtime musician, creates public works that combine his two passions, bringing art to people in the places where they make their everyday lives. He has designed sound installations for airports, created a sonic forest at Lincoln Center and turned houses into musical instruments. He also famously collaborated with dancers Sara Rudner and Mikhail Baryshnikov to create a performance where the dancer’s amplified heartbeat became the musical accompaniment.

His latest installation is an interactive sound piece at an amphitheater on the campus of Montclair State University in New Jersey, and is called “Everywhere is the Best Seat,” which comes from a quote from the famous composer John Cage.

Janney stopped by our studio recently to discuss his work:

“Everywhere is the Best Seat” runs at Montclair State University through November 14. “What is a Heart?”, Janney’s movie about the creation of the performance piece “Heartbeat” premieres on October 12.