"Dug-Out" (1990) by Maurice Kenny with original score by Helen Thorington: In 1984 when two dug-out canoes were unearthed on a private estate in Malone, New York, it was a very special occasion for the Mohawk Indian Nation at Akwesasne. These two artifacts preserved for 400-500 years in the mud of the Malone pond, were the oldest known artifacts linking the Mohawks to their past. Deeply moved by their excavation, and the subsequent unsuccessful effort to place the dug-outs in the Indian Museum at Akwesasne, Native American poet Maurice Kenny wrote an epic poem that serves as the textual base for this radio work. His performance evokes the past of the Mohawk Nation and its present. As history, family, ritual and nature merge in Kenny's poem, so do voices, sounds and music in the production. Commissioned by New American Radio.

"Dream Sequence, Parts 1 & 2" (1979) by Helen Thorington is one of the first compositions for radio to make use of electronic processing, The Dream Sequence unfolds associationally, its lyrical text reflecting humorously on the author's rural experience and her concern for personal disappearance.

In its ten years as a weekly national series, 1987-1998, New American Radio (NAR) commissioned and distributed over 300 original works: conceptual new drama, associational documentary, language explorations, sonic meditations, environmental compositions, musical explorations and works that pioneer new dimensions in acoustic space. Wave Farm is thrilled to be partnering with New American Radio to ensure these works remain available to listeners today and into the future.

New American Radio was organized by Helen Thorington, Executive Producer and Regine Beyer, Associate Producer. A special thanks to both Helen Thorington and Jo-Anne Green for their generous support and collaboration of this partnership, and their contribution to the field at large!

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