colorful lights project on a dark grey display

Game Sound Design Assistant Program Director John Thomas Levee and recent graduate Graham Sullivan ’24 created an incredible sound experience to accompany Vermont artist Chris Jeffrey’s pop-up installation in Montpelier.

Jeffrey’s exhibit celebrates light and color, featuring bright neon lights dispersed across the room in all directions.

“Jeffrey can be exacting in his process,” writes Seven Days. “But he embraces its unplanned aspects too, giving the whole installation a Zen-like quality that Levee and Sullivan reinforce with their sound design. Stretched, slow drones are overlaid with occasional short, descending melodies and a deep, resonant bell. The low frequencies are calming and otherworldly, altering time as the light alters space.”

bright neon lights in an art display
The Montpelier pop-up installation shines bright with neon lights. Photos by Alice Dodge, Seven Days.

The Champlain duo previously collaborated on sound design for Jeffrey’s show, “Surface/Depth,” at the Champlain College Art Gallery last February. A few months later, Jeffrey traveled to Japan and captured audio recordings during his visit. When the time came to conceptualize this audio into a new soundscape for his upcoming installation, he knew who to call.

The result? A distinct artistic experience you can see, hear, and feel as you walk through the Montpelier storefront.

“People sometimes forget that sound is also a physical experience,” Levee told Seven Days. “It’s physical vibrations.”

At Champlain, students make connections through their experiential learning work that lead to future project and job opportunities. Vermont has a strong network of creators and doers, and collaborations like this one show the impact our students’ talents and expertise have on the local community and beyond.

Experience the exhibit yourself every Friday and Saturday in October from 5-8 PM at 54 Main Street in Montpelier.

Looking for more information about Champlain College? Start here!

Fill out the form to receive helpful information!

Kaylee Sullivan
Kaylee Sullivan
Community Content & Communications Manager
View My Profile

More Inside The View