Listen to Music Generated by Cambridge Trees

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“I work in sound design, says artist Skooby Laposky, talking about the Hidden Life Radio Project, “so I’m always looking for new ways to create sounds. The idea of dialing back my creative impulses and letting something natural influence my workflow interested and excited me.” 

This public art project, supported in part by a Cambridge Arts grant through funds from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, allows anyone to listen to a live stream from each of three trees at Cambridge Public Library branches: 
- Copper Beech Tree (80+ years old) – Main Branch, in front of building 
- Honey Locust Tree (30 years old) – Boudreau Branch, at side of building on Donnell Street 
- Red Oak Tree (60 years old) – Collins Branch, in front of yellow house to the right of library 

Each tree has a solar-powered biodata sonification kit installed on one of its branches that measures the tree’s “hidden” activities, such as absorbing water during a rainstorm. According to Laposky, "Hidden Life Radio’s 'broadcast' is a musical composition unfolding in real-time and running twenty-four hours a day from leafout in summer until leaf drop in November." 

Listen and learn more: https://hiddenliferadio.com/
Find out about upcoming Skooby's upcoming performances with trees and other musicians: starting with the Weeping Willow tree at the Main Library https://hiddenliferadio.com/Events-and-Performances

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 24, 2021 at 4:47 PM

    Thank you for doing the interview and spreading the word about the project!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownSeptember 14, 2021 at 11:52 AM

    A hidden life going on around us. Points up again the importance of keeping every tree that we can in urban environments

    ReplyDelete

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