The Plant Band¶
Collaborators: Marielle Wall, Jordan Hodges, the Plants
Story¶
by Marielle Wall
The Plant Band is a group of plants who desire to tell children about their lives through the form of song. Through the use of electronics and code, us humans have translated the secret language of plants to something we can hear and interact with.
We are challenging children and their parents to listen deeply to what the plants are saying then translate the story the plants are trying to tell. What the plants are saying to the young humans is up to our interpretation and our ability to really hear what they have to say.
How Does the Plant Band Work?¶
Beyond the code and hardware logistics, what we are doing is simple. We are listening, interpreting, and re-telling - hopefully all through the eyes and imagination of children.
The plants are hooked up to sensors that detect the invisible biological processes within the plants. These fluctuations are turned into MIDI data and sent to a synthesizer to make them into musical sounds. The resulting music is unique to each plant and changes throughout the day! We don't have much control over the notes generated from the plants and their songs vary depending on the amount of light and water they receive, soil, species, and possibly even more.
This hardware and code is based on an open source project by Sam Cusumano. You can find out more about his work and details on how to build this on Electricity for Progress.
Engagement¶
This interventions was inspired by the question "How do children understand nature?" Our colleague, Jordan, is going to be a father in the new year and interested in what it means to raise a child connected to earth and other living things. When he moved to Barcelona with he and his partner connected with a network of parents, doulas, and a network of childcare providers. As part of his journey he connected with the owner of Stephy's, a gathering place for families that is part cafe part daycare.
Stephy invited us and the Plant Band to be the entertainment at her pop-up market on January 22nd. She hosts these pop-ups regularly for a group of local female business owners based in Barcelona. Families visit the market with their kids so this is a great opportunity for the kids to experience the Plant Band.
Guided Activity¶
As part of the interaction with the Plant Band we have designed an activity for the kids in age group of around 5-7. Our collaborator, Marielle, has created stickers from illustrations based on the Plant Band. The children will be invited to create a story with stickers based their ideas on what the plant might be singing about.
See Also¶
How Biodata Sonification Works
Collaboration with Mason Exhibitions and Arcadia Project by artist Sam Nester.
Stephy's Instagram to see upcoming events.
Created: June 20, 2023