ear to the earth- a festival for music, sound and ecology
new york, n.y. (USA)
bruce odland and sam auinger create an instrument that transforms the noise of daily life in manhattan into a living harmonic series, allowing the visitor to hear the city as a symphony.
a tuning tube suspended from the railing collects the sound of traffic, helicopters, and boats, all visible from the plaza, and transforms them into harmony which is then played back in real time from three blue cement cube speakers on the walkway. this makes a humane and gentle musical atmosphere, tuned to the volume of conversation which humanizes the rather violent sounds of fossil-fueled daily life and enhances the garden atmosphere, while engaging the visitor to sit and think, feel and hear the city.