A sound artist concentrating on compositions that aim to connect people's perceptions with their sense of place, Robert Jarvis’ shortlisted proposal is a musical composition for a ‘choir’ of bats using detectors placed at the London Wetland Centre.
A sound artist concentrating on compositions that aim to connect people's perceptions with their sense of place, Robert Jarvis’ shortlisted proposal is a musical composition for a ‘choir’ of bats using detectors placed at the London Wetland Centre.
The bat detectors will be located in optimum positions around the reserve to receive the ultrasonic biosonar calls of the bats that visit each night (up to 10,000 at peak times). These signals will be transmitted to a sound manipulating computer which will then record, process and sequence the sounds according to an algorithmic composition created by Robert. The result, heard in situ continuously for four months, will be a four-dimensional experience based on the previous night’s activity, and therefore never the same twice. Listeners will be able hear the composition through multiple speakers, as well as move through the sound field to experience the music fly around them.
A multi-functioning work, Echolocation is both a responsive piece that pushes at the boundaries of what is technically possible with work of this nature and one which will also have an impact on current research into bat behaviour.
Robert Jarvis works as a sound artist creating compositions that encourage people to rethink their environments and question how they relate to their surroundings. His works range from surround-sound gallery pieces to site-specific permanent outdoor installations, as well as smaller, more intimate works. In recent years his work has received recognition through the British Composer Awards (winner of the New Media Category, 2005 and 2006) and the British Council.
“Echolocation made us question what the essence of a particular sound actually is.” New Music Award panel
Can bats really make music? Do you think that the music will be different everyday? Click here to let us know your thoughts...
Responses so far
"What I love about this one is that it will reach a large and varied audience. Visitors from every walk of life and a broad range of ages will be visiting the centre, hearing new music, and having their curiosities piqued. Yes, the music invites so many questions in the listeners minds, for instance, Why do bats use sound? Do they ever use it to communicate with each other? Could a person (especially a blind person) use sound to echolocate? Does the shape of the bats face have similarities with the shape of the human ear? This is the kind of music that makes people think and transforms their experience of bats, of humans, of sound, of communication. This kind of transformative experience is the whole reason for art."
"I'm not sure whether bats make music, but they do make sound. And when human beings focus their attention on a sound, they experience it as music. So yes, in this way bats make music (when humans experience the sounds in a musical way)."
"Yes, the music will be different everyday! Living organisms repeat some actions every day, but each day the actions and the places are slightly different... a lot like the 'variations on a theme' idea in music."
"I think this is an intriguing and innovative project. Given the high frequency of the bats' sonar communication system, this installation will give us the opportunity to hear what is usually above our sonic capabilities. Bats are one of the more neglected endangered species and this project, as well as challenging people's conceptions of music, should raise awareness of this remarkable creature... bring on the bats!!!"