It is official. This years Eclipse Sonification project will feature the Kronos Quartet as well as a computer Sonification. I am honored to be composing music for this legendary musical entity.
What is a Sonification?
There are many things that can be called sonifications. In this case I will be converting digital (telescope) video into raw data, which is then converted into sound.
Initial Plan
Here is the master score for computer Sonification, Balinese Gamelan, and Kronos Quartet. Written in late 2016. The Gamelan score is here: gam_score. Written for Pak Bandam’s Gamelan from the village of Singapadu, with the assistance of Dr. Made Mantle Hood, and the Kronos Quartet.
This is how it was supposed to work.
Here is a more detailed visualization of the score with timings in two time zones.
Here is a great tool for calculating how to have a performance or a Skype call between three very different time zones.
Here is a great online tool for calculating Frequency (in Hz) to Pitch.
Useful for matching our western, tempered tuning and the untempered intervals of the Gamelan.
Late in 2016 it was decided that the Gamelan inclusion was too technically challenging and was cut from the project.
So the project will go ahead as a duet. While disappointed that we couldn’t include the Gamelan I am still more than excited about the project.
More to come!