Assignment 1

Solarduo Project by Koray Tahiroglu and Lyytikainen
http://mlab.uiah.fi/~korayt/solarduoprj.html

Two artists came up with the idea to create sound using light. Through the use of a calculator solar panel, they create rich sound structures through the use of analog and digital components. I am interested in sound experimentation as well as electronics. This piece raises the question of what does visible light sound like, and it also raises the question as to what other forms of energy can be converted to audible sound.

Energy Harvesting Derive
http://xncroft.com/projects/energyshoes.html

This project involves newer forms of generating sustainable energy. It uses hacked Heely's shoes to generate electricity while also encouraging the wearer to go outside and play. I am interested in sustainable energy and how simple everyday motions such as walking can be converted to electricty. This project raises the question of how can the energy in simple actions such as walking be harnessed. Also, it raises the question as to how can everyday excercise improve our lives in ways we may not have thought of.

Night Sounds
Shawn Decker
http://rhizome.org/editorial/2010/jul/30/the-night-sounds-1999-shawn-decker/

In this piece, four buckets are susepended by piano strings. Each bucker contains a certain amount of water that determines the tension on the piano strings. On the top of each string is a motor with a piece of wire that hits the piano string once every rotation. The result is a natural sound, similar to cicadas and crickets. This project interests me because it is the orchestration of sound to emulate nature. Also, I find the use of the bucket to determine pitch and amplification is interesting. This project raises the question as to how regular objects can be used to amplify sound. Also, it raises the question of how can small creatures like the cicada create such loud and harmonic sound.