Future Earth Scream Now - The Solresol Birdsong Translator

Jim Lloyd

About this exposition

In this exposition, we describe a ‘speculative fabulation’ on communication with birds. A device was built that ‘listens’ to birdsong and translates this into human speech utilising the obscure musical language Solresol (François Sudre, 1866). Birdsong is analysed and converted into musical notes (one octave in the scale of C Major: do-re-me-fa-sol-la-ti). These seven notes are grouped to form four-note ‘words’ that are looked-up in the Solresol-English dictionary. Each note also has a rainbow colour assigned to it. In a variety of configurations, the device can output the birdsong, notes, music, translated words, and colours. Text and MIDI (music) files can both be saved for further output or processing. The software can run in a variety of modes and on a variety of hardware, including PC and Raspberry Pi. It can make use of both live and recorded birdsong. The device and software are described, as well as several examples of its outputs, such as ‘auto-poetry’ and music. The presentation of the work and modes of engagement are described. The contextual significance is discussed in relation to claims about the practice as artistic research.

type	research exposition
keywords	Birdsong, language, artistic research, inter-species, translation, transdiciplinarity
date	30/12/2021
published	30/12/2021
last modified	30/12/2021
status	published
affiliation	Newcastle University, School of Arts and Culture
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
language	British English
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/940166/948790
doi	https://doi.org/10.22501/jar.940166
published in	Journal for Artistic Research
portal issue	25. 25

name	thrush1 speed read text_Trim
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	reading solresol blackbird poem
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	Blackbird1_Trim
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	blackbird 2
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	Robin at night cropped
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	video

name	Lite version demo
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	PI DEMO
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	Jim-17-05-2019-19-02-58 int dawn chorus day with 4 sqs_Trim
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	skylark a min_mixdown
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	Matt and the birds
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	song thrush midi
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	Skylark midi muse demo
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	kevin bird mask
copyright	Kevin Buckley
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Methods title
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text, text, text, text, text, text

name	Bird wood
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	190512_002._dunnock_maybe_tel_JL_lateWAV
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	Annotation 2020-07-26 223300
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	St_Abbs_head_Kittiwakes_etc
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	IMG_2670_st abbs head
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	what language to use_Trim
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	solresol full1
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	lookup
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	patch example
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	example output translator
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	screen shot kite version
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	screen shot oi version
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	vlcsnap-2020-07-03-21h39m12s707
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Continuum bird translator instalation view
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	Full Demo
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	me parabola edited
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	video

name	Producing outputs
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text

name	Use of device
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text

name	software and hardware
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text, text

name	Lie and Pi versions
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text

name	GOPR7239_Trim_noaudio
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	video

name	Screen Shot 2021-12-24 at 11.08.54
copyright	nn
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture, picture

name	Stormcock image
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	background

name	stormcock_in_rain_200223_003_01
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Title
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text

name	Odin_hrafnar
copyright	Public Domain
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Capture sudre book front
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	solresol bird translator rPi
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

name	Introduction1
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	All rights reserved
usages	text

name	pentatonic_blackbird_just
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	CROP_Pouch,_southeastern_Ojibwa,_with_porcupine_quills,_from_Boston_Museum_Collection_-_Native_American_collection_-_Peabody_Museum,_Harvard_University_-_DSC05441
copyright	Public Domain
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	800px-Turdus_philomelos_-_Western_Springs_Lakeside_Park
copyright	J J Harrison
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	song thrush midi
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	audio

name	blackbird2
copyright	Jim Lloyd
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	picture

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Future Earth Scream Now - The Solresol Birdsong Translator (2021)

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