Calling Songs is a research into the possibilities of integrating the sounds created by insect and frog choirs in a musical composition/soundscape.
An 8-channel speaker system was developed for this purpose, able to stand outside conditions and fitting into a natural environment.
The voices of crickets and frogs have characteristics that make them sound almost electronic and therefore blend surprisingly well with the sounds that the muiscians of Zwerm can produce using effectpedals, loop-feedback, modular synthesizers and occasionally a guitar.


Amphibians and insects have been around on this planet for about 350 million years. In both classes of animals some species invented choral singing, a strategy that offers advantages for reproduction, camouflage and territorial demarcation. By the time humans appeared on the scene, only 300.000 years ago they found themselves surrounded by the constant pulse of this primordial choir.

Calling Songs is a project in which we aim to add our voice, that we have increasingly focused on ourself, once again to this oldest of choirs.


Calling Songs is a collaboration between Johannes Westendorp, Zwerm and Pieter Verhees. The research is funded by AP Hogeschool Antwerpen. The project is supported by Gemeente 's-Hertogenbosch,

and coproduced by WALPURGIS and Oerol Festival.

November 2023

The next prototype is scaled up. Bigger speaker and bigger shell.

 

This is a short video of a testrun of Calling Songs prototype 3. Pieter 3-D printed a curved shell that could be mounted on top of small, upwards facing speaker. The shell was able to turn 360 degrees, driven by a small electromotor.

The objective was to hear how much of the sound was going to be reflected and how audible the movement of the sound was as the shell turned towards or away from the listener.

 

This first test was done outside my house, an urban area, with (unfortunately) lots of concrete and stone. Much more reflective walls than you would find in a natural environment.

Nevertheless, despite of all the concrete and despite of the smalle size of this prototype the movement of the sound due to the movement of the shell was still quite audible.

So this seemed a promising design.

 

Pieter and I started our first tests outside on a grey and chilly November afternoon.

We hooked up some sound equipment to a battery and tested speakers. Trying out different angles, postions and reflective materials.

 

We created some very basic dipole speakers using a wooden board and two different speakers (Visaton B 200 and Visaton FRS 8). The sound was very directional. It was a windy day and depending on the wind I could hear myself loud and clear or not at all.

 

We also faced the speakers upwards. Even on full volume most sound disappeared into space and never reached our ears. When we hovered a wooden board over it at an angle of 45 degrees we were able to project the sound at least 100 meter.

 

Conclusion of the day: allmost all sound is lost outside without any nearby reflectors. And the use of a (moving) reflector has a dramatic result. Which, for us, is good news.

For the second prototype I tried out an upside down pyramid shape (first made out of cardboard, and later out of wood). The pyramid was mounted above an upwards facing speaker. The objective was to hear how the sound would be reflected. Since the pyramid shape was hanging free I was curious to find out whether I would experience some relation between the wind and the movement of the sound.

 

This design was not very promising. There was some movement audible due to the changing postion of the pyramid, but not enough to make an impact. With different material, a curved surface and on a lager scale this would probably more succesful I think. But the construction is complicated (fragile).

So: no gol.

We also dismissed the idea of having a free floating shape. Using the wind as an infuence is, on a poetical level, a beautiful idea. In reality however we will be working under very unpredictable circumstances already. Adding wind to the variables that operate our soundinstallation is just asking for extra uncertainties.