‘Calling Songs’ is a research into the possibilities of making music with insect and frog choirs, live and on location.
In Western music practice, it is common to present music under controlled and isolated conditions. This corresponds to a view in which music is seen as an exclusively human activity. In this project, the listener is invited to question the idea of culture versus nature. For the performers, the central question is how to give non-human life a voice in our artistic practice. The research consists of a theoretical part in which Johannes Westendorp explores the function of insect song and the regulations related to working on location. An artistic part in which he investigates the musical possibilities of the populations. And a technical part in which he develops the musical instruments.
For the artistic part, Johannes Westendorp will collaborate with Zwerm. For ‘Calling Songs’, they will create a set-up consisting largely of electric guitar pedals. When placed in loops these pedals have a sound potential that is close to insect song. Together with prototype designer Pieter Verhees they will develop a speaker set-up consisting of several small speakers that can be placed in a field. Dutch biologist and insect expert Baudewijn Odé is involved in the project as an advisor.
(c) Egor Kamelev
