The Locust Tree in Flower (2000)

interactive multimedia installation

About the Work:

The Locust Tree in Flower is an interactive multimedia installation, based on a poem by William Carlos Williams. The installation invites a single person at a time to create and perform a musical setting of the poem by simply reading it. A short piece of music is generated in real time by applying digital processing, mixing, and looping to the user's voice.

The installation makes use of new synthesis algorithms which were developed by the composer. These algorithms use techniques adapted from a field of mathematics known as cellular automata. While the overall form and structure of the piece is pre-determined, all of the sounds themselves are produced in real time, and they vary according to the pitch, timbre, and inflection of the user's voice.

A common audio processing technique called phase vocoding is also used in the installation. Phase vocoding is used to repeat highly compressed copies of the sounds a user has already generated earlier in the piece. These compressed repetitions highlight phonetic relationships within the text.

The Locust Tree in Flower is intended to give people a meaningful role in creating and performing a short piece of music, whether or not they have a formal musical education. It also seeks to highlight the richness and diversity of the human voice.

User Interaction:

The Locust Tree in Flower is a physical installation in a museum, gallery, or concert hall lobby. It is designed for use by a single person at a time, and lasts approximately four minutes. To interact with the installation, users simply step up to the microphone, put on a set of headphones, and follow the instructions displayed on the screen. Users are prompted to read the phonemes of the poem in succession as the music unfolds.

Video and Images:

• Click here to see a video of the installation in action.
• Click here to see a slide show of images from the installation.

Performance History:

Masterpieces of Twentieth-Century Tape Music, Lincoln Center Festival's "Electronic Evolution" series, July 2000, New York City.

Heavy Music for Light People, May 2001, Flea Theater, New York City

Living With The Genie, March 2002, New York City

Exhibiting The Locust Tree in Flower:

If you are a gallery, museum, concert venue, or other institution interested in a short-term or long-term exhibition of this work, please contact me for more information.

I am also interested in making this work available online. The technology to make this possible has just recently become available, but putting the work online is still a major project which would necessitate rewriting most of the software from the ground up.

If you are a museum, gallery, foundation, web site, or other organization which is interested in supporting this endeavor and/or exhibiting an online version of this work, please contact me.

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