The Shell
Story-listening
A couple of high tides and low tides later, I got the sensor in place. I then started wondering how to creatively conceal it within what could possibly be a story object.
I needed it to be of symbolic significance but also accessible and identifiable by those who aren’t already aware of the mythology of it all.
Along the way, some waves became sound waves. Thinking about sound and about the ocean made me think of the conch Lord Vishnu holds in his hand. Blowing into the conch shell creates what is considered by Hindus and Buddhists to be — the primordial sound of creation — ‘Om’. It also represents contraction and expansion, just like the breath and awareness itself.
It was a perfect vessel for me.
Where do I find one in London I wonder? I decided that if I couldn’t get my hands on one I would 3D print my own conch shell, that way I could get one in the size I want , with the necessary openings for the wires. However I was in luck and I got this beaut online from a local Indian seller. It was the perfect size to conceal the sensor and it had the perfect opening to draw the wires through.
Thank God! Clearly, my 3D model wasn’t going to cut it.
This was also a perfect opportunity to exploit the newly set up spatial audio rig at uni.
I set up Hairless MIDI as a serial bridge between the Arduino board and Ableton. I was able to set this up with Reaper as well.
The idea was to have the sound to lap in time with the breath.
On a side note, while I was looking this up, I found some fascinating controllers and interfaces.
I loved how it reincorporated breath into sound. Apparently they don’t make them anymore :-(
It is also an interesting moment to note the findings of the following scientific research.
“These findings that auditory perception also goes through peaks and troughs supports the theory that perception is not passive but in fact our understanding of the world goes through cycles. We have suspected for some time that the senses are not constant but are processed via cyclical, or rhythmic functions; these findings lend new weight to that theory. These findings are important as humans make decisions at the rate of about one-sixth of a second, which is in line with these auditory oscillations”, said Professor Alais from the University of Sydney.
The brain is believed to sample information in this cyclic fashion, reflecting the action of attention which appears to sample neural activity in rapid bursts.
[Hao Tam Ho, Johahn Leung, David C. Burr, David Alais, Maria Concetta Morrone. Auditory Sensitivity and Decision Criteria Oscillate at Different Frequencies Separately for the Two Ears. Current Biology, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.017]
That explains a lot. It’s all about rhythm and tuning in- paying attention and listening.
The sounds of the waves, the sounds of the breath, the sound of Om.
This article ties it all together.
