SHORT

Music for magnolias is an outdoor sound installation. It consists of several sound-making "Spots" - each made-up of a small solar cell and a tiny electronic circuit. These Spots are attached to the lower branches of a large tree (preferably a Magnolia). As the sun moves across the sky, it shines through the leaf coverage of the tree and produces a dappled light effect on the solar cells. This causes the solar power for each circuit to fade in and out, allowing each Spot to play with different sounds and signal strengths at different times of the day and in different weather conditions. This radio piece is a recent recording of Magnolias playing in the winter sun, with a bit of the outdoor background noise and some added birds and sounds from the summer.

LONG

Music for magnolias is an outdoor sound installation. It consists of several sound-making "Spots" - each made-up of a small solar cell and a tiny electronic circuit. These Spots are attached to the lower branches of a large tree (preferably a Magnolia). As the sun moves across the sky, it shines through the leaf coverage of the tree and produces a dappled light effect on the solar cells. This causes the solar power for each circuit to fade in and out, allowing each Spot to play with different sounds and signal strengths at different times of the day and in different weather conditions. 

Each Spot is built like a sandwich, starting with a Solar Cell on top of a circuit board. The circuits are designed to provide habitat for small insects. Different insects look for gaps of certain sizes that exist in the natural world. The gap between the solar cells and the circuit boards encourages specific insects to bring their own nesting materials and move in. Once the piece has been outside for a few months it will play home to spiders, treehoppers, small beetles, tiny bees, and other critters.

This radio piece is a recent recording of Magnolias playing in the winter sun, with a bit of the outdoor background noise and some added birds and sounds from the summer.