photo Sonya Duus

153 musicians needed to save 153 bird species from mining magnate!

2014

Dear fellow musicians,
The amazing Bimblebox Nature Refuge in central-west Queensland is threatened by proposed long-wall and open-cut coal mining.
It is home to around 153 bird species.
We are working with a group of artists on the Bimblebox Art Project. The aim of this art project is to highlight the threat to Bimblebox Nature Refuge, to document Bimblebox creatively and to show Australians what we are at risk of losing.

For our work we want to record 153 musicians playing their interpretations of one of the 153 Bimblebox birds’ calls.
We have compiled a list of bird call mnemonics and onomatopoeias for the score.
These will be heard from speakers in ‘Coalface’ an installation created by us: Alison Clouston (visual artist) and Boyd (musician/sound artist).
CAN YOU HELP???
Many thanks Alison and Boyd
The process:
Email Boyd:  boyd@burragorang.org
He will send you the description of a particular Bird call.
You record your interpretation and send it back as mp3 or wav file via email, mail, Dropbox or similar.
Boyd will edit all the calls together for the installation soundtrack.
He will also make them available to any of the musicians who want to create their own Bimblebox birds composition.
The resulting work will be part of the exhibition Bimblebox: art – science – nature touring Regional Galleries next year and documented online. There are currently 11 venues in 4 states. The recordings will also form the sound component of a further exhibition Bimblebox 153 Birds, a collection of prints, poetry/prose and music representing the unique grouping of birdlife species thriving on Bimblebox Nature Refuge. Musicians will all be credited for their work.

Have a listen to our project BIRD CRY from the Grassy Box Woodlands that used musicians’ bird calls in this way.