Melissa Lugtu
Sonification of Margaritifera margaritifera along Hanhioja River, 2022
Recording of duet for ocarina and flute
The at times discordant duet with ocarina and flute shows the river’s depth and profile, with the ocarina’s notes mapped to the river’s depth and the flute sounding changes in the recorded population of Margaritifera margaritifera along the river. Listening to the interacting strings of notes provides insight into the relationship between the mussels and the river, with the tempo shifting according to the scientists’ notation of the river profile. The data for this sonification, contextualized in a 2022 lecture by researcher Panu Oulasvirta, comes from the Mm survey by Finland-based Alleco spanning 2002-2005.
