Construction of The Paper:
NATURE AS A CONCEPT IN SONIC ARTS

Tuğrul Veli Şalcı, Sabancı University

Abstarct

This thesis investigates some of the ways in which nature is engaged as a concept and as a source material in the sonic arts. Through examining manifestations of nature in sonic art, this thesis attends to how and why composers and sound artists draw on aspects of the natural world in their works.

Keywords

Sonic Arts

Soundscape

Nature

Balance

Synths

Algorithmic Composition

Generative Music

Introduction

Although not all sonic works comment on environmental issues, each in some way connects to the natural world through the engagement with/representation of real-world locations, presentation of live/recorded natural sounds, and/or the generation of compositional materials from nonsounding environmental information.
 

Background

Thermology:
What is natural musically speaking?
Nature as the conceptual opposite of culture.
Nonhuman entities and forces in contemporary composition,

Studying Past:
Soundscape before electronic music
The “Music-Nature” Continuum
Use of soundscapes in electronic music “different techniques and approaches”
The sonic representation of nature

Nature as an Influence in Generative Music:
Using natural sounds and sonic sounds together
Creating algorithmic compositions influenced by nature

Work            

In what ways I can create balance using sonic sounds and natural sounds together?

There is a balance in everything in the universe, from microorganisms to complex systems human made on larger scales. The metaphor of balance, which has established itself in ancient beliefs and philosophy, found one of the most powerful forms of expression in Yin and Yang. According to this concept, opposite or contrary forces may be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world [1]. Koi fish are expressed in a strong symbolism in this Far Eastern philosophy.

There may also be a balance in the interaction between humans or animals. And for many species, during sexual intercourse or when fighting, the breaks in this equilibrium emerge a sound output as an expression. Sound depends on a physical balance, more pain or more pleasure, changes the parameters in the sound. Musically speaking, balance refers to a comparison in tonal quality rather than just volume, such as the contrast between a light or "airy" sounding instrument timbre with a heavy or "dark" sounding timbre [2].

Since koi fish are silent creatures, they do not emerge as a sound output from the physical movements. But if the movements are tracked, these movements can be expressed in synth sounds. And with the movements of these fish which symbolize spiritual integrity, sounds that create a meditation effect can be produced. Also, each koi has a particular significance in Japanese culture based on its color. While Kohaku (Most common one, which has red and white colors.) represent love and compassion; Ochiba (Unique blue and yellow Koi) represents the change of seasons and transition. In music, different music chord pairings can convey different emotions. Generally musical keys have different characteristics. While C# Minor has despair, wailing and weeping mood; C Major is generally related to happiness.