In Flight Music

In Flight Music was made as part of my PhD portfolio. It is a sonification of air traffic data from aeroplane transponders with the number and movement of aeroplanes in the sky making changes to an organ drone.

The piece accessed the location and altitude of planes in the vicinity of Sheffield (including the possibility that there are none - something of a risk for such installations) and their x, y position (latitude and longitude) causes an organ chord based on the 'Hendrix Chord' (dominant seventh sharp ninth) to slowly evolve - reaching an apex as the planes are calculated to be directly overhead. As more planes pass through the space, different permutations of the chord are heard. Much more detail can be accessed in my thesis.

It was installed at Sound Junction in April 2019 among the grand surroundings of the Chancellors Room at Firth Court.