the biophony project
Myna Loops
This piece is inspired by the feeling of watching videos of starlings flocks on the internet when I was 12. I spent a while researching the patterns and very complex communication behind their beautiful flocking patterns while writing this music. I was pretty staggered at the complexity of their communication amongst up to 750,000 birds. Apart from protecting itself from predators, these shapes also happen as an act of joy, a natural want to move and dance. A lot of the material in this piece comes directly and indirectly from these shapes. I’ve always been and still am very scared of birds but I really love watching them from afar.
Thanks to Alec Toku Whiting for getting me unstuck many times while writing this. Thanks also to Rajna Swaminathan, Andrew Cyr and Alec Goldfarb for their much appreciated suggestions.
Meet the Composer
Explore More Biomes
Each Biome represents a small group collaboration between 2-4 composers commissioned to create flexible, open-score pieces for outdoor performance and infinite combinations of instruments.
This work co-commissioned by Metropolis Ensemble and Brooklyn Botanic Garden