[APWG] Fun with weeds--Turning weed data into music

[Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company]

Dear All,

I heard about an idea on the radio on NPR a few weeks ago, turning
environmental data into music-->>Microbe Music: Scientists Turn Algae Data
Into Songs.

Using the Evans and Love (1957) Toe-point transect method and walking
though an ecosystem,  those data points can then be made into music.

For example, each weed family and each native plant family could be
represented by a musical note.  I am using the lower-range of keys below
middle C of our Casio keyboard for the weeds, and the higher notes above
middle C, for the families of native plants.

Yesterday, I did a 100-pace transect through a grassland in Palo Alto,
California where there were no natives, and very little exotic diversity
either, so the music is going to sound very monotonous.

If we use the C note to mean Italian thistle, and D to mean exotic grass
thatch, and the wild oats are played as an E note, then that particular
grassland sounds something like this:

CCCC  CCCC CCCC CCCC CCCC CCCC CCCC CDDD CEEE DDDD DDED DDDC CCCC CCDD
DDDD CCEE EEEE EEEE EEEE EEEE EEEE EEED DDDD EEDD DDDD.

Play on!  Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333