Residency Outcome: The Coral Sonata and The Coral Sonata Ringtone

The Coral Sonata is 8:04 min long soundscape created by artist Caecilia Tripp in collaboration with sound architect Kerwin Rolland. It combines marine sounds recorded during field expeditions undertaken in June 2019 in Biscayne Bay, Key Largo and around the South Beach jetty, as well as recording provided by acoustic ecologist Dr. Erica Staaterman, with some singing and drumming from a performance recorded at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex in Miami. (Click on the image of the coral above to hear the Sonata).

The Sonata aims to become a vehicle to convey the plight of coral reefs in South Florida, and around the world. Coral reefs are bleaching and dying for a variety of causes such as coral mining, pollution (organic and non-organic), overfishing, as well as climate change related causes such as warming water temperatures and ocean acidification, which is a chemical process caused by elevated carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. It is one of the most severe effects of global warming and has the potential to devastate sensitive marine ecosystems across the globe.

The objective is to feature the Sonata as a sound installation in public settings, as well in art and academic institutions in Florida and beyond to raise awareness of the severity of the climate crisis we are confronting. In addition to the Sonata, Tripp and Rolland have created a 30 second ringtone to be used for educational and marketing purposes which is downloadable for $1.29 by clicking on this link both for android and iPhone.