music of amsterdam's trees
an ambient sound map created from the bioelectrical signals of city trees
/ human-nature connection
/ a living sound map
/ reimagining urban space
/ listening to the hidden music of the city
Amsterdam is full of life, not only people, canals and bicycles, but thousands of trees quietly growing throughout the city. Some of them are already observing the city for more than 100 years.
Most people walk past them without noticing. But every tree has its own rhythm, its own energy. Through technology, it is possible to listen to them.
/ the technology: measuring bioelectrical activity
Using plant biofeedback technology, the electrical activity of trees is translated into MIDI data, a stream of musical information that reflects the living rhythms of the plant. The signals are currently recorded using PlantWave sensors. These signals become the starting point of an ambient composition.
Instead of composing music about nature, the music is created with the tree itself. Each track begins with the living signal of a specific tree.
/ meet the character of the tree
Every tree has a different presence. When I spend time with a tree, I observe its character: the shape of the trunk, the movement of the branches, its location in the city, the atmosphere around it.
Some trees feel grounding and calm. Some feel open and expansive. Others carry a playful or creative energy. The sounds I choose respond to that character.
Deep drones for grounding trees. Airy textures for lighter trees. Organic rhythms for trees that feel vibrant and alive.
In this way, every composition becomes a collaboration between technology, intuition, and the tree itself.
/ a living sound map of amsterdam
The long-term vision of this project is to create a sound map of the city’s trees.
Each tree will have its own piece of music.
When you walk through Amsterdam, you will be able to listen to the track created with the tree standing in front of you.
Imagine walking through the city and discovering that the trees are quietly singing.
The streets become a living soundscape.