Symphony of Energy Distribution
This article chronicles the fascinating journey of Geras, a musician who transformed an everyday scene of birds on power lines into a global musical phenomenon. It details how a simple photograph in a newspaper sparked an idea, leading to a short, sweet melody that resonated with people worldwide. The narrative covers the quick succession of events, from composing the initial piece to gaining international recognition through interviews, a TED Talk, and even a win at a YouTube/Guggenheim festival. The culmination of this journey is the creation of "Sinfonia da Distribuição de Energia" (Symphony of Energy Distribution), an orchestral piece inspired by numerous bird-on-wire photographs, specially commissioned by an association of energy distributors. This project highlights the unexpected intersections of art, nature, and technology, demonstrating how observing the obvious with a different perspective can lead to extraordinary creations and widespread appreciation.
The Genesis of a Melody
The story began with Geras, a musician who found inspiration in an unexpected place: a photograph in a newspaper. The image depicted five power lines with birds perched on them, immediately reminding him of a musical staff. This visual similarity sparked an overwhelming desire to translate the photograph into music.
I saw that it had a very joyful melody. Of course, I interpreted it; I decided it would be 4/4, that it would be a C major, I decided what the duration of the notes would be. But I tried to be as faithful as possible to the position of the birds and the chords they were forming.
He meticulously transcribed the positions of the birds onto a musical score, interpreting their placement as notes and forming chords. The resulting melody was described as poetic and sweet melody, reminiscent of a children's song composition. Geras was so enthusiastic about his creation that he decided to compose an orchestral arrangement for the approximately one-minute piece. His next step was to share this unique musical interpretation with the original photographer.
Connecting with the Photographer: Paulo Pinto
Geras found the photographer, Paulo Pinto, by looking up his name printed on the newspaper photo. Paulo Pinto, a prominent sports photographer working at Estadão (a major Brazilian newspaper) at the time, was not typically a nature photographer. The photo was taken during leisure time at his mother's house in Santana do Livramento, on the border with Uruguay, after his mother pointed out the beautiful birds on the wires. Upon receiving the music, Paulo Pinto's response was immediate and profound.
You saw exactly what I saw: a musical staff.
This connection between two artists, each seeing music in an inanimate scene, quickly led to public recognition. Paulo Pinto shared the music with Estadão, which led to an interview with Geras the very next day and a feature article in the newspaper. Remarkably, the entire process—from the birds perching on the wires, to Paulo taking the photo, to Estadão publishing it, Geras composing the music, sending it to Paulo, and finally the interview—transpired in just four days, highlighting the swift pace of the unexpected viral event.
Global Recognition and the Full Symphony
The initial video, which clearly explained Geras's thought process, quickly became a global success. People from all over the world resonated with the universal elements of wires, birds, and music. Just two days after the video's release, Geras was already being interviewed by NPR (National Public Radio) in the United States. This international exposure was followed by a 10-minute feature on NHK in Japan, further cementing the project's global reach.
The phenomenon escalated to a "surreal" level when Geras was invited to give a TED Talk, specifically the first TEDx event held in São Paulo. Here, he presented the music and the story behind it live on stage. The pinnacle of his recognition came when his video was selected as one of 20 winners in a festival organized by YouTube and the Guggenheim Museum. From 91,000 submissions across 91 countries, his approximately one-minute composition stood out, leading to Geras performing inside the museum during the awards ceremony, with projections of the video both inside and outside the building. This incredible journey, starting from a simple newspaper photo, culminated in a highly acclaimed musical performance at a world-renowned museum.
The next major step was a challenge from Bradi (Brazilian Association of Energy Distributors): to compose a full symphony using photographs of birds on power lines. Geras found this proposal highly pertinent, as he believed there was no better recipient for music derived from birds on energy wires than an association of energy distributors. For this ambitious project, a comprehensive search for photos was launched. An Instagram campaign was initiated, and nature photography experts were consulted, resulting in over 700 submissions of bird-on-wire photos. Additionally, databases like eBird and WikiAves were scoured, yielding over 10,000 potential images. From this vast collection, 380 photos were identified as having musical potential, and eventually, 12 were meticulously selected to be transformed into musical scores.
Unlike his original piece, which was based on a single photo, the symphony involved a dialogue between multiple images. For instance, one photo might be played by an oboe, while another is performed by a French horn, creating a rich conversational texture between the visual and auditory elements. This heightened the compositional complexity and artistic challenge. The resulting "Sinfonia da Distribuição de Energia" served as a powerful testament to the unexpected harmony found between nature, human observation, and musical creation.
Takeaways
- Unexpected Inspiration: Geras found profound musical inspiration in the everyday sight of birds perched on power lines, transforming a common visual into a unique melody.
- Artistic Interpretation: By applying musical principles to the birds' positions, he demonstrated how interdisciplinary thinking can lead to creative breakthroughs, interpreting positions as notes and forming chords.
- Swift Global Impact: The project quickly gained international recognition through interviews with major media outlets like NPR and NHK, a TED Talk, and a triumph at a renowned YouTube/Guggenheim festival, all within a remarkably short timeframe.
- Community Engagement: The creation of the "Sinfonia da Distribuição de Energia" involved a massive public and expert photo submission campaign, showcasing the power of collective effort in art.
- Beyond the Obvious: The narrative emphasizes the importance of looking beyond the superficial to find deeper meanings and connections, particularly in the context of the relationship between nature and human infrastructure.
References
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