Soundbites
Soundbites was an interdisciplinary project that promoted circular economy principles through accessible tech and interactive sound. Led by pyka and developed in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire's Media School and Sustainability department, the project aimed to challenge perceptions of ‘broken’ or ‘unloved’ objects by giving them a new musical life.
pyka designed a modular, low-cost sensor toolkit that turns everyday objects into MIDI-driven digital instruments. After trialling the format with Creative Music Technology and Product Design students at the university, those students were trained to run public workshops of their own, taking Soundbites into Gloucester Academy and Gloucester Library, and later to the Maker Shack at Cheltenham Science Festival.
Participants of all ages turned coffee pots, popcorn makers, umbrellas, cups and old collars into working synths and drum machines. The project reached school pupils, the public participants, and university students (feeding directly into their coursework), while shaping pyka's ongoing R&D into accessible, sustainable music technology.
interaction design, sound design, workshop facilitation, creative producer
