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Here, you will be introduced to GPS and geolocative technologies through a location-based sound map installed in MOLAA’s parking lot. Using a smartphone and earbuds, you will explore eight soundscapes embedded in specific locations. Each soundscape is composed of recordings of birds native to the Neotropics, a biogeographic region that encompasses Latin America and the Caribbean. As you move through the map, you will notice how the birdsongs emerge, overlap, and intersect, transforming the way you perceive the surrounding environment.

To better understand how a GPS-sensitive sound map works, it is helpful to first understand geolocative technology. Geolocative technology can identify and use your location on Earth. It relies on location data to make maps, provide directions, and create interactive, location-based experiences. For example, Google Maps uses GPS and other positioning systems to determine where you are and help you navigate the world through your smartphone.

In this workshop, you will use geolocative technology in a different way. Rather than using it only for navigation, you will move through MOLAA’s parking lot to discover soundscapes placed in specific locations. Through this experience, you will hear how digital sound responds to your physical movement while exploring the diverse birdsongs of Latin America and the Caribbean. Many of these birds depend on migration for their survival, connecting distant regions through their movements across territories.

How to Access:
To experience this interactive sound map, go to the parking lot with a smartphone and a pair of headphones. As you move through the area marked by the circles, you will discover a different soundscape within each one. Your movement, together with your phone’s GPS, will activate and deactivate these sounds, creating an interactive experience through which you can listen to birdsongs recorded in natural environments across Latin America.

Step 01: Walk to the parking lot and enter the area marked by the circles.

Step 02: Before entering the marked area, click the “Start” button and allow access to your location.

Step 03: Put on your earbuds and move through the space as shown in the following video:

x-o.global is a public sound art project led by artist and researcher Jerónimo Reyes-Retana. The project is supported by the University of Colorado Boulder, where Reyes-Retana is currently pursuing a PhD in Emergent Technologies and Media Arts Practices.

Contact: jeronimo.reyesretana@colorado.edu

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