Chirp, buzz, hiss, hum, and scream into a microphone!
Sing Like a Cicada!
The Muncie Arts and Culture Council, invites the Muncie community to participate in the Human Cicada Chorus led by PlySpace artist in residence Erin Mallea. The Cicada Chorus includes a series of free workshops designed to help prepare participants for the culmination of the project: an outdoor video shoot of the choral performance. The video will premiere in Muncie in late June as a celebration of the 17-year Brood X emergence and a thank you to all participants who made the work possible.
In May and June 2021, Brood X of 17 year cicadas will emerge throughout Indiana. Inspired by the buzzing, whirring, and chirping of cicadas during the late spring and summer, Erin Mallea will collaborate with community members to listen to and observe insect noises in the area and develop a performance as a choral insect cacophony. The chorus celebrates the particularities of the region’s ecosystem and the often taken for granted others we live alongside that are integral to our ecosystem. The chorus is an opportunity for collective close-looking and listening as an entrypoint to playfully, yet earnestly inhabit a non-human sensibility. The chorus will become a collective clock: mimicking the sounds of cicadas shifting from dawn to dusk and spring to summer.
What kind of Sounds does a cicada make?
Watch Erin Mallea give a demonstration of the kinds of sounds included in the Cicada Chorus.
Ready to Participate?
Pick and chose from any of these FREE Workshops. No prior singing experience is required.
Masks are required at all in-person events. Families and participants of all ages welcome!
Email sarah@munciearts.org to receive follow up information via email!
First Thursday Open Studio Recording Session
Thursday, June 3, 5:00 to 8:00 pm
PlySpace Gallery (608 E Main Street)
Stop by the PlySpace Gallery for First Thursday and imitate cicada sounds – chirp, buzz, hiss, hum and scream into a microphone! Recorded sounds will be woven into the final cicada chorus video.
Cicada Science + Listening Session
Saturday, June 5, 11:00 am–12:15 pm
Ball State University, Christy Woods
Free parking at the Cooper Life Sciences Parking Lot
(Upon arrival meet outside the Charles W. Brown Planetarium)
This indoor and outdoor session will include an introduction to the science of cicadas and singing insects led by the Ball State Environmental Education Center. Afterward, Erin will lead a series of listening exercises to facilitate slower, more attentive listening to our surroundings as an entrypoint to the project and a means to tune into our greater ecosystem and non-human neighbors. Participants are required to wear masks.
Vocal Workshop
Saturday, June 5th, 1:00–2:00 pm
Ball State University, Fine Arts Building AR 217
(David Owsley Museum of Art Building)
John Vessels, Ball State University Instructor of Theater, Dance and Musical Theatre, will lead participants in a series of vocal exercises to explore the capacity of the human voice and unusual sound making. We will practice breathing, noise making, and inhabiting another sensibility. No prior singing or choral experience is required. Session will be in a large, indoor space to allow physical distancing. Participants are required to wear masks. If you are interested in participating virtually, please let us know.
Cicada Chorus Rehearsal & Cicada Chorus Video Shoot
Saturday, June 19, 3:00 to 6:00 pm
Location TBD
Become part of a human insect-cacophony and perform collective cicada sounds for video. Rehearsal will take place on location for the video shoot Saturday, June 19, from 3-6 pm.
Contact sarah@munciearts.org to receive more information about the location of the video shoot and specific instructions on what to wear.
Artist Talk and Premiere of “The Cicada Chorus”
Tuesday, June 29, 6:00 to 8:00 pm
PlySpace Gallery
Join us at PlySpace Gallery for a one-night exhibition of “The Cicada Chorus”. PlySpace Artist in Residence, Erin Mallea, will lead an artist talk about this project and her previous work. The artist talk will be followed by the premiere of “The Cicada Chorus”. The video will include performances from participants from the Muncie Community. Both video and audio performances will be included in the final film. Following the premiere will be a reception and a chance to meet the artist. The “Cicada Chorus” is a celebration of the 17-year Brood X emergence and a thank you to all participants who made the work possible. Find out more about this event here.