Rainforest Soundscape

Using the words “rain“ and “forest“ as inspiration, this show begins with a soundscape depicting the water cycle. From splashing rain and rushing water (crackle-paper, rainmaker with Piezzo microphone), drops trickle over the thick leaves (mouth-pops and drip-drops) through the babbling streams and rivers (bubble bottle with microphone) until they reach the sea (wave drum), where the water is evaporated by the sun (sun gong) and taken by the wind (flute) in the form of clouds back to the rainforest again. 

The forest itself consists of wood; using a contact microphone, even a simple branch yields fascinating sounds, and the boomstick can also be used to also make wood-music.

Then we meet the inhabitants of the forest. A jungle-piano of 10 children performs a symphony of animal sounds. At the same time they learn about the functions that sounds serve for animals, such as marking territory, courtship, threatening, finding their bearings in the dark, etc. Children also learn about the types of animals that live in the rainforest and what areas of the forest they inhabit.

Children also are inspired by the "Echo of the Rainforest" to make music - the yodelling of the Bayaka pygmies from Congo is fascinating and wonderful to hear.

Many of the sounds are amplified using microphones in order to create a "carpet of sound" for the overall soundscape.

For this show, Michael Bradke plays on instruments from his large and delightfully surprising collections of rainforest instruments and animal sounds, with the audience participating as well. All manner of bird-whistles circle through the room, and everyone joins the troupe of apes and the swarm of mosquitos, making creak-boxes and crackle-paper heard, until the moment comes for all to join in on the rousing and furious finale!

The “Rainforest Soundscape" performance is the product of multiple performances of the prizewinning dance and theater piece “Rainforest" with the Monteure Theatre in 1990-92. The work has been completely reworked to produce the present solo performance for music alone. Michael Bradke has also rung out the sounds of the rainforest in the darkroom of a large children’s museum exhibition and in the "Rainforest Playground“ of the Maximilian Park in Hamm.