A track which is billed as the sound of COVID-19 and can be played virtually has been recorded by musicians at the Australian National University.
The track, Riches to Rags in COVID Time, was composed by the head of the ANU School of Music, Associate Professor Kim Cunio. The music was inspired by ragtime music popular during The Spanish Flu in the early 20th century.
Associate Professor Cunio said the track also spoke to our "contemporary virtual world".
"COVID-19 is affecting all of us so profoundly. Like many of us I had personal and professional worlds that collided," he said.
"The ANU School of Music, where I work, had a significant transition to make very quickly, and it required a lot of creative thinking to find a way to deliver a musical education in an online environment. It was only some time later I had a chance to reflect on my own feelings, to start the process of coming to terms with this watershed in our history.
"I sat down on and improvised some ideas on the piano. I wanted to find a sound that had all the intense energy that this pandemic comes with, that was still hopefully in a language that we all might be able to engage with.
"I started playing ragtime music and the idea came to write a piece that heads into and out of a ragtime, that also moves at a fast pace. I wanted to write music that alludes to the destructive flight of this pandemic, that had just a little of the musical language of the Spanish flu in it. It had to have some humour and hope, because that is what we must all find together."
The music was created in two stages. First, Associate Professor Cunio spent hours on a computer making score data sound "human" on a virtual piano.
Later, he and sound technician Matthew Barnes used a USB to play a digital file of the music on a Yamaha C7 Disklavier virtual piano.
"And what do you know, it worked," Associate Professor Cunio said.
"We plugged our USB into the piano and the keys suddenly came alive, playing this music that not only sounds lifelike but which we hope inspires and uplifts people as we all face the challenge of lockdown and this pandemic.
"It's really rare for virtual instruments to sound human, particularly detailed art music. But we think we've got there."
Listen to the track and watch a video of it being played here.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can also sign up for our daily digest here.
