COMPOSER MODIFIES PAY PHONE TO PLAY BIRD SOUNDS TO CALLERS

Although they may appear to be remnants of the past, one public pay phone building that remains on Flower Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland, has been revitalised as a work of public art. David Schulman, a local citizen, composer, and audio producer, converted an old pay phone into an interactive art project in 2016 that plays recordings of various local bird species. For a public art competition, he redesigned the payphone and called it Birdcalls.

The sound of a mourning dove greets the person who picks up the bright yellow receiver. "Welcome to Birdcalls featuring the sounds of birds who make their homes here in Takoma Park," reads an educational message. Any key can be pressed to hear a local bird. Every number has a corresponding local bird: Press 1 to see a Northern Mockingbird, 2 to see Pileated Woodpeckers, and 5 to see Roscoe the Rooster, who spent most of the 1990s roving around Takoma Park. Facts on the various bird species can also be accessed by pressing the buttons on the phone.

Since the phone is located near Washington, D.C., Schulman chose the wood thrush, the city's official bird, as the eighth number on the dial. When you realise that the wood thrush truly has two voice boxes, you'll understand why its song sounds like two voices singing in unison. “It produces this beautiful, watery sound,” Schulman added. It sounds like being in a reverb tank or something. It's stunning.

According to Schulman, the Macaulay Library at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology was essential to the project's success. "These individuals have this incredible database of animal noises, especially bird calls," he disclosed.