'Skitter Flutter' sound sculpture

At last fall’s Sound Crawl festival, Robbie Lynn Hunsinger premiered a composition she called “Arduino and Sax duet for robotic drummer.” The hauntingly beautiful music involved Hunsinger playing soprano saxophone to the accompaniment of a snare drum “played” by an Arduino microcontroller. (If you missed it, you can see a video on Hunsinger’s website.)

That piece — along with the sounds of crickets and birds — informs her latest work, “Skitter Flutter,” a sound sculpture at Seed Space Gallery. An opening reception takes place 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 10.

“Skitter Flutter” was constructed with local fabricators Patrick Becker and Steve Ghertner — who, like Hunsinger, are members of the Middle Tennessee Robotic Arts Society — and uses microcontrollers, motors and sensors to create a reactive sound experience.

The idea, according to Hunsinger, is to explore things that are seen rather than heard; to pull viewers in with sound which then dissipates as people get closer “much as crickets grow quiet as we approach,” she said in an email.

“Skitter Flutter” remains on view through June 24 at Seed Space, located at 427 Chestnut St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; there is no admission fee. For information, call 615-310-6533 or go to http://seedspace.org.

— by
MiChelle Jones, for The Tennessean