28th June 2008

As part of Locws International's events for the Swansea Festival, Wales UK, I will be creating a
piece of music for and to be performed by dogs with the working title of 'a song for Jack'.

This Blog will be a diary of the project with links to research, the event and the development of
the work to be performed on Sunday October 5th 2008 in Swansea.

Links
Background
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_Jack
www.locwsinternational.com/
www.swanseafestival.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea

01.07.08
I have been invited by Locws International to create a piece for the Swansea Festival of Music and Arts
www.swanseafestival.com Of the 3 proposals submitted all music related, the committee felt that 'A Song for Jack' would be the one to take further.
(The other daft proposals can be viewed elsewhere on this site on page 20
www.richardhiglett.com/page20.htm) 'A Song For Jack" relates to previous interests in the idea that actions that are incidental can be view as creative and that the relationship between everyday sounds are part of the soundtrack of reality. In the 'Interludes' four people in an office tap out the melody lines on four familiar classical pieces. Each piece relates to their personality in some way, will listening to the 4 percussive taps and clicks combines to represent active from moments we view as inactivity or when the mind is elsewhere. They suggest subconscious contributions to the soundtrack of life while they are stage to appear as a quartet. Set in an office: Monitor one is a film of the bosses hand tapping fingers to the William Tell Overture (the Lone Ranger theme x) Monitor two the spider-like fingers of his PA taps gently on a cup, 'Morning' by Grieg. Monitor three, a young man talks to hit girlfriend on the phone, his pen clicks in and out the 'tune' to Dance of the Knights by Prokofiev, while Monitor 4 shows the hands of a young secretary as she files her nails akin to bowing a violin and rhythmically referring to Spring from the four season by Vivaldi
02.07.08
Song for Jack
I have been interested in the idea of anthropomorphism ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphic ) for sometime. A few months ago, when as usual I couldn't sleep, I was trawling Youtube for the weird and wonderful and was looking at videos of Singing Dogs. Why do dogs sing? What Youtube includes is a comments section where people generally add words such as 'awesome' (the new nice) while a number of comments pointed out as if a statement of fact that Dogs sing because their ears hurt from the sound!!!
While Dogs sing because it is an echo of their lives of Wolves many generations ago. It was they idea of bringing dogs together to return to the pack that started the ball rolling for A Song for Jack. A piece for Dogs that hooked into this instinct, a lament to all things passed.
03.07.08
Today I have been looking at videos of singing dogs, what notes its any are common to initiating howling.
(Im very aware this is not a howl of a dog when in distress, but when Dogs imagine they are together again, as a pack) types of dogs and temperament is in the back of my mind while abit of research into range and frequencies of different dog voice means a late night on-line. I am think about the possibility of a ultrasonic keyboard.......if dog whistles alert dogs, can I get a frequency generator or 'pimp' a keyboard to shift the range up 3 or 4 octaves?
04.07.08
A very good meeting with someone at Swansea Council. Last week I missed the Swansea festival with the Dog Show, but luck was in, with the South Wales Kennel Association was in Usk, so with mini-disc and video camera I will head off to the USK.
05.07.08
Something fall into place......somethings dont. Today they do.....Before I start, congratulations to Grace and Robbie on their Wedding today in Nailsworth, xx Grace and Rob live in Swansea, Grace is part of Locws while Rob is a Artist. I arrived at the Dog Show at 10.30am. Huge event, today was gun dogs with the show held over 4 days with 2000 dogs a day. A first for me, having a Cat ! everyone was very friendly and despite the rain, it was a day facing up to the task ahead...

06.07.08
Pending
07.07.08
pending
08.07.08
09.07.08
10.07.08
With things moving at a pace, I can see this blog slipping away from me. The music is starting to shape up, while instrumentation is likely to change. Ive been looking at themes that ascend, playing with spacings of notes, some notes acting as points to focus the dogs attention, while others dogs can respond to. On the ultrasonic side, I currently using a keyboard from my spotty youth, a Roland SH-101.
11.07.08
www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=161366&command=displayContent&sourceNode=258861&home=yes&more_nodeId1=161375&contentPK=21060158
The Press have picked up on the piece. Barking....x Press Release Pending early next week through Locws.
With the performance in October and the audition day early in September/late August, while the press interest is welcome, maintaining the momentum and interest is a concern with press only covering project once.
12.07.08
13.07.08
14.07.08
Call for Dogs.
In the next few weeks I will be in part residence in Swansea. I'd like to issue an open call for Dog owners in Swansea, Can you Dog Sing? what particular tunes does he or she respond too? Flyers will be available tomorrow. Email through this site or contact Locws and I will contact you to arrange a possible meeting.
15.07.08
Swansea meetings
Meeting with David and Holly at Locws to look at the timetable in relation to press interest and a release with detail of the date for an open audition in mid august. We are looking at two possible alternative dates that will be confirmed in next few days. This will be to narrow down the potential singers to look at a group, ideally of 12 dogs. A blend of voices and characters, that will we working with the piece as a group.
16.07.08
David rang to advise of a full page feature in the Swansea Evening Post, which is fantastic. Many thanks to
kathryn Lay
www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=161389&command=displayContent&sourceNode=161372&contentPK=21079603&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
17.07.08
18.07.08
19.07.08
20.07.08
21.07.08
22.07.08
23.07.08
24.07.08

Carrots
There are a few sounds that stress people out, surely one is the sound of the whistle at the train depart while your running up the stairs to the platform…..
Today I am in Swansea and writing the blog on the train as it speed through the countryside outside Cardiff.
Today is a meeting at the National Waterfront Museum about planning the Open Audition for the Song for Jack. Diary date is 17th August from 11am. There will be a marquee outside and plenty of water for thirsty singers. Fearing ‘Rex-factor’ interest and competition I’d like to stress every dog attending will be mentioned in dispatches and I imagine it as more a chance for the dog owners of Swansea to get together socially.
On the writing front, my deadline for the 1st draft of the music is the end of July, while im still looking at ways to encourage the dogs to sing within the music. I’ve been looking at the idea of phrases and parts of music that act as triggers (a terrible word and not intended to sound so controlling) I am ‘sketching’ 12 of these and will working with a number of dogs on gauging their responses. I will post them on Youtube with links from this page and invite dog owners to comment.
Prior to the Auditions, Im still keen for anyone to get in touch and if you are happy for me to meet you and record their dog singing as part of the process. I wont bite!!???!
Email through site
Back to ‘triggers’ (will call them carrots from now), by the way just entering Bridgend. One, carrot for example will be an ascending scale, one notes stepped up through an octave, others combining notes and frequencies (some only audible to dogs), while other may appear completely silent to human ears….
On the theory side dogs are able to hear frequencies up to 60,000HZ (although some sources vary, 45,000HZ cited in a number of texts)while human hearing peaks at around 20,000HZ, the older you get your range reduces. In evolution terms a dog is pretty handy for hunting and protection, with increased sense of smell too. Like Hawks, they’ve been adopted as an extension of our senses.
While today, dogs mainly enhance our well-being and social lives.
At low frequencies humans can hear down to 20HZ and Dogs 40HZ. So low notes we can hear. It is incredible to think there are millions of sounds we cannot hear, below and above our range, like there are frequencies of light that could be defined as colours we cannot see.
25.07.08
PRESS RELEASE
Click here to download this file

26.07.08
Singing and Howling
When a dog howls it maybe for a number of reasons, the alert the attention of the owner or the dog is in discomfort. While the singing may take the form of howling, the singing as such is a call of the wild, an instinctive response to when the dog was a pack animal. Domestic dogs refer to their owner as their pack leader, but certain sounds will set the dog off to relive an action from many previous generations. The dog may have a detached look in their eyes. It is this instinctive action that I felt was appropriate for a tribute to Swansea Jack, a collective, instinctive empathy that only other dogs understand.

Dogs hear the world very differently to humans. Humans are also the same. From Wolves and Wild Dogs, domestic dogs have been breed and diversified in so many ways that dogs will also hear things differently from breed to breed. Dogs ears are different and receive and block sound frequencies in different ways.
Dogs will also sing differently while different breeds may find a harmonic empathy with others.
27.07.08
28.07.08
Digital sound and dogs

With the introduction of digital technology, music in some digital formats such as MP3 will have been compressed to only have the essential audio data for humans to hear. If some dogs are responding to frequencies higher than we can hear they may not be present in recordings in new format. What is a format that dogs may not hear is also not so healthy for people in general as our senses become use to only a limited range of frequencies. On a positive note is possible to train your ears to higher frequencies. It is another example of people becoming more detected with the natural world.
When was the last time you closed your eyes and listened for Bird Song?

29.07.08
30.07.08
31.07.08
01.08.08
02.08.08
Swansea
Interviewing in Singleton Park
03.08.08
04.08.08
Interviewed on Mal Pope Show for BBC Radio Wales.
Today I met the legend that is Mal Pope. A live on Air interview about the Auditions for the Song for Jack. When very nervous I waffle so I wrote everything down, but this had the opposite effect so when Mal asked me what type of dog Jack was (!) I know he was a black flat coat retriever but instead of just saying I grab my notes to confirm and couldnt even see the words so I waffled !!!! DOH! Put down to experience I suppose. I don’t think I have a career in radio. x But many thanks to Mal and the BBC for the opportunity to highlight the project.
05.08.08
06.08.08
Parks
Today I was able to get to a number of parks pretty early and catch pre-work dog walkers with flyers for the audition. Swansea has some fantastic parks not to mention the beach. Singleton Park is very dog friendly and the Café at the Swiss Cottage is a real dog walkers hot spot. Cwmdonkin Park has so much charm while Llewelyn Park has sweeping paths and view down onto the city through the trees
Flyer distribute has got more tactical, you can judge how busy singleton is by the number of cars on the main road at the north gate although many do walk. Other parks may have one main entrance so you can catch people coming in and out and the same goes for the beach, with people coming from the left and right.
Dogs are very much entwined in the social fabric of the city and parks maybe too far away for owners looking for a short walk and not owning a car. They create their own walking routes, while small recreational grounds are dotted across the city.

07.08.08
Rex Factor
Yesterday ITV Wales filmed a feature on the auditions at the National Waterfront Museum. Carl, the presenter seemed to have taken up the ‘Rex Factor’ name suggested by a friend Andy Hayes and while I’ve been avoiding, the publicity is welcome. After nerves got the better of me on Mal Pope, I was very much looking to sell the project in TV terms. After a good interview in one take where he tried to push that I was ‘Barking’, the usual ‘crazy artists’ angle etc etc but good natured. It was cut, while one dog ‘Bruno’ sung to order. A big thank you to Cathie, Helen and Nia for coming at such short notice.
Visit ITV WALES on line for more.
08.08.08
AUDITIONS
The Auditions are not far away now, if you are bringing your dog along to sing, you will also need where possible the source of the sound that makes them sing. Mobile phones, records, etc. If you have a particular sound that you dog responses to and can not bring with you, contact myself through this website OR Richard.higlett@mac.com OR at www.artacrossthecity and we will see if we can provide the sound or similar.
The day will involve a registration and dogs will receive a number. Depending on numbers you may be allocated a later time, while the course of the day is to be very laid back and fun.
09.08.08
Some Sounds and things that can make a dog ‘sing’
Their masters voice
Mobile Phone Ringtones
Sirens of Emergency Vehicles or Police Cars
Warning Sirens and Claxons
TV Show theme tunes, especially soaps
Opera
Records
Electric equipment, transform hum
Other Dogs
Live instruments, Piano, Accordions, harmonics and whistles

10.08.08
11.08.08
The Auditions this weekend, a Marquee will be sited in the side gardens of the National Waterfront Museum, so whether it rains or not we will be OK.

12.08.08
13.08.08
14.08.08
15.08.08
16.08.08
Rain
17.08.08
Auditions at The NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM SWANSEA 11-4

Firstly a big big thank you for all the dogs who came along, all those who sang and those who came to watch.
We had over 30 dogs and their owners turn up, as well as many more interested spectators, and we have found some real singing sensations amongst them!
The venue was perfect for us, and thanks must go to all the museum attendants who directed the howling hopefuls our way. Our thanks also to Phil, who kindly set up the PA system for us and also to Alun and John who helped with setting up benches and tables.
I was worried the weather and the fact that in August everyone seems to be away, coupled with festivals and a dog show on the same day but the day unearthed some wonderful singers. Some dogs did stuffer a little stage fright, it was a strange environment, while others were unphased by the attention and the unusual surroundings.
Here are just a few of the dogs all of which were wonderful singers
Hollywood who was dressed for the event.

Tess with Meirion

Eva and owner May

Edward and Anja

Choir to be announced on Wednesday
Many thanks to Ken Dickinson for these top photo's above.
Also thank you for BBC and Even Post coverage and filming
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7566873.stm
18.08.08
working through materials
19.08.08
20.08.08
Media coverage has reached London, Interview today on James O'Brien on LBC
Talk Sport Tonight and a piece for 'Wierd' (?) in the Metro
www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=273243&in_page_id=2&in_a_source=
21.08.08
22.08.08
23.08.08
24.08.08
25.08.08
26.08.08
27.08.08
28.08.08
29.08.08
30.08.08
31.08.08
01.09.08
01.09.08
02.09.08
03.09.08
04.09.08
05.09.08
06.09.08
07.09.08
08.09.08
RECORDING AT METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY recording studios.
www.sihe.ac.uk/

The University have kindly offer their studios to record A Song for Jack. The film of this recording will be presented at the National Waterfront Museum Swansea as part of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts.
09.09.08
10.09.08
11.09.08
12.09.08
13.09.08
14.09.08
15.09.08
16.09.08
17.09.08
18.09.08
19.09.08
20.09.08
21.09.08
22.09.08
23.09.08
24.09.08
25.09.08
26.09.08
27.09.08
28.09.08
29.09.08
30.09.08
01.10.08
02.10.08
03.10.08
04.10.08
05.10.08
PERFORMANCE OF A SONG FOR JACK
NATIONAL WATERTFRONT MUSEUM SWANSEA 12.00
06.10.08
07.10.08
08.10.08
09.10.08
10.10.08
11.10.08
12.10.08
13.10.08
14.10.08
15.10.08
16.10.08
17.10.08
18.10.08
19.10.08
20.10.08
21.10.08
22.10.08
23.10.08
24.10.08
25.10.08
26.10.08
27.10.08
28.10.08
29.10.08
30.10.08
31.10.08
A Song for Jack is presented through LOCWS INTERNATIONAL
www.artacrossthecity.com
who is supported by