The city has been playing all along! Composer Matthew Wilcock turns traffic and crowds into musical notes
Even crossing the street can become a song
What would it sound like if pedestrians crossing the street, cars weaving down the highway, or even crowds riding an escalator could be turned into a song? Composer Matthew Wilcock focuses his attention on these ordinary daily moments, transforming them into musical notes.
How a traffic jam turned into unexpected inspiration
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This interesting creative method stems from a chance observation. Matthew Wilcock once watched workers setting up traffic cones by the roadside; as lanes closed, he noticed the flow of cars taking on distinct speeds and rhythms. In that moment, a normally frustrating highway felt like a structured musical performance. It made him wonder: what would it sound like if he actually converted the traffic flowing in front of him into music?
Every passing car becomes a musical note
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Wilcock filmed a Dublin highway from above and set a vertical line in the center of the frame. Whenever a vehicle crosses this line, it triggers a different note. With no pre-arranged melody, the real-world vehicle speeds, volume, and spacing decide how the music develops, ultimately weaving together a city movement of piano and strings.
Even a car’s shape can be “heard”
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Wilcock also collaborated with Mercedes-Benz for the 140th anniversary of the automobile to create the “Automotive Cycles” series, inspired by six classic models, including the Patent-Motorwagen and the 300 SL Coupé. As a scanning line on the screen glides across the vehicle’s body, the car’s silhouette, materials, and structure are translated into sound, giving each model its own unique melody.
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Next time you walk down the street, take a closer look around. Perhaps the city we pass through every day has been “performing” all along!
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