Where does creativity play into the land of plenty? Do art and music transcend their commercial value? What of the hymn? What of the ballad? What of the slave song? What of love songs that were actually written for a certain individual rather than a target audience? What provides unique inspiration for a nation absorbed by the pre-packaged?
Barcode Symphony uses the classification system of the consumer-driven world—the series of lines found on everyday products known as barcodes— to create music. It allows people to create their own relationship with this commercially-confined system and reclaim a sense of control over the influx of packaging around them. Numbers of the barcodes are translated into notes on a staff, a process that imbues each product with musical potential. What’s left is music that uses a cold, processed hallmark of commercialism to create a unique creative experience, one far removed from the initial intent of the barcode design.
