Tiny sounds. Big vibes.
Your Latte, Matcha,or Pastry is On Me
A Portland sound + video art project
With handmade sensors and a macro camera, I capture the tiny sounds everyday objects make and turn them up until you can feel them.
18+ · Public café · Friends welcome
- About an hourat a Portland café
- Filmed + recordedyou choose what’s in the shot
- Your comfort, your callskip anything, anytime
- Your own sound clipa personal excerpt, after
Artwork by Rob
Grab your spot
Just the basics for now. Next, you’ll pick your comfort choices and a time.
Here’s exactly what happens
Meet at a café near you
Tell me what part of Portland is easiest for you. I’ll pick a café nearby for the sounds we can find there, and we’ll meet during opening hours. I’ll show you the camera and the sensors first, and we’ll sign the one-page release.
Make sounds, small and big
Depending on the sound I’m chasing at the moment, I’ll suggest things to try that might help us find it. Say “skip” anytime and I’ll come up with something new. You can end the session whenever you like.
Get your sound clip
I’ll send it afterward: 10 to 30 seconds, depending on what we capture.
Everyday things, magnified
Think macro photography, but for sound. A few ideas:
- Tap the tablefingertips, light as rain
- Swirl your drinkthe ice, the foam, the ripples
- Slide along a bencha long, low creak
- Slam down on a benchthe big, deep sounds
- Something new, on the spota pencil, a dropped book, even a jump
What I film
The star of every shot is the object and its sound, filmed up close by a macro camera that makes tiny things look huge, like the ripples in your drink. You choose what can be in the shot, and the default is objects only. If a camera catches more of you than you picked, I’ll crop it out or delete it.
- Objects onlyThe cup, the table, the sounds. You stay out of the final video.
- Objects + my handsYour hands can be in the shot, doing the tapping and swirling.
- I’m happy to be in the shotYour face can be in the shot too, so you may be recognizable.
Why I’m doing this
I’m on the hunt for the perfect tiniest sound. Every session adds to a library of sounds and videos. It becomes my sound art, my reference for recreating sounds in the studio, and a way to explore sound healing: how sound, vibration, and resonance can help tune the body and mind in our everyday wellness practices. I’m still not sure exactly where these sounds will take me, and that’s the beauty of it: discovery and new perspectives. Maybe next time you’ll stop to notice the leaves rustling in the wind, or the hum of a coffee grinder and the teeny tiny springs you can hear amongst its gigantic roar.
Good questions
Can I bring a friend?
Yes, always. A friend can grab a drink and hang out with us. I can only afford 1 drink or pastry per session, so if they’d like to sign up too, please book back-to-back sessions.
Do I need to bring anything?
Nope. I’ll bring everything we need, unless you have something you’d like to hear.
What gear do you use?
A DJI Osmo Pocket for close-up macro video, sometimes an Insta360 for a point-of-view angle the Pocket can’t get, and my handmade sensors, which record vibrations and turn them into sound. How they work is my secret recipe, but you can google contact microphones to learn about it.