Music of the Earth

About this Challenge Team

Biodiversity has greatly changed throughout the history of the Earth, but today it is changing much faster and our soundscapes are suffering as a result. Few things move us like music, and natural scenery generally improves one’s attention, concentration, memory, and is a source of optimism and relaxation. Therefore, we aim to take the viewer on an exciting virtual reality journey that includes musical experiences. We will explore how the harmony between humans and nature, such as in urban green spaces, can bring back some of the beautiful music of the Earth.

The Virtual Reality experience is a journey through nature over space and time, featuring soundscapes and 360° photos of past eras and modern natural environments. Participants will also have the opportunity to compose their own music from animal sounds and take part in fun activities like matching extinct birds and dinosaurs to their sounds. You can find us at the Great Exhibition Road Festival in South Kensington, London (7th–8th June 2025) and at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham (17th–19th June 2025).

The project is a collaboration with talented composers from the Royal College of Music. Building on the success of the four-movement contemporary mini-symphony from previous years, six new musical pieces of contrasting themes from prehistoric times to urban nature will be created and combined into one composition. By presenting extinct bird sounds (provided by the Macaulay Library at Cornell), these pieces will deepen the personal sense of urgency to preserve nature and biodiversity. In doing so, they can also serve as a source of emotional resonance in confronting some of the greatest challenges of our generation. To immerse yourself in this experience, please join us at our live event at the Royal College of Music in June (date TBC).

The experience is designed for people of all ages and backgrounds. We hope this project will provide a means for you to reflect on how different sounds impact your wellbeing and perception of nature. 

Team Members

Igor Pantea (cohort 11)
Meherun Nesha (cohort 11)
Mili Ostojic (cohort 10)
Natasha Granville  (cohort 10)
Sam Orchard (cohort 11)
Saoirse Coveney (cohort 11)
Tiantian Cheng (cohort 11)
Xiuhan Zhang  (cohort 10)
Zongtai Shen (cohort 11)