The residents of Box Springs communicate through music. That’s their playground: sound. People walk around with music playing from their bodies (Signatures). They carry mini-DAWs (called Earwigs) with them wherever they go to create and mix music in all parts of their day. These Earwigs are linked electronically to a bank of musical instruments that everyone shares–mostly analog stuff with funky names like Drum, Fuzz, Warp, and Mind. They also have access to unlimited sampling options, and each person customizes his or her own instruments.

One April morning, the curator of the Box Springs Audio Workshop issued a challenge to the citizens of Box Springs: take your signature file (a simple MIDI melody) and transform it into a song. Each song must incorporate the basic MIDI file and employ two of the common, community-owned instruments (Drum and Fuzz), though other instruments could be added. Each person edits his or her own work, but the mixing and mastering stages will be communal activities.

Not all citizens of Box Springs are members of the Workshop, but many are. Not all members participated in the challenge, but most did. The Signature Project Volume One is a snapshot of the results. It will be followed by more volumes in the coming years.