The nature beatboxer who makes music from plants

From a young age, Jason Singh has been fascinated by the sounds of the natural world but never did he imagine that his love of nature and music would come together to form his career as a musician and nature beatboxer.

The patterns of sound that we are surrounded by in our everyday life have become the source of Jason’s inspiration. From birdsong to crashing waves, Jason listens to beats, rhythms and melodies in the natural environment, which he then trains his voice to mimic in the form of beatboxing. Using just his voice, he is able to create soundscapes that echo the natural world.

Whereas many artists will get their musical inspiration from everything they see around them, Jason’s creations draw purely on the sounds he can hear. Instead of shutting out any external noises when he’s recording music, Jason relies on these unpredictable sounds to produce new tracks. He hopes that by discovering and composing sounds from nature, rather than using lyrics, his music will make others more appreciative of the natural world.

The sounds of plants

As well as copying the audible sounds that nature delights us with, Jason records and vocalises the sounds of plants that our hearing doesn’t register. Indeed, making music from plants is in fact possible but how do plants generate sound? This is where technology comes in to play. Jason uses a special software on his laptop, which records electrical signals coming from the plant and it’s these currents of energy, known as volts, which are translated into different sounds via speakers. To hear this in action, have a listen to the audio clip below, which Jason created as part of the campaign for the BBC’s landmark series The Green Planet, with Sir David Attenborough.

By opening our ears to the sounds of nature, Jason hopes that we’ll gain a deeper respect for the plants and wildlife we live alongside, whilst reminding us why it’s so important for us to protect them. He says that “we’re not the only species on Earth, we live in one big ecosystem and we must look after all living things, in order for the planet to thrive”.

Jason believes that learning to love and respect ourselves first, is fundamental to building a greater understanding of how to care for the environment. Research has shown that connecting with nature can help us to do this, in promoting mental well-being. By sharing the sounds of the natural world in his music, Jason aims to have the same impact, in generating feelings of calmness, joy and creativity for listeners. As well as creating music to express his passion for nature and conservation, he hopes his work encourages others to engage and interact with the environment in ways they’ve not before.

For Jason, hearing a pop song is no different to listening to birdsong, it’s all music to his ears.