Sonic Garden

Sonic Garden  is a new playable sound installation commissioned for the students of  St Patricks Special School in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. This groundbreaking sensory sound installation was designed specifically for students with special needs transforming the school’s outdoor space into an engaging and playful musical environment.

Commissioned by: St Patricks Special School Funded by Department of Eduction Percent for Art Scheme. 

Curator: Emily Power Architect Dept of Education.

Completed: December 2024.

The concept for Sonic Garden was to create a sonic installation based on music that would form a playable orchestra of outdoor instruments that would be accessible for students with special needs. It forms an outdoor sonic sensory classroom full of sound and colour to allow the students of St Patricks Special School to engage with music making and sound creation. It is composed of sets of colour coded playable sculptural instruments designed to reflect the nature and the landscape of the location of the school in Wexford -the sunny south east reflected in the design of the sculpture. The Sonic Garden can be used as an outdoor classroom that will engage with students of all ages and abilities. It is  designed to interlink and complement the overall layout of the contemporary school garden designed by Austen Associates. It can be used for both recreational and educational play. The installation includes 6 large chimes tuned to a pentatonic scale. This scale forms the basis of Celtic music in which much music was written in the past. It also would include 2 hand toned drums with different sounds in each and a bell tree tuned to specific tones and large 16 note xylophone tuned to the key of C Major. The instruments can all be played in unison to form an outdoor orchestra or individually. The instruments are all be designed to be easy to play for all ages and abilities. The Sonic Garden, with its vibrant chimes, a seven-note bell tree, and a hand-tuned xylophone, aims to foster creativity and sensory learning among students, offering a unique opportunity for musical education in Enniscorthy. As the largest sound installation of its kind in the country, it provides a unique educational platform for self-expression, collaboration, and musical discovery.