Continuing thoughts
So, the research now has a number of strands. The audio recordings are my direct, empirical experience ‘in the field’ [or rather in the parks of Beijing…] where the crickets and cicadas are singing in public spaces. These recordings frequently contain music and singing by locals as well. I wonder how influential the sound of the insects is on the music played. Professor Ai-Ping Liang and Dr Chun-Xiang Liu provide identification and scientific expertise, but are not particularly acquainted in the cultural context of these species. Looking at the insect markets illustrates the activities of those who are heavily involved in cricket culture, or who would like to be. They confirm a continued existence of this historical/traditional human-insect relationship. The interviews will provide a response from the general population. It will be interesting to see how much people know, or want to know, about singing insects and how far an interest in these creatures penetrates the broader population.
