GREENSOUNDSWORLD
The artist and plant ambassador Cassis B Staudt makes plants “sing”. The sound is produced through biodata sonification. To do this, electrodes are attached to the leaves of the plant. The electrodes transmit electrical impulses from the plant, which are generated during photosynthesis, by touch or by adding water, for example. The signals can be fed with pre-produced “notes” via synthesizers, samplers and other midi instruments. The first musical fragments obtained in this way can now be transformed into individual compositions. A wide variety of projects have been created on this basis.
The energy (meaning the bio-chemical process in the plant) is really translated into music. These musical fragments are spontaneous, individual compositions of the plant:
a green sounds world
The sound artist and composer Cassis B Staudt studied music at the Staatl. Musikhochschule Hamburg and during her 24-year stay in New York at Juilliard University. As a producer in Jim Jarmusch's team, she received the Palme d'Or for one of the short films 'Coffee and Cigarettes' and had the idea and wrote music for the Oscar-nominated film 'Ferry Tales'. In 2014 she moved to Berlin and in 2020 began to make plants audible through various Neustart Kultur grants from Musikfonds, GEMA, Dt. Musikrat involving various sensors via the process of bio data sonification.
Film music is her profession and plant music her vocation. For years she has been working on a climate symphony in which the plants take center stage. They always sound different depending on the plant species, condition and interaction with humans.
As part of the SEZ/EU funding mindchangers, Cassis B worked with the Argentinian choreographer Liliana Tasso on a plant art performance in Buenos Aires in 2023, which was taken up again in southern Germany and presented at the mindchangers future impact summit. In 2024, she successfully offered plant music sustainability walks on two weekends at cemeteries via the Treptow district office. In 2024, Cassis' plant music received a lot of attention from the press (taz, BZ, das Magazin, Sat1 Frühstücksfernsehen). Recently she wrote the score for
‘WILMA WILL MEHR’. Further information, as well as audio and video clips, can be found on Cassis B Staudt's homepage:
Contact:
Green sounds world ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com
CASSIS B
PHOTOS: NICOLA MARIA HOCHKEPPEL, Anna Christian Beuermann, Steve Braun, Stefan Röhl, Carlos Santos
work in progress 2023-2027:
Suse Weber: “Composition for a school bell - open composition and integrated tool at the same time”,
Public Art, Düsseldorf
Sound production through biodata- sonification or: plants can sing in close collaboration with Studio Cassis B.
2020 Climate Symphony, grant: Neustart Kultur, Musikfonds
2021 Climate Symphony, grant: Neustart Kultur, GEMA
2022 Plant Music Film ‘Call me by my name!, Neustart Kultur, DKV
2023 artist in residence Aug-Sept BHROX bauhaus reuse with
Sustainable plant music walks @ Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Berlin
Funded by Kulturbeirat Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
2023 Plant Music as part of vivas!, mind changers/SEZ,
Buenos Aires / Southern Germany
2024-2025: Over 100 events with plant music. Highlights:
- 12/25 Kunstverein Göppingen, A Day in the Museum Kunsthalle, concert & installation
- 11/25 Retreat in Sicily: plant music & storytelling.
- 09/25 Munich, Eine Welt Haus, concert with reading ’The Sounds of Life (Karen Bakker)
- 09/25 concert with rescued food, Intercultural Weeks, GP
- 09/25 Tourismboard Isny: Kulturpedale, plant music concerts
- 08/25 plant music walk, Wiesbaden Kulturpark
- 07/25 Workshop, Klimatak, Berlin
- 2025: 50 plant music sustainable walks through cemeteries, Berlin (Kulturförderung) including two podcasts together with chrifin
- 06/25 Langer Tag der Stadtnatur, Berlin
- 10/24 cemeteries, Treptow, Berlin, plant music sustainable walks
- 06/24 Botanical Garden, Marburg, collaboration with chrifin, Quits
- 2023-2025: plant music studio as part of Suse Weber: public art: ‘school bell’ incl. 2025 Bauhaus University Weimar, Listening to Grass @ Gauforum, Weimar
2026:
- Heinrich Böll Stiftung: Fest der Agrarwende
- 2025/2026 Minibooth, Berlin, plant music, electronics for kids & young adults
- 2025/2026 Over 75 shows, kids musical theatre with plant music
- Spring Equinox Sound Bath
- in development: culture grant Neukölln: Kiezklang with Hadmut Bittiger: plantmusic, performance @Schloss Britz 05/30+31
- Plantmusic concert Kempten
RESUME
Cassis Birgit Staudt – composer, soundartist
Websites: cassisb.com, greensoundsworld.com
EDUCATION
WS 2012 studies filmmusic, Juilliard, 1 Semester
WS 08 / SS 09 studies 2 semesters instrumentation, orchestration, Juilliard , New York
04/88 – 10/89 studies German/American literature, journalism, university Hamburg
09/84 – 06/86 studies music theatre directing, Musikhochschule Hamburg, focus: piano
04/30/1982 finals, Freihof Gymnasium, Goeppingen. specialized in music
LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS, TEACHINGS, TEAM BUILDING (selection)
2026 winner innovative teachings award, guest lecturer biodatasonification, HS Mainz, zeitbasierte Medien, 3 days
2026 Fürstenberg Institut, Team Building One-Day-Event biodatasonification, Hamburg, June 2026
2026 Audio-visual workshops, Epiz Reutlingen, global learning, focus: resources, Berufsschule Herrenberg
2025 guest lecturer biodatasonification, Bauhaus-University, Weimar, Gauforum Weimar
2024 + 2025 guest lecturer FILMMUSIC S. Prudent I TU Technische University, Berlin, Humanitary Studies
2023 sound art teachings PLANTMUSIC VIVAS! Grant: mindchangers SEZ, Epiz, Buenos Aires/Göppingen
2020, 06.-09.11. guest lecturer FILMMUSIC co-created with CSULB, California State University, online
Prof. Wolfgang Willaschek I HAW Hamburg – 4 days
2020, 10/20-23 guest lecturer FILMMUSIC class of Prof. Wolfgang Willaschek I HAW Hamburg – 3 days
2021, 17./18.06. guest lecturer FILMMUSIC class of Prof. Wolfgang Willaschek I HAW Hamburg – 2 days
2010 SS studies orchestration, Juilliard, premiere orchestral composition IMPASSE, Prof. Daniel Ott
2010 guest lecturer FILMMUSIC class of Prof. Nikolic I Music in boxing movies, NYU, 2 hrs.
2009 guest lecturer FILMMUSIC class of Prof. Pegi Vail, Anthropologie NYU, music in boxing movies
2005 Master Class FILMMUSIC music in boxing movies, FAMU International Universität, Prag, 3 hrs.
2004 and 2005 Master Class FILMMUSIC, Filmfestival NXNE, Toronto, Canada, 2 hrs. Each
WORK, FILMOGRAPHY (selection)
2026 Solo-exhibit GREEN SOUNDS WORLD, Projektraum OSTEND, Stuttgart, July 2026
2026 Publication book chapter FLORA Hochschule Mainz zeitbasierte Medien ISBN
2026 Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Berlin, Tag der Agrarwende, plantmusic concert, 900 people audience
2025/26 score silent film: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, D: GE Thorhannesdottir, P: Jim Stark,cinema
2025 GREEN SOUNDS WORLD exhibit Kunstverein Göppingen
2024 score feature: WILMA ODER DIE GESPENSTER DER FREIHEIT I R: M. Freese P: Ma.ja.de Kino/RBB
2024 Song Analog Love feature ‚Sterben‘, D: Matthias Glasner. Gewinner Dt. Filmpreis/Lola
2024 sound art PFLANTMUSIC I cemeteries Treptow Invited by Dr. Claudia Leistner/Bezirksstadträtin
Leiterin Abteilung Stadtentwicklung, Straßen, Grünflächen Umwelt
2024 score radio: GUMMERSBACH - GLAUBE, HOFFNUNG, LIEBE I Author: Merle Hilbk I WDR 5
2023-2026 Author, composer, actress: SCHNEEWEIßCHEN ROSENROT UND DIE SINGENDEN ROSEN I
over 75 shows featuring plantmusic developed for the Berlin KiA Program
2023/08-09 GREEN SOUNDS WORLD plantmusic I concerts BHROX Bauhaus reuse TU I artist in residence
2023 score Doc: DIE UNBEUGSAMEN 2 I D: Torsten Körner I P: Broadview TV I Kino/TV
2023 score Doc: DIE SELBSTVERSTÄNDLICHKEIT DES SEINS I D: IRA TONDOWSKI I DOK I ZDF
2022 score Doc: ADAM UND IDA I D: Jan Tenhaven I NDR
2021 score Doc: SUCHE NACH FRITZ KANN I D: Marcel Kolvenbach I Kino
Nomination: Dt. Dokumentarfilm Musikpreis
2021 score Doc: ALL PILLS ARE PINK I D: Anna Stradinger
2021 Music, artistic sounddesign: DER KLEINE STERN I browser game
2019 score Doc: DER KRIEG IN MIRI D: Sebastian Heinzel I ZDF/cinema
2019 score Doc: GODS OF MOLENBEEK I D: Reeta Huhtanen I music with Tuomas Nikkinen I TV
Japan/cinema I Preis für den besten fremdsprachigen Kinderdokumentarfilm Duisburg;
New Directors | New Films Festival; Double prize at Tampere Film Festival: Special prize
Audience Award and The Critic's Choice Award DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival 2020
2019 featured accordionist I SWANS I Michael Gira, Album: Leaving Meaning
2018 score dance theater: HELENE’S BRIEFE I D: Petra Katharina Wagner I 360 Grad Video
2018 Source Music feature: DIE ANFÄNGERIN I D: Alexandra Sell I ZDF/cinema
2016 score Orchestralal Filmmusic: HEARART: SINFONISCHES TRIPTYCHON #1.
Featuring films by Leighton Pierce, Phil Solomon, Paul Clipson, world premiere Berlin
2014 score: MISTRESS I D: Anja Murmann I short fiction I 2014 I Best Short Drama: Asians on Film Festival
2013 score Doc: EINZELKÄMPFER I D: S. Kaudelka I ZDF/Kino I Berlinale Perspektive Deutsches Kino
2011 score feature: AMEISEN GEHEN ANDERE WEGE I D: C. Deus I ZDF I Preis: Biberacher Filmfestspiele
Schülerbiber
2006 score Doc: LIVING LIGHTLY I D: Robin Burke I PBS I winner: director’s choice, Kentucky Film Festival
2006 Tutor Songwriting: Herbie Flowers ‘Rockshop’, Dartington, Brighton, Orpheus Center, Dartington: 8 years
2005 score feature: DIE BOXERIN - ABOUT A GIRL I D: Catharina Deus I ZDF/cinema
Awards: German Independence Award, Bester Deutscher Film, Filmfest Oldenburg; FBW 2006:
Prädikat: besonders wertvoll; Femina Rio de Janeiro 2005: Bester Studentenfilm category feature films,
Grimme Preis Nominierung
2004 score Doc: FERRY TALES Oscar nominiated 2004 category: Best short doc;
Awards: Women's Network Awards - Best Documentary Film; Underdog Film Festival - Best Doc
Based on an idea by Cassis B Staudt HBO/Cinemax/ARTE/cinema
2004 sound sculpture Denver airport
2001 5 songs: STERNZEICHEN I D: Peter Patzak I feature I Source Music I ARD/MDR I
Winner Emerging Maverick Award, Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2003
2000 score Doc: VERTICAL TRAVELER I D: Katja Esson I ARTE/Thirteen/WNET I 2001
PRESS
2026 SWR Kultur TV, D: Manuel Gerber, July 2026
2026 SWR Kultur Radio, Author: Andreas Langen, July 2026
2026 Deutschlandfunk Kultur Radio, Author: Anna Marie Goretzki, June 2026
2026 Rock Magazine ‚eclipsed‘, 2 pages, Author: Gunnar Leue
2025 Feature Südwestpresse Wochenend Magazin, Published in: Tagesspiegel, Die Kirche, Friedhofskultur
2024 Cassis‘ plantmusic sounds via biodatasonification feature in
taz, BZ, Sat1, Südwestpresse, Nordkurier, NWZ
2023 Cassis‘ plantmusic feature Radio Eins
FILMMAKER / PRODUCER (selection)
02/90–07/96 producer for Jim Jarmusch, New York
Producer of three shorts COFFEE AND CIGARETTES, D: Jim Jarmusch
With D. MacBride, featuring Tom Waits und Iggy Pop (Palm d’Or, Cannes, 1993)
Producer Music Videos: Tom Waits I don’t wanna grow up, Neil Young Big Time
1994 Producer/Director with Jörg Söchting: MARC RIBOT – DESCENT INTO BALDNESS I Documentary I Festivals
1990 Producer/Regie: SCHICKSAL UND ZUFALL D: part 1: Cassis, part 2: Matthias. Glasner I cinema
1986 Producer/Montage: REQUIEM, D: Matthias Glasner, Munich Filmfestival
MUSICIAN (selection)
Since 2020 Plantmusic via biodatasonification
2016 – 2020 Bandlleader Band Beauty & the Bs
2003 – 2014 Bandleader Band Cassis & the Sympathies
2002 – 2021 Guest accordionist Michael Gira’s Band Swans
1999 – 2000 Accordionist and band member in Michael Gira’s Band The Angels of Light
1993 – 2003 Bandleader Band b-blush 10 years. Song Compositions by singer /
Accordionist Cassis, Two Europe Tours und three records
GRANTS/RESIDENCES (selection)
2023-2024 KiA grants, city of Berlin, plantmusic performed by Cassis’ PFLANT THEATRE
(Over 75 shows) author, composer, performer: Cassis B Staudt
2020-2023 NEUSTART KULTUR GRANTS: CLIMATE SYMPHONY I Musikfonds, GEMA, DMR
2012 ARTIST RESIDENCY Atlantic Center for the Arts, Florida. Focus: Music
PUBLICATIONS
2026 Book Chapter in FLORA
2009 Release 4th CD: Analog Love, Cassis & the Sympathies
2006 Release 3rd. CD: Die Boxerin flypaperthin mit Herbie Flowers (Bassist Lou Reed/David Bowie)
2001 Release 2nd. CD: you are here, Cassis & b-blush
1999 Release 1st. CD: heartcore, Cassis & b-blush
CITIES:
1982-1990 Hamburg
1990-2024 New York, USA
2024-heute Berlin, Bad Boll