Poco

2022 Aug - Nov

In collaboration with Chelsea Angelina, Leong Jo Yie, Joanne Chong E Qin, Tamie Wong Jun Er and Zhang Jing Wen

Poco is a transitional instrument for pregnant mothers to create lullabies for their unborn child through yoga movements. After birth, the main body of Poco can be detached for the baby and act as a musical chou chou.

Many new mothers struggle to bond with their child during pregnancy. With music being a universal language, transcending all ages, religion and cultures, this project seeks to use music as a means for mothers to connect with their unborn child and transform these familiar sounds into a source of comfort for the child after birth.

The C Major Pentatonic Scale

During pregnancy, mothers sing lullabies to comfort both themself and their baby. A C major pentatonic scale which omits dissonance was used, allowing mothers to create pleasant melodies regardless of any prior musical knowledge.

Using Yoga to Activate Sounds

Just as lullabies soothe babies, yoga helps mothers relax and restore their well-being during pregnancy. As she stretches, we envision different movements activating distinct notes on the pentatonic scale, creating a unique lullaby regardless of musical knowledge.

Additionally, the mother’s intuitive rubbing and tapping of her belly to alleviate discomfort triggers notes to be played.

“臭臭”
Chou chou

A parent’s love in its most cuddly form. A chou chou (literally means smelly) pillow is a security blanket given to a child, and it comes in many forms.

(Adapted from Singapo人)

After birth, the familiar lullabies that babies remember from their mother’s womb can be a source of comfort, similar to the purpose of a chou chou, which is a transitional object that helps babies to gain independence and ease their separation from the mother’s womb. Hence, we introduced a detachable feature that allows mothers to give the main body of the product to the baby as a musical chou chou.

With that, we ideated on various forms that encapsulate all these aspects, emphasizing comfort for the mother’s body.