The wild sounds of one of Cincinnati’s most iconic attractions have been immortalized in a new track from a local audio agency that’s been capturing the Queen City through music.
In November, Play Audio Agency launched PLAY IT, a public-facing series that aims to create music tracks based on iconic spots around Cincinnati. Since its launch, the PLAY IT team, made up of sound designer and composer Drew Marcum, project director Ann Driscoll and creative director Adam Pleiman, has captured the natural “songs” created by places like the Roebling Bridge, Rhinegeist and now the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
In their newest project, Play teamed up with the zoo to craft a track based on the unique sounds of everyday life there, with a specific focus on a food source that fuels many of the animals: lettuce.
“We at Play Audio Agency are incredibly excited and honored to collaborate with the Cincinnati Zoo on this unique project. As a local company, we have immense civic pride for the Zoo and its vital role in our community. It has been a truly remarkable experience to work with the zoo staff and alongside the animals to capture the authentic sounds of their world, transforming them into a creative expression that celebrates the Zoo’s incredible environment and its commitment to animal care,” Play said in a press release.
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Play It: Cincinnati Audio Agency Launches Series Capturing the Iconic Sounds of the Queen City
The zoo says its commissary team works 365 days a year preparing and delivering specialized diets, including the hydroponically grown lettuce cultivated on the zoo’s grounds. About 1,000 heads of lettuce are harvested each week and are then fed to many of the animal residents, from the giraffes to the star of the show, Fiona the hippo.
After lettuce is harvested, it goes to the zoo’s in-house grocery store and kitchen, the commissary, where keepers weigh, pack, load and deliver it around the zoo. Play captured the sounds of this journey, from the hum of grow lights to the rustling of leaves as they’re harvested and the resounding chomps of the hippo bloat enjoying a snack.
“The PLAY Audio crew showed up looking like a scene out of Ghostbusters — jumpsuits, recording gear, microphones strapped to their backs — and immediately got to work,” said Chad Yelton, Cincinnati Zoo’s vice president of marketing. “They did an incredible job capturing the unique sounds of our Zoo, from hydroponic lettuce rustling to the satisfying crunch of Fiona’s bite. It’s a wild and creative way to bring our critical behind-the-scenes work to life.”
You can listen to the track here, or watch below.
This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 5, 2025.