Spies smuggling information in and out of enemy territory have to think creatively when finding hiding places. In an article for Wired, Lily Hay Newman shares the story of saxophonist Merryl Goldberg, who hid the names, addresses, and other details of Soviet musicians in her handwritten music compositions. The writing looked like real melodies, but actually contained information about the Phantom Orchestra, a dissident ensemble of Jewish refuseniks, Christian activists, and Helsinki Accord monitors. Goldberg’s group planned to play with the Phantom Orchestra, providing them with information about aid efforts and obtaining details about individuals who wanted to leave the USSR.
Pretty cool. What other unorthodox methods for smuggling information can you devise? What else could you hide in musical notations? What happens next?
