EEG Music

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Below is the original web page for our "Brainwave Music Project". However. the project has been marching along! In addition to many demos/presentations/performances that Dave and I have given, these are of particular note:


• The Brainwave Music Project CD! -- yes, you can get a CD with four amazing 'brainwave' performances by Margaret Lancaster flute), Dan Trueman (hardanger fiddle), Terry Pender (mandolin) and William Hooker (percusssion). Or you can just listen to these amazing tracks from that page.
  
  
• Rob Schwimmer -- in Dave Sulzer's Music, Math and Mind class, Fall 2019.
  
  
• What does your brain sound like? -- an interview with Dave and me for the 'Red Bull Music Academy festival'.

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Dave had done some work with my colleague Douglas Repetto, so he knew of our music-technology capabilities at the Computer Music Center, plus he had worked with Otto Luening back when the CMC was the old EMC ("Electronic"). He contacted me one day in late 2007 (I think) about an idea he had to meld his research and musical interests. Several small companies had started to produce relatively inexpensive 'brainwave sensors', and Dave felt we could develop some interesting music and musical-interface pieces using these devices.

Long story short, we worked together to craft music integrating these sensors into the musical presentation. We've gotten a fair amount of mileage out of the concept, and we're still continuing with new pieces. The first presentation (see link below) featured renowned percussionists Valerie Naranjo, Barry Olsen and Benny Koonyevsky performing at CUNY in March, 2008. Unfortunately I was unable to be at the performance (fun stem-cell harvest stuff, arg!), but CMC-ers Sam Pluta and Jeff Snyder ably handled the technology.

the four bottom images above were also generated by the EEG data during the performance
(from the Guggenheim Museum presentation)

• Trio for Brainwaves and Percussion: original version at CUNY [2008] (with Sam Pluta) -- mp3 recording
  Valerie Naranjo (gyil, an African mallet instrument)
  Barry Olsen (hand drums)
  Benny Koonyevsky (cajon, a musical box)
  
  
• WFMU Radio Show [2009] -- link to show archive
  Brad and Dave on the Ken and Andy Seven Second Delay show, WFMU (Hoboken NJ)
  
  
• Trio for Brainwaves and Percussion: Cornell University [2009] -- QuickTime Movie
  done at the Light in Winter festival, Ithaca NY
  
  
• WHYY (PBS/Philadelphia) show [2009] -- link to the video
  an hour-long show on our work done by WHYY (Philadelhia, PA), featuring percussionists Chuck Joseph, Rich Robinson, and Adwoa Tacheampong.
  
  
• String Quartet #3: "The Essential" [2010]
      First movement: Fourier Transformations
      Second Movement: Breathe the air of other planets -- mp3 recordings
  
  Mari Kimura, violin
  Curtis Steward, violin
  Herve Bronimann, viola
  Dave Eggar, cello
  Ha-Yang Kim, cello
  performance at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn
  
  
• The Universe Resounds: Kandinsky, Synesthesia, and Art [2010]
  presentation at the Guggenheim Museum (no recording, sorry!), New York, NY
  
  
• Dave Solo performances [various dates]
  This is a link to Dave's site about this work, with links to several solo performances with the system that he has done. It also has links to articles and interviews Dave has done about the science behind the music.

• photos from the Seven Second Delay radio show
  
• more photos from the WFMU show
  
• photos from the Issue Project Room show