Music of the Spheres: Using Music to Explore Concepts in Astronomy & Particle Physics

2:10pm - 2:30pm

A presentation to explore the use of voice in composed and improvised music to explore concepts in astronomy and particle physics. The presenter has herself composed pieces for voice that explore neutrinos and pulsars and this proposal includes presentation and exploration of these works. Additionally structures of cosmic evolution and models of particle physics provide a rich source of inspiration for creating improvised soundscapes with the voice and voices that are easily accessible.

This presentation would include the following:

1. Exploration of how music has been used by composers to explore these topics such as Stockhausen's 'Ylem' and 'Ionisation' by Edgar Varese.
2. Compositions for voices that relate to particle physics and astronomy.
3. Working with improvisation to create soundscapes that illustrate concepts from these fields.

I also propose that the workshop includes space for improvisation so that instructors and students can start to get a sense of how they might create music from these ideas. I would love for someone in the seminar to have an idea that we then turn into and improvisation.

• VOICES 2019 - Suzie Shrubb - 499.00 seconds neutrino oscillations for 3< voices.pdf
• VOICES 2019 - Suzie Shrubb - A Tintinnabulation of Cosmic Scintillation.mp3
• VOICES 2019 - Suzie Shrubb - A Tintinnabulation of Cosmic Scintillation.pdf
• VOICES 2019 - Suzie Shrubb - Second Sound.pdf

• a tintinnabulation of cosmic scintillation (SoundCloud)
• particle list scaled to a piano (SoundCloud)

• Astronomy
• Big Bang
• Pulsars
• Neutrinos
• Dark Matter
• Solar System
• Planets
• Undergraduate
• Instructor Tools
• Materials
• Composition
• Improvisation