Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

What Does Science Sound Like?

20/04/2023

What Does Science Sound Like? In the latest episode of Sounds of Berklee, electro-symphonic composer David Ibbett breaks down his process for turning scientific data into musical notes.

By

John Mirisola

April 19, 2023

David Ibbett

Image by Raja Palanimurugan

What does scientific data feel like?

The composer David Ibbett helps answer that question. The thing that boggles the mind is that we take it for granted. You know, we are not constantly amazed, says Ibbett, who heads up the Multiverse Concert Series and teaches across several departments at Berklee, including Composition and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Combining orchestral and electronic elements, his compositions unlock the surprising layers of drama, foreboding, and hope hidden within the charts and figures that describe some of humanitys most significant discoveries. They bring a sense of wonder to the age of stunning scientific advancement were living through.

On this episode of our podcast, Sounds of Berklee, we dig into the process of turning science into sound through a technique called sonification (think visualization, but with sound instead of images), and of finding artistic inspiration within other disciplines. Listen to the conversation and check out an excerpt from the interview transcript (edited for length and clarity) below.

Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or listen on SoundCloud:

David Ibbett conducts his Black Hole Symphony at the Boston Museum of Science.

Image by Raja Palanimurugan

John Mirisola: Take me back to that moment when you started figuring out, okay, I have this, this deep interest in science. I have, obviously, a deep interest in music.... How did you arrive at the conclusion that you could make a tone poem about one of the moons of Jupiter [Europa]-you could bring these two loves together in a way that perhaps no ones really done in the same way?

David Ibbett: Well, I think all composers have to look outwards, and find something, that is captivating, beautiful, but also something mysterious that we want to understand more. My teacher back at Cambridge always said that to me: Every composers got their passion. And then they spend their life trying to bring that into music. And its difficult....

For me, the science has always been a source of hope. Just looking at what has happened in my own lifetime, you know, weve had the first discovery of an exoplanet, a planet round another star. When I was born, we didnt know if there were any. Now we know theres 5,000 and counting. You know, the Human Genome Project; amazing advances in computing...

The thing that boggles the mind is that we take it for granted. You know, we are not constantly amazed. We just sort of go, Okay, weve got some new technology. Great. It is moving at such a pace, and we have this human ability to adapt really quickly to a new normal. But theres nothing normal about it. This is this incredible age of discovery. And I think music and art can open that up, and make us more curious, more reflective, and hopefully more grateful as well.

It was just so rich, the Europa story, when we just started thinking, you know, a flute can sound like a rocket.... The flute is just this great sort of pantomime instrument. You can make all these different mouth sounds and you can control the tone so much. So, you know, we could tell the whole story of this journey just with the embouchure of the flute. And then electronic sound that you layer it up, so you can have all these sounds together. The joy of that one piece really has spawned hundreds of pieces Ive done since then.

Episode Credits Produced by John Mirisola

Production assistance by Bryan Parys

Theme music by Sleeping Lion

Media excerpted:

Black Hole Symphony (David Ibbett/Multiverse Concert Series)

Water Romanza and Romanza Acoustic from Octave of Light (David Ibbett/Multiverse Concert Series, feat. Beth Sterling and Amelia Sie)

The Sound of Two Black Holes Colliding (LIGO Observatory/Caltech/MIT)

Learn more about the Climate Hope Concert, which premieres on Earth Day (April 22) at WBURs CitySpace. Virtual and in-person tickets are available.

Enjoy the show? Have thoughts or questions for the Sounds of Berklee team? Let us know at soundspodcast@berklee.edu.

Related Categories

News

Sounds of Berklee

Most Popular

Image generated with AI assistance, using the prompt: 3D rendering of jazz instruments transforming into computer circuitry.

What Does New AI Technology Mean for Artists? Songwriting faculty member Ben Camp talks ChatGPT and GPT-4, confronting the creative potential and creeping dread of artificial intelligence.

Latest

Katie Rupinski (center) was presented with the first EA/Berklee Next Gen Scholarship by (left to right) Screen Scoring Chair Sean McMahon; Screen Scoring Assistant Chair Esin Aydingoz; composer Nami Melumad; Worldwide Executive and President at EA Music Steve Schnur; Berklee President Erica Muhl; composer Dara Taylor; and Dean of Professional Writing and Music Technology Matthew Nicholl.

Adam Glanzman

Berklee and Electronic Arts Celebrate Inaugural EA Day EA Day celebrated women in the screen scoring industry and presented the first EA/Berklee Next Gen Scholarship to student Katie Rupinski.

Berklee Online Holds 2023 Berklee Onsite Music Conference June 2-3 The in-person conference is open to Berklee Online students and the music community at large.

Laura Orshaw

Image by Scott Simontacchi

Laura Orshaw Receives 2023 Eisenson Family Prize for American Roots Music The endowed fund provides for an annual visit to Berklee by an outstanding roots musician.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/what-does-science-sound-like...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

13/03/2025

FCC Chairman Carr Launches Massive Deregulation Initiative

WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...

13/03/2025

SDVI Integrates Rally With Spectra Vail

SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...

13/03/2025

FCC Approves Gray's Acquisition of KXLT

ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...

13/03/2025

NAB Show 2025 Exhibitor Insight: Blackmagic Design

TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...

13/03/2025

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions. ...

12/03/2025

Como o Impacto Cultural e Financeiro da Indstria Musical Define Seu Sucesso em 2025

O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...

12/03/2025

Cmo el impacto cultural y financiero de la industria musical define su xito en 2025

Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...

12/03/2025

Nourish Mind, Body, and Soul This Ramadan With Spotify

Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...

12/03/2025

How the Music Industry's Cultural and Financial Impact Define Its Success in 2025

Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...

12/03/2025

FAST now transcends back catalog content

More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...

12/03/2025

Viamedia Adopts ShowSeeker Pilot To Streamline Ad Workflows

GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...

12/03/2025

Mediagenix Appoints Wael Yasin as Sales Director Central Europe

BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....

12/03/2025

Omdia: Global Online Consumer Expenditure to Hit $6.6 Trillion by 2029

LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...

12/03/2025

Comcast Technology Solutions Upgrades to Interra Systems BATON Version 9

CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....

12/03/2025

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments High-capacity switch enhances existi...

12/03/2025

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...

12/03/2025

SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally Sweden 2025

SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...

12/03/2025

Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations

Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits. By Madd...

12/03/2025

Offering a broad umbrella for IP standards

TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...

12/03/2025

Warner Bros Belgium takes a new approach to its post production workflows

The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks By Matthew Corrig...

12/03/2025

Another VFX company suspends operations

Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months By Jenny ...

12/03/2025

Bitcentral to Showcase AI-Powered Innovations for Smarter...

Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...

12/03/2025

Jeff Lilly Named WGN-TV Director Of Technology

CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....

12/03/2025

Survey: Consumers Want More Shoppable TV Experiences

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...

12/03/2025

IP Showcase To Focus On IP, Broadcast Tech Convergence at 2025 NAB Show

BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...

12/03/2025

Comcast Boosts Internet Speeds for More Than 20 Million Customers

PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....

12/03/2025

Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14

Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14 Brie Clayton March 11, 2025 0 Comments Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade During Marc...

12/03/2025

Ross Video Strengthens Cloud Leadership with Appointment of Aaron Tunnell

Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...

12/03/2025

VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025

12 Mar 2025 VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...

12/03/2025

Getting Set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's Ongoing Software-Based Production Evolution

Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...

12/03/2025

Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful

Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...

12/03/2025

Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptual Displays

Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...

12/03/2025

Sky Sports Unveils Exciting Plans for 2025 Formula 1 Coverage

With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...

12/03/2025

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz transmission solutions

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...

12/03/2025

Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby Double-Header

Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...

12/03/2025

FOR-A America Introduces Top of the Line HANABI Series Switcher at NAB 2025 Exhibition

New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...

12/03/2025

Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity Solutions for the Brazilian Market

Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...

12/03/2025

Congratulations to all our clients who have achieved TAG certification through our independent validation

ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...

12/03/2025

Moonlight: Thales Alenia Space to develop the space segment of the navigation system orbiting around the Moon

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...

12/03/2025

Thales among the world's top 100 most innovative companies for the 12th year, according to Clarivate

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...

12/03/2025

CCPC sponsored TV series The Complaints Bureau returns to RT One

Consumer show back following hugely successful first series 10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...

11/03/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Amel Guellaty, the Writer-Director of Where the Wind Comes From

By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...

11/03/2025

Salsa's Rhythmic Revival: A New Generation Discovers the Genre's Timeless Appeal

Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...

11/03/2025

Canada's Own Rupi Kaur Curates the Latest Edition of Local Spot, Revealing the Songs and Artists That Shaped Her

For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...

11/03/2025

ST Engineering iDirect's Public Safety Solution Wins MSUA Satellite Mobile Innovation Award 2025

The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...

11/03/2025

Weigel Broadcasting Taps Harmonic for Cloud-Based Playout-to-Delivery

SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...

11/03/2025

Wheatstone To Unveil Linux Audio Driver At 2025 NAB Show

NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...

11/03/2025

Study: Women's Sports Are a Big Win for Advertisers

NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...

11/03/2025

Al Sharqiya prepares for Ultra HD with FOR-A

Powerful switcher for news studio FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...