Prof. Tod Machover writes about the work of French composer Pierre Boulez, who died January 5, in an article for The Wall Street Journal. “[Boulez] has left a legacy as a bold fighter for the seriousness, sophistication and transformative power of music at a moment when we have often forgotten how…to really listen,” writes Machover.
MIT researchers have identified the region of the brain that perceives music, reports Emily Reynolds for Wired. The researchers found that one area of the brain “responded most to music, another to speech, and the other four to different acoustic properties such as pitch and frequency.”
In this AP TV video, Prof. Tod Machover discusses the development of his latest work, “Symphony in D,” a piece about the city of Detroit. “I really wanted it to be a portrait of the city so I invited everybody in the city, anybody who wanted to, to collaborate,” says Machover.
AP reporter Mike Householder writes about Prof. Tod Machover’s “Symphony in D,” which features the sounds of everyday Detroit. "It somehow sounds like something that could only have been done here. And that makes me really happy," says Machover.
The New York Times’ Zachary Woolfe writes about Prof. Tod Machover’s work “Symphony in D,” the latest in his series of city symphonies. Woolfe writes that the piece is “an explosion of energy, found sounds, live-music snippets and reminiscences featuring spoken and played interpolations from a range of Detroit artists.”
In an article for WBUR, Amelia Mason highlights the top musicians to see at the Outside the Box Festival, highlighting MIT’s Gamelan Galak Tika ensemble. Mason writes that the ensemble “infuses traditional Balinese gamelan music with experimental and modern classical sounds.”
Boston Magazine reporter Paul Albani-Burgio speaks with two of MIT’s newest Institute Professors, Sally “Penny” Chisholm and Marcus Thompson. Chisholm says that one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is working with MIT students. “They’re just a constant source of renewal and excitement,” she explains.
Shaula Clark writes for Boston Magazine about how members of the MIT Glass Band, an offshoot of the MIT Glass Lab, hand-blow glass instruments that "can be used to make a dizzying array of strange and ethereal sounds. Assembled, the band comes off like an orchestra from an alien planet.” The article features images and a video about the Glass Band.
Boston Globe reporter Jon Garelick writes about the MIT Wind Ensemble and MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, detailing the history of both performance groups. Garelick writes that a new album by the two groups, “Infinite Winds,” is “one of the most compelling CDs of the year.”
Boston Globe reporter Jeremy Eichler reviews the final concert performed this year as part of Sounding, a new annual concert series at MIT, which featured a celebration of American experimental music. The annual series concluded on Saturday night with a “roiling and joyful 80th birthday tribute to minimalist pioneer Terry Riley,” Eichler writes.
Adam Rutherford of BBC Radio 4 speaks with Prof. Nicholas Makris about his work examining the evolution of violin design during the 17th and 18th centuries. Makris explains that, “if you go over that roughly 200 years you see that the F-hole length was increasing over that time period,” an adjustment that increased the violin’s acoustic power.
The Naked Scientists feature Prof. Nicholas Makris explaining his research on the evolution of violin design and performing on the lute. Makris explains his finding that the violin’s “F-hole length increased from the Amati time period to the Guarneri time period," making the instrument's sound more powerful.
A new study conducted by MIT researchers examines the unique acoustical properties of Cremona-era violins’ F-shaped holes, writes Douglas Quenqua for The New York Times. “The scientists found that the length of the holes, not the width, and the strength of the back plate had the biggest effects on sound quality,” Quenqua explains.
Matt Cantor of USA Today writes that by examining the key features that augment a violin’s sound, MIT researchers have found that the shape and design of the “f-holes” give the instrument its acousitcal power. The researchers also found that the instrument’s shape evolved gradually over time, by chance.
The Economist writes about a new MIT study examining the development of violin design, which was found to have evolved by chance. The researchers also found that the shape and length of the violin’s “f-holes” give the instrument its acoustical power.