Unifying Melodies: Redefining the Infinite World of Musical Creativity

Composing original music is a joyous, stimulating, and liberating activity, but has historically been off limits to many people because of their supposed lack of musical training. Tod Machover and his innovative group at the MIT Media Lab, however, have specialized in developing tools and experiences—such as Hyperscore—that allow anyone to create their own music regardless of skill or experience, using lines and colors. Already in use by children in schools and cultural centers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, the Hyperscore model is currently being extended to serve people of all ages, to help assess and treat health conditions such as autism, Alzheimers, and aging, and to link experts and amateurs in a dynamic online music community. This presentation will describe recent developments in Hyperscore and related tools and provide an overview of several of Machover’s large-scale international music/technology collaborations that are beginning to attract significant attention.

Tod Machover has been called “America’s Most Wired Composer” by The Los Angeles Times and is widely acclaimed for his groundbreaking music as well as for his seminal contributions to music technology. Machover is a co-founder of the MIT Media Lab, where he is Professor of Music & Media and Director of its new Center for Creativity and Inventive Thinking. He is the inventor of Hyperinstruments, which seek to open doors for augmented musical expression to everyone, from the world’s greatest virtuosi such as Yo-Yo Ma and Prince, to children, seniors, and the mentally and physically disabled. Machover’s music has been commissioned, performed, and recorded by many of the world’s most prominent musicians, and he is currently working on two new operas, both to premiere in Europe in the Fall of 2008.

Location: The Nour Foundation Gallery
322 West 108th Street, New York, NY