Making Music You Can See and Touch

When it comes to modern music, it turns out that listening is only half the experience. From MTV special effects eye-candy to this year’s audio/tactile winner of the Google Science Fair, sound has become something not only to hear, but to see and touch.

A few weeks ago, Sound artist Sudhu Tewari joined Youth Radio for an exciting Brains and Beakers event on the science behind “seeing” sound. He brought in an instrument he created himself using a colander, springs, and some spare television and speaker parts. initially, I thought that something that could double as a speghetti strainer would not be ideal as an instrument. But to my surprise, it worked really well. Sudhu showed us how sound and light could correspond with each other, connecting music and movement. As the bass hit the light moved from side to side, tiny lights on the TV screens moved up and down. It was truly a work of art.