The (Un)Answered Question: A Data Science Powered Music Experiment

Abstract

This paper describes the intentions, setup, and live performance of a musical experiment that explores the complex intersection of human-technology interactions, music, and data collection. It brings art and data science together through a novel experimental music installation. The interdisciplinary project “The (Un)Answered Question: A Data Science Powered Music Experiment” explored integrating data science and biomedical imaging techniques with theatrical and compositional ideas. This combination leads to the creation of interactive music. Gestural interfaces and sensory input devices translate physiological behavior into music through digital signal processing. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “The Sphynx” and Charles Ives’ composition “The Unanswered Question” serve as foundational elements to create a live remix of the original music using biometric data from performers and an audience of 180 people. The audience became a powerful instrument of musical expression. Each live performance was experiential and unique, depending on the different people involved.