We Turn Brainwaves Into Sound For Music And Medicine

A neuroscientist and a musician explain how they built the Brain Stethoscope, which is both brain scanner and musical instrument

Why is a cellist and sound artist collaborating with someone who deals with brain disorders?
Chris Chafe: I am working with neurologist Josef Parvizi on what we think is the first – certainly the cheapest – device that turns brainwaves into both music and a powerful medical tool. In the process, I am making some of the best, most exciting electronic music of my life.

What led you down this path?
CC: I have been involved in other projects where I turn data into sound, for example the output captured by underground geophones from fracking, or complex structures in synthetic biology. This is called sonification...