MULTIMEDIA WORKS
My research and creative practice are inherently interdisciplinary, bridging the gap between music, dance, visual arts, technology, cognition, neuroscience, and cultural studies.
ART OF COLLABORATION
STUDY # 1
Art of Collaboration results from a close partnership between NobleMotion Dance and me. The collaborative process was influenced by the concept of neural synchrony, which refers to the way neurons in the brain fire together in patterns. Additionally, the piece delves into the notion of transitioning from polarization to a state of healthy coexistence.
MEETING OF MINDS
(PROJECTION DESIGN)
“ Meeting of Minds,” a piece for live and pre-recorded string quartet and two dancers with music by Anthony Brandt and choreography by Andy and Dionne Noble, for which I designed the brain-computer interface and multimedia projections. The dancers are wearing portable EEG caps. The projections include real-time visualizations of the data.
ELECTRIC SKY BLUE
for piano, movememnt and interactive intermedia
Electric Sky Blue (2022) is an immersive and interactive project for Caroline, exploring sound, color, and movement. It took a year to complete, integrating motion-capturing and amplitude-following technologies to translate Caroline's movements into sound and visuals. The visuals are linked to both the dance movements and piano playing, creating a comprehensive work of art. The project is based on a poem by Caroline that unfolds across ten scenes, tracing a journey of transformation from birth and innocence to newfound resilience and authenticity.
HALF-TOLD STORIES
Half-Told Stories is an artistic exploration of personal narratives. We selected four female dancers whose unique stories provided a broad spectrum of experiences. These were interpreted into sound, abstract moving images, and dance, offering viewers a nuanced understanding of their lived experiences.
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TTAHIRIH THE PURE
FOR SOLO PIANO AND LIVE PROCESSED PROJECTED PAINTING
"Tahirih The Pure" is a multimedia narrative that tells the story of Tahirih Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, a scholar, poet, philosopher, teacher, prisoner, mother, martyr, women's rights activist, and theologian of the Bábí faith in Iran. She was a symbol of feminine power and the women's movement for many Iranians, and is universally acknowledged as one of the most influential women in Iranian history. Tahirih challenged traditional gender roles and advocated for women's rights. She famously removed her veil during the Badasht conference, which led to her secret execution in mid-1852. The narrative is divided into three movements: "The Day of Alast," "Unchained," and "Badasht," with a coda representing Tahirih's final moments.
BEFORE I BECAME AWARE OF THIS MOVING OF LIFE
FOR BARITONE SAX AND MULTIMEDIA
This piece resulted from a close collaboration with fantastic saxophonist (and a wonderful new friend) Wilson Poffenberger and premiered at the Splice Institute 2022 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Wilson mentioned his love for improvisation in our initial brainstorming stages, and I could not be happier to hear that since I love organic sonic processes. I enjoyed designing a fully interactive space for him to express himself freely. I love the result, which is full of raw emotional interpretation of the open score within a fixed structure. We are excited to share this with more audiences in the near future—cheers to new meaningful collaborations and friendships.
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DIABELLI 200
(VISULIZATION DESIGN)
In 1819, composer and publisher Anton Diabelli invited several dozen Austrian composers to submit a variation on a theme he’d written. Fifty composers sent in a single variation; Beethoven wrote thirty-three, which were published in 1823. How Beethoven’s approach differs from that of his contemporaries is very revealing about the creative process—it is like a sonic brain scan of imagination at work.
Diabelli 200, composed by Anthony Brandt, revisits Diabelli’s theme two hundred years later. In Musiqa’s performance, the conductor and pianist wore portable EEG caps that monitored their brain activity as they rehearsed and performed. Data from the caps was incorporated into animated projections designed by composer Badie Khaleghian.
Life Suite
Life Suite is a project that explores the process of identity formation based on the identity process theory. This theory proposes that adapting to aging involves three processes - identity assimilation (maintaining self-consistency), identity accommodation (making changes in the self), and identity balance (maintaining a sense of self while also being open to necessary changes).
The project is a result of close collaboration between Caroline Owen, a pianist, and another person. In 2017, Caroline shared with the other person her background in dance and her interest in creating a project that combined live dance and piano music. After a year of discussing, researching, and brainstorming, the other person wrote a piece that incorporated both of Caroline's passions.
Apaci: A Refugee Story
Documentary Film
Apaci: A Refugee Story is a documentary that tells the story of Basir Khamooshi, his wife Noura and their young daughter Nila. As religious refugees, they are currently stuck in Turkey and are unable to join the rest of their family in the US due to the Muslim ban. Despite being Baha’i, they were forced to flee Iran because of religious persecution by the Iranian government. Basir was previously a professional classical cello performer in Iran, but now works in a wood cutting factory. The aim of the documentary is to share their story and change the negative perception of refugees. We hope to start a new conversation about immigration, refugee rights and the challenges that refugees face.