Musical DNA

****This artwork was accidentally damaged on 6/12/2018 and is being repaired.  It is marked “archive” until it is reinstalled, anticipated late summer 2018.****

Musical DNA is an interactive sound sculpture. User input connects the musical notes to create simple musical compositions.  More complex compositions are possible with the cooperation of multiple users.  The artwork helps users become fluent in the language of music through the interaction of geometry, sound, and color:  allowing them to “see” music.

The sculpture itself consists of two 4-foot square pieces of plexiglass, supported by a steel framework designed to house the touch sensor “domes”, LED lighting, wiring, and microcomputer controllers. People interact with hand-sized plexiglass domes that trigger the sounds and lights required to teach music visually through the production of visual geometric chords.

The installation is the creation of Mark Kesling, and artist, science educator, and founder/CEO of The daVinci Pursuit, a non-profit organization creating projects that connect art, science, and community.  Other contributors to the artwork are Ken Lemons, Alex Porter, Christopher Doeden, and Clyde Pennington.

The sculpture is a physical representation of another daVinci Pursuit project, the Musical DNA software, an algorithm that allows efficient ways to learn, process, and experience sound by combining the audio and visual centers of the brain.