Brain-Computer Interface for Monitoring and Inducing Affective States
Lead Research Organisation:
Plymouth University
Department Name: Sch of Humanities & Performing Arts
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Eduardo Miranda (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Alexis Kirke (Co-Author)
(2014)
Towards Harmonic Extensions of Pulsed Melodic Affective Processing - Further Musical Structures for Increasing Transparency in Emotional Computation
in International Journal of Unconventional Computing
Alexis Kirke (Co-Author)
(2013)
Artificial Affective Listening Towards a Machine Learning Tool for Sound-based Emotion Therapy and Control
in Proceedings of the Sound and Music Computing Conference - SMC 2013
Daly I
(2020)
Personalised, Multi-Modal, Affective State Detection for Hybrid Brain-Computer Music Interfacing
in IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing
Daly I
(2015)
Automated identification of neural correlates of continuous variables.
in Journal of neuroscience methods
Daly I
(2016)
An affective brain-computer music interface
Daly I
(2015)
Music-induced emotions can be predicted from a combination of brain activity and acoustic features.
in Brain and cognition
Daly I
(2020)
Neural and physiological data from participants listening to affective music.
in Scientific data
Daly I
(2016)
An affective brain-computer music interface
Daly I
(2016)
An investigation into the use of six facially encoded emotions in brain-computer interfacing
in Brain-Computer Interfaces
| Title | Activating Memory |
| Description | Activating Memory is a composition for 8 participants: a string quartet and BCMI quartet. BCMI stands for Brain Computer Music Interface. The BCMI quartet involves four persons wearing a brain cap furnished with electrodes to read information from the brain of 4 persons. I teamed up with g.tec, a manufacturer of biomedical technology, and Joel Eaton at ICCMR, to design an extraordinary machine that converts brain information into musical scores. During the performance, the BCMI quartet generates musical scores to be performed by the string quartet in real-time: each member of the BCMI quartet generates an individual part for a musician of the string quartet. The first public experimental performance of Activating Memory took place on 09 February 2014 at Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival, Plymouth, UK, by the Bergersen String Quartet. |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | This was featured in BBC Click, BBC News World service and subsequently the story re-appeared in news worldwide, in various European countries, Africa and South America. This composition raised awareness and public understanding of the research we are developing and demonstrated how the technology might be used in real-world applications. |
| URL | https://vimeo.com/88151780 |
| Title | BCMI Concert |
| Description | The BCMI Concert was held on the opening night of the 11th international Symposium on Computer Music Multidisciplinary Research: Music, Mind & Embodiment, following the satellite workshops on Brain-Computer Interfacing. The concert featured works and performances by project PI, Prof Eduardo Miranda, as well as american pioneer Prof David Rosenboom, from CalArts. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The concert was public at a theatre conveniently located in the city centre. The event reached an audience beyond the delegates of the conference and was reported in the local media (The Herald newspaper); this contributed to inform and raise the local population's awareness of the project and its significance. A German journalist, from magazine Zeit Wissen came specially to this workshop and concert to write an article, which was published in the Aug/Sep 2015 issue. |
| URL | http://cmr.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/cmmr2015/ |
| Title | Flex |
| Description | Performance by PhD student associated to the project (match-funded by the University) Joel Eaton with brain-computer interface controlled sound synthesisers at FACT, in Liverpool, in an event called Syndrome, exploring new technologies for control of music. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | This performance contributed to raise the awareness of artists, practitioners of digital arts and audience of the research are are developing. A accompanying talk explained the system/technology to the public. |
| URL | http://joeleaton.co.uk/project/flex/ |
| Title | Learn about your brain with music |
| Description | Performance in USA of the composition Activating Memory, a string quartet controlled by 4 persons wearing our new brain-computer music interface. The performance, which was accompanied by a lecture delivered by the PI, Prof Eduardo Miranda, took place at Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, during the prestigious Mainly Mozart Festival. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The work was widely reported in California, notably on a very popular news programme in FOX 5 TV and in the newspaper San Diego Union-Tribune. |
| URL | http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/09/22/learn-about-your-brain-with-music/ |
| Title | Music Tech Fest |
| Description | The composition Activating Memory, for 4 brain-computer music interfaces and a string quartet was featured prominently at Music Tech Fest, as St Luke's, London, in Sep. 2014. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | This innovative composition was presented at this fairly large international Music Technology event for the industry and practitioners. BBC Click's LJ Rich tried the system and reported her experience on the TV show. It is estimated that over 2 million people viewed the story live on TV and website. This development contributed to raising the public awareness of the potential of brain-computer interfacing technology for musical applications and serves to clarify misconceptions about what is possible and what is not possible with this technology. |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29333741 |
| Title | Paramusical Ensemble |
| Description | This is a performance that took place at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney, London, where we tried for the first time our Brain-Computer Music Interfacing technology with a group of severely motor-impaired patients to make music. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This is the first time even that a group of severely-motor impaired patients were able to make music together, collaboratively, using brain-computer interfacing technology. This event made the news headlines worldwide (a selection of which is reported under Engagement Activities). The work we developed with the patients made a tremendous impact on the patient's well-being, including a lady who was a professional violinist before she suffered an accident that left her paralized. She was able to make music again after 27 years (as reported in The Sunday Telegraph on 09 Feb 2016): "Brain-damaged violinist makes music for first time in 27 years with mind-reading technology". |
| URL | http://www.rhn.org.uk/news-and-media/press-releases/paraensemble.htm |
| Title | Paramusical Ensemble Documentary |
| Description | This film is a documentary about the work we developed with patients at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, Putney, London, which lead to a public performance. The focus of the film is on taking research out of the lab and bringing it into the real-world of the beneficiaries. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The documentary was made for the Internet/social media and is aimed at raising the awareness of the research and clarify and demystify what the technology can and cannot do, nowadays and in the future. The film shows how the outcomes of the research has the potential to transform lives and improve the well-being of severely motor-impaired patients (e.g., sufferers of Locked-in syndrome). |
| URL | https://vimeo.com/143363985 |
| Description | A) Developed a systematic study to establish which musical parameters (characteristics) can be associated with affective states (emotions and feelings) that might be detectable in EEG patterns. B) Investigated music tempo as an alternative feedback mechanism in brain computer interface control and in neurofeedback. C) Proposed a method for identification of neural correlates of continuous variables D) Demonstrated that emotions evoked by music can be predicted from brain responses and acoustic features E) Developed generative music algorithms aimed at inducing specific affective states (as recognised from the patterns of EEG). F) Developed machine learning techniques able to learn complex EEG patterns and make decisions to steer generative music algorithms in real-time. G) Implemented a number of BCI prototypes for musical control to test complementary methods for controlling music H) Implemented a number of proof-of-concept BCI systems and tested their effectiveness at modulation of affective states. I) Developed methods to analyse interaction patterns in the EEG signal and shown their modulation by music tempo J) Gained a better understanding of how music can change affective states and what are the neural correlates of such affective responses. K) Run a pilot feasibility study of the developed affective BCI system testing its usability with patients with neurological disorders L) Implemented BCI proof-of-concepts for musical control to test complementary methods for controlling music with the EEG (e.g., using event related potential approaches). |
| Exploitation Route | We believe that (a) the methods that we developed for EEG analysis for detecting effective states, (b) the algorithms for generating music aimed at inducing specific effective states, (c) the methods we develop for regulating EEG patterns using music and (d) the Brain-Computer Interfacing (BCI) prototypes and proof-of-concepts that we implemented and tested, have paved the ground for the development of practical musical BCI systems for regulating affective states (e.g., to induce specific emotions/feelings). Thus, these results pave the way for more systematic incorporation of music as a viable feedback channel in Brain Computer Interfaces and open up the possibility of using such technology for a wide variety of therapeutic applications, e.g. those targeting affective disorders. Also, the method for identification of neural correlates of continuous variables might be of interests to BCI practitioners designing new BCI systems but also for researchers trying to characterise the neural processes associated with some cognitive functions. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare |
| URL | http://cmr.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/bcmi/ |
| Description | The knowledge we amassed from developing this project yielded the development of new brain-computer music interfacing technology and methods for musical composition. We developed a practical proof-of-concept, which enabled individuals suffering from severe body paralysis to create music co-operatively by interacting with each other and with able-bodied musicians. This interdisciplinary project advanced the field of assistive technology significantly by bringing together cutting-edge biomedical engineering and novel methods for music composition informed by Artificial Intelligence to develop an effective practical approach to brain-computer interfacing (BCI) technology that enables groups of users to work collaboratively. This research has impacted locally and globally, ranging from improving the quality of life for four severely physically impaired patients and raising awareness of the possibilities of BCI technology for music, to informing the development of novel approaches to BCI design. The team conducted workshops with severely motor-impaired patients (e.g., sufferers of Locked-in Syndrome) at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, which culminated with the formation of the Paramusical Ensemble, comprising four patients and a quartet of professional strings players. In 2015 the Paramusical Ensemble performed in a concert attended by patients, their families, hospital staff, and members of the public. For almost totally paralyzed patients to be able to make music together in public performance was an unprecedented achievement, which boosted their confidence and wellbeing significantly. One of the patients - who communicates via eye movement to select letters from a display - told BBC News [1] that: "It was amazing to work with the others". A relative of another patient added: "I was filled with excitement, really, and ... because I could tell she was enjoying it ..." The research was reported by the news media worldwide; e.g., The Telegraph (UK) [2], NPR Radio (USA) [3], and France Musique Radio (France) [4] to cite but three. The documentary has been screened at a number of international film festivals (e.g., Imagine Film Festival, USA and Science Film Festival, Indonesia). It was posted in a Vimeo channel and went viral on the Internet; e.g., as for 24/11/2017, Rockets are Cool's Facebook posting registered 1.1M views, 3.4k likes, 103 comments, and 2.4k shares [5]. Such media exposure contributed significantly to raise the awareness of BCMI technology on a global scale. A quote from bigthink.com [6] reads: "It's beautiful to watch these patients have the opportunity to be creative and interact with each other in a way their impairments don't ordinarily allow." A number of queries asking for more information was received; e.g., " would this technology also work to help release Autistic individuals from their conflicting thoughts that are locked up in their brains and not allowing them to become truly productive?" (From a person in the USA, 27/10/2016) The research also impacted the resident music therapists, nurses, and carers at the hospital by demonstrating that BCMI can be a powerful tool for their practice. A quote in Neuroscience News [7] from one of the therapists reads: "As a practicing music therapist working in brain injury rehabilitation, I'm really looking forward to seeing where this technology will take us". In 2017, Grey advertising agency produced a TV documentary for Sky Atlantic, sponsored by Volvo Cars, focusing on one of the patients, a former violinist of the Welsh National Opera. In 1988, she suffered a devastating injury in an accident, robbing her of speech and movement. Although she was forced to come to terms with the fact that her career as a musician was over, she never abandoned hope that one day she might once more make music. The documentary tells the story of how this research enabled her to play with an orchestra again. It is estimated that the first airing on TV alone was watched by a record of 16.5 million viewers. [1] BBC News reportage, "Disabled musicians create music from brainwaves": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-35557908/disabled-musicians-create-music-from-brainwaves [2] A story in The Telegraph, Brain-damaged violinist makes music for the first time in 27 years with mind-reading technology": http://www.telegraph.co.uk/good-news/2016/02/11/brain-damaged-violinist-makes-music-for-first-time-in-27-years-w/ [3] Transcript of NPR radio interview, "How Brainwaves Allow Paralyzed Musicians To Continue Playing": https://www.npr.org/2016/02/20/467468440/how-brainwaves-allow-paralyzed-musicians-to-continue-playing [4] Story in France Musique Radio, "Après 26 ans de silence, une violoniste joue avec son cerveau": https://www.francemusique.fr/actualite-musicale/apres-26-ans-de-silence-une-violoniste-joue-avec-son-cerveau-817 [5] Rockets are Cool, Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/RocketsAreCool/videos/1009792159150315/ [6] Article in bigthing.com, This String Quartet Was Composed by Brainwaves": http://bigthink.com/robby-berman/this-string-quartet-was-composed-by-brainwaves?link_time=1498748093 [7] Article in Neuroscience News, "Computer Interface Allows Disabled People to Control Musical Performance": http://neurosciencenews.com/bcmi-paramusical-ensemble-2269/.ee entries from previous years. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Environments for Alzheimer's-friendly Radio |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Impact | The ICCMR team advises the BBC on the project EAR (Environments for Alzheimer's-friendly Radio), which is developed with BBC Radio Devon, aimed at producing Alzheimer's-friendly radio programmes. This resulted in an one hour-long experimental radio programme aimed at listeners suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which was broadcast by BBC Radio Devon in 2015. Dr Alexis Kirke presented guidelines for production of such programmes at BBC's Broadcasting House in the invite-only BBC Sound Now and Next Conference. |
| Description | Prime Minister's Task and Finish Group for Rural Dementia |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Impact | Dr Alexis Kirke is member of Prime Minister's Task and Finish Group for Rural Dementia, which is a group that meets regularly in the House of Commons, Palace of Westminster and in other venues outside of London to discuss strategies and recommend policies for dealing with the increasing problem of dementia in rural parts of the UK. |
| Description | NOTAM - Oslo Collaboration |
| Organisation | NOTAM |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Shared results of research into using EEG as control signal for musical applications. Share know-how on how to built practical systems for using EEG and other brain signals in musical performance and composition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed design and programming of a generative computer music system, which combines brain signals with analysis of musical information. Contributed a visual video artist to realise an artistic visual interpretation of brain scans and facilitated the composition of a piece of music, which we have been using to promote public understanding of your project. |
| Impact | 1) A piece of music 2) A jointly authored book chapter: Miranda, E. R. and Vinjar, A. (2016). "Recomposing Beethoven with Music Neurotechnology". In J. Bresson et al. (Eds.) OM Composer's Book 3. Paris: Ircam. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | University of Bordeaux (France) |
| Organisation | University of Bordeaux |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Plymouth contributed methods for designing BCI systems for musical applications, focusing on the SSVEP technique. Prof Miranda demonstrated how Plymouth's SSVEP system works and presented the methods that we have been developing within the BMCI MIdAS project to harness signatures of emotion in the EEG signal. At present we are looking into ways to integrate Bordeaux's time-management formalism and system (see below for musical sequences into a BCI system. |
| Collaborator Contribution | University of Bordeaux's LaBRI (Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique) has developed a formalism for managing computational tasks where time control is critical, such as music. They've implemented a system called 'i-score', which embodies this formalism in the domain of music. It allows for the specification of temporal relations between interactive triggering and releasing of abstract events or processes occurring during a musical performance. Temporal durations are specified between parts or notes of a written piece. Then, the system develops a statistical analysis of the piece in order to produce an execution of the piece according to temporal relations. Bordeaux contributed (and is contributing) ways in which i-score might be able to process EEG signals and signature of emotions in time for BCI control. Since their system was originally designed for music, i-score's technology is an ideal candidate for our ambitious aim of controlling music with EEG signatures of emotions with efficient timing/sequencing management of both EEG signals, signatures of emotion (affective signatures) and musical sequences. |
| Impact | This collaboration is multi-disciplinary, combining Artificial Intelligence, Music Technology and Biomedical Engineering. Considerable time was needed to gain a deeper understanding of the respective research projects and technologies developed by the partners. One of the concrete outcomes is the integration of Plymouth and Bordeaux systems, in the sense that both systems talk to each other. A proof-of-concert system is in implementation process and a join paper is in sight. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | 1st International Workshop on Brain-Computer Music Interfacing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 1st International Workshop on Brain-Computer Music Interfacing organised as part of a major international conference on music technology (11th International Symposium on Computer Music Multidisciplinary Research). This first workshop was aimed at raising the awareness of researchers and post-graduates students of trends in the field of this research project and encourage young researchers to engage with the field. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://cmr.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/bcmi2015/ |
| Description | A sceptical look into neurotech |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The interest in neuroscience and neurotech has grown significantly during the last years. This increased exposure has also contributed to a lot of hype, misinformation and unrealistically high expectations about what this growing field could deliver. NeurotechLDN wants to initiate an open dialogue in order to better understand the limits of the field, while highlighting the incredible achievements and potential that applied neuroscience could bring to the general public in the next years. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.meetup.com/NeuroTechLDN/events/233910615/?_cookie-check=FgPLT6754Owrqc87 |
| Description | Après 26 ans de silence, une violoniste joue avec son cerveau |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The achievements of our research project was news in France Musique's magazine, which generated a great amount on traffic in the social media in France and other French-speaking countries, contributing to raising the awareness of the significance of our research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.francemusique.fr/actu-musicale/apres-26-ans-de-silence-une-violoniste-joue-avec-son-cerve... |
| Description | Article in Der Spiegel |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Article on the German magazine Der Spiegel on the theme of music and emotions, where our research project features as an example of cutting edge international research in the field. This is important communication outreach and demonstrates that our project enjoys good esteem and visibility internationally. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://magazin.spiegel.de/EpubDelivery/spiegel/pdf/127307938 |
| Description | Brain damaged violinist makes music for first time in 27 years with mind-reading technology |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Excellent news story in The Sunday Telegraph about the groundbreaking achievement of this research. This news story was replicated by a great number of online news outlets (over 50) and uncountable social media (blogs, Twitters, Facebook, etc.) worldwide, reaching an estimated 50 million people all over the world. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/good-news/2016/02/11/brain-damaged-violinist-makes-music-for-first-time-i... |
| Description | Classical music's 'all in the mind' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The World at One programme's reporter Neil Bowdler went to meet Eduardo Miranda, professor in computer music at the University of Plymouth, to find out how people have very different reactions to classical music. This BBC World Service programme is estimated to have reached an audience over 10 million people worldwide. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20799961 |
| Description | CogTalk: Art, music, memory & emotion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | CogTalk special event held to coincide with the exhibition "Peter Randall-Page: New Sculpture and Works on Paper". Artist Peter Randall-Page was in discussion with Dr Michael Verde and Dr Duncan Williams to discuss how our emotions are both affected by and have a profound effect upon our experiences of art, music and memory. Peter Randall-Page creates sculptures, drawings and prints, which are inspired and informed by natural phenomena and their subjective impact on emotions. Dr Michael Verde is a lecturer in Psychology at Plymouth University with an interest in, amongst other things, memory and emotion, false memories and illusions, distinctiveness and decision-making. Dr Duncan Williams is a Research Fellow at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research, Plymouth University, and has composed a unique piece of computer generated music, based on Peter-Randall Page's sculptures, which will be performed on the 7th February as part of the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival 2014 The exhibition (Peter Randall-Page: New Sculpture and Works on Paper) is running from 1st February to 29th March in the Peninsula Arts gallery. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBHn8UJmoPI |
| Description | Dara O'Briain Science Club Ep 6 - Music & Science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Alexis Kirke explains to Dara O'Briain how artificial agents can evolve music. Exposure on very well-known BBC program, with an audience estimated at 5 million. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://vimeo.com/56950291 |
| Description | Disabled musicians create music from brainwaves |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Report on BBC News, Science & Environment, first screened on BBC Breakfast Show, about how our research is transforming the lives of people with physical motor-impairment. The impact of the research has been demonstrated to an estimated 10 million viewers worldwide. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35557908 |
| Description | Disabled violinist plays for first time in 27 years with mind-reading technology |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | News about unprecedented opportunity that our research project offered to a disabled musician to play music again using our technology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/09/disabled-violinist-plays-for-first-time-in-27-years-with-mind-reading-... |
| Description | EAR: Environments for Alzheimer's friendly Radio |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview with Dr Alexis Kirke to BBC Radio Devon about our initiative to draw from the experience we have been gaining from this research project to develop a radio programme suitable for people suffering from Alzheimer, in collaboration with BBC. This initiative attracted the attention of the Alzheimer Society, which is interested in collaborating with the research. This activity is important because it opens opportunities to apply the knowledge generated by the research in real-world scenarios, out of the lab. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/alexiskirke/bbc-interview-on-project-ear-environments-for-alzheimers-friendly... |
| Description | Human Made Stories - Music of the Mind |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Film Music of the Mind, produced by Grey London for Volvo & Sky Atlantic, as part of the Human Made Stories series. All Rosemary Johnson ever dreamt of was becoming a professional Violinist. As fourth violin of the Welsh National Opera Orchestra at twenty-two, not only had she fulfilled her ambition, but many believe she was poised to become world class. Then, in 1988, Rosemary was involved in a car accident. She suffered a devastating head injury, robbing her of speech and movement. Although Rosemary was forced to come to terms with the fact that her career as a musician was over, she never abandoned hope that one day she might once more play the violin. Now, twenty-eight years on, she is learning to make music again, using only the power of her mind. Thanks to an extraordinary ten-year project led by the Plymouth University Rosemary's brain has been wired up to a computer using Brain Computer Music Interfacing software. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.volvocars.com/uk/about/humanmade/discover-volvo/music-of-the-mind |
| Description | In Tune - David Christophersen, Jian Wang, Eduardo Reck Miranda |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Sean Rafferty presents, with live music from cellist Jian Wang, straight from rehearsals with the BBC Symphony Orchestra ahead of their Barbican concert. Pianist David Christophersen plays music by Kabalevsky and Granados live in the studio and we talk to composer Eduardo Reck Miranda about his new work 'Symphony of Minds Listening'. This is a very popular BBC Radio 3 programme, which generated a number of enquiries about the project and expression of interest in keeping informed of similar initiatives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qqsf1 |
| Description | Is this the code to joy? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | News story in The Independent on Sunday, 19 May 2013. Link to article: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/culture/music/pop_and_rock/article1259505.ece Received a great number of enquires about the project and invitations to give talks at 3 universities in Edinburgh, York and London. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/culture/music/pop_and_rock/article1259505.ece |
| Description | Key note speaker at SMC2016 - Hamburg |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited keynote at Sound and Music Computing Conference, which sparked debate amongst the delegated on the future of computing technology for music. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://smc2016.hfmt-hamburg.de/ |
| Description | LASER: Talks on the intersection of art, science and technology |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give a talk and participate in a discussion panel exploring issues connected with interspecies communication, co-creation and collaboration. Discussion included considerations of working creatively with living matter, the implications of shared authorship, notions of nonhuman subjectivity, and issues of care and control. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.londonlaser.net/london-laser-19-programme-announced/ |
| Description | Learn about your brain with music |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview on premium time broadcast morning news on Fox TV 5 in San Diego, USA. Our project was one of the flagship features of a major classi music festival in California (Mainly Mozart), which in 2015 was on the theme of music & brain. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/09/22/learn-about-your-brain-with-music/ |
| Description | Many Worlds at Print Screen Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | ICCMR Research Fellow Dr Alexis Kirke was an invited speaker at the opening of Print Screen Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel, which also screened the short film 'many worlds' as part of the festival. The visit was covered by the Jerusalem Post, Tel Aviv Channel 10 TV, and Ha-aretz. This is a high-profile festival in Israel, which served to disseminate the research and raise the awareness of the public of the potential applications of our research beyond the real of music; e.g., cinema. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://69.195.124.60/~alexiski/manyworlds/ |
| Description | Many Worlds on BBC Click |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A feature on the film "Many Worlds" which explore potential uses of the technology being developed through this project. BBC Click A comprehensive guide to all the latest gadgets, websites, games and computer industry news. Subconscious cinema - film endings changed by your mood Link to the feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx-n7dS_4Zo High volume of traffic in social media. Invitation to present the work abroad (e.g., Israel, USA). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6WpH6IU3DM |
| Description | Mind-reading software allows brain-damaged Welsh violinist to compose music |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | News story about the groundbreaking research achievement of our project published in Australia, which raised the awareness of our research work in Australia through a number of re-postings in the social media. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.ibtimes.com.au/mind-reading-software-allows-brain-damaged-welsh-violinist-compose-music-2... |
| Description | Music & the Mind |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk and system demonstration given at a Music Festival event dedicated to music & the mind, focusing of the impact of music to healthcare and biomedical technology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://mainlymozart.org/ |
| Description | Music Neurotechnology, The Royal Institution of Great Britain |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ri Patrons were invited to bring guests to this open event where Prof Eduardo Miranda from Plymouth University explained the latest in research connecting music, the brain and technology. The event included a live performance of music composed using fMRI brain scans and performed by musicians from the Royal College of Music. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2017/march/patron-the-cognitive-neuroscience-of-music |
| Description | Music of the Future - Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview published in online magazine with substantial readership numbers. Interview on new technologies for the future of music, focusing on the research developed for this project as one of such technologies with potential for shift of paradigm. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.imperica.com/en/in-conversation-with/music-of-the-future |
| Description | Music, information and symmetry |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Invited keynote given to "Music, information and symmetry", event organised by Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, held in Vienna, on 4 June, 2015. Talk on music & brain and Music Neurotechnology developed during the project, to an audience of non-experts in the field of research. The talk fostered debate and interest on the topic of the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://summit.is4is.org/calls/call-for-papers/music-information-and-symmetry |
| Description | NeurotecX - A sceptical look into neurotech |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to be member of a debating panel on neurotechnology. The interest in neuroscience and neurotech has grown significantly during the last years. This increased exposure has also contributed to a lot of hype, misinformation and unrealistically high expectations about what this growing field could deliver. This event initiated an important dialogue in order to better understand the limits of the field, while highlighting the incredible achievements and potential that applied neuroscience could bring to the general public in the next years. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.meetup.com/NeuroTechLDN/events/233910615/ |
| Description | News in Radio France |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Article in France Musique news website about the project. Features the Activating Memory composition/demo. We received enquires from France and invitations to showcase the research in Paris. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.francemusique.fr/actu-musicale/composer-de-la-musique-avec-ses-ondes-cerebrales-19790 |
| Description | Playing music with your brain |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | News feature on BBC Click, reporting on a demonstration we gave in a public event which took place at LSO St Luke's in London. This news video is estimated to have bee watched by over 5 million people worldwide. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29333741 |
| Description | Plymouth University to develop computer that composes mood-driven music |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | News story in Wired. Link to article online: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/23/music-writing-computer A number of readers made enquiries about the project. It generated considerable activity in the social media (Twitter and Facebook). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/23/music-writing-computer |
| Description | Plymouth professor's 'digi hat' could rock music streaming |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A hat that measures brain signals could be the future of music on the go. The digital headwear, being developed by Professor Eduardo Miranda at the University of Plymouth, could be linked to portable devices like iPhones in the future. It means that by changing your thought patterns, you could change your playlists. The technology is in its early stages, but reporter Jonathan Morris put it to the test. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-devon-40510392/plymouth-professor-s-digi-hat-could-rock-musi... |
| Description | Remixing Beethoven with brain data |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk at Research Seminar at NOTAM (Norwegian Center for Technology in Music and the Arts) in Oslo, on developing algorithms to compose music with brain data. Talk that sparked discussion about the use of brain scanning data in musical composition and wider implications of this practice to the music industry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.notam02.no/web/2014/05/talk-med-eduardo-miranda/ |
| Description | Research visit (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Visit at invitation of University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna's music department to give a research talk and discuss future collaborations. An application for joint research funding was discussed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Residency at Harvard University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Develop collaborative work with Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Music (HUSEAC) on musical composition with new technologies. A talk was delivered on the interface between music and biology (focusing on human voice) and discussions were held with partners in the music department on how this project's outcomes may benefit the music community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Social media exposure for over 130,000 viewers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Short social media movie story published by Collective Evolution FaceBook which attracted over 130,000 viewers and 100 comments and over 1,500 shares. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveEvolutionPage/videos/10154712506763908/ |
| Description | Social media exposure with over 970,000 views |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Social media story published by Rockets Are Cool FaceBook, which attracted nearly 1 million viewers, over 10 comments and 2,300 shares. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/RocketsAreCool/videos/1009792159150315/ |
| Description | Story in The Guardian |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Story about the research project in The Guardian newspaper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/12/mind-blowing-music-tinie-tempahs-brain-scan |
| Description | Symphony of Minds Listening |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Keynote: Symphony of Minds Listening (2013 - 2014) is a new orchestral composition in 3 movements, based on the fMRI scans taken from 3 people while they listened to the second movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony: a ballerina, a philosopher and myself. The instrumentation is the same as for Beethoven's original instrumentation and the duration is approximately 25 minutes in total. I deconstructed Beethoven's movement to its essential elements with the aid of bespoke Artificial Intelligence (AI) software developed in my lab and stored them together with statistical information about Beethoven's compositional decisions. Then I re-assembled these elements following a method of my own, which uses fMRI information to guide the process. The original material was remixed and modified according to a number of musical operations guided by the brain scans. The brain activity of 3 different minds listening to Beethoven's music yielded 3 different movements of the composition, some bearing more resemblance to the Beethoven movement than others. The respective brain scans were rendered into movies showing the brain activity of the three persons, which are screened during the concert. I did to the Beethoven score what our hearing system does when we listen to music: sounds are deconstructed as soon as they enter the ear and are relayed through various pathways towards cortical structures, where the data are reconstructed into what is perceived as music. . Stimulated thinking and discussion about musical composition using brain-data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://cmr.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/pacmf-programme.html#saturday |
| Description | Talk at IRCAM - Paris |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk entitled Blurring the line between Musical Creativity and Scientific Development with Music Neurotechnology, advocated that Truly interdisciplinary research involving the arts and the sciences should ideally bring benefits to both. This talk will illustrate the influential role of the emerging field of Music Neurotechnology in the development of musical research that is equally relevant to musical creativity and scientific development. The talk paved the way for future collaboration with IRCAM in the field of music technology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://forumnet.ircam.fr/espresso_event/research-and-creativity-seminar/ |
| Description | Talk at MIT MediaLab |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk at MIT MediaLab in Cambridge (MA), on the future of Artificial Intelligence-mediated music technology, with focus on new interfaces and Brain-Computer Music Interfaces. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Talk at University of the Basque Country |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give a talk in a lecture series entitled "Jornadas Interdisciplinares Espacio de Conexiones" on the topic of developing multi-disciplinary research combining bioengineering and the arts. The talked followed with a discussion with the audience. The organisers informally reported that the talk sparked interest in the matters introduced by the talk. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | This Is Your Brain on Music! Offers Interactive Installations at UC San Diego |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote given at Mozart & the Mind event held at The Qualcomm Institute in San Diego. The talk reported on the outcomes of this research project and how it is leading to new approaches to computer-aided creativity with music technology. Prof Miranda also performed his composition "Mozart Reloaded," for which Mozart piano sonatas were algorithmically processed into new compositions. The audience engaged in a debate with the speaker during a Q&A session after the talk. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.calit2.net/newsroom/release.php?id=2583 |
| Description | Violinist plays for first time in 29 years after life-changing accident |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A promising violinist, who lost her ability to play after a catastrophic car accident, has been given the chance to play again using breakthrough computer technology. Rosie Johnson, who had been a leading member of the Welsh National Orchestra until she sustained life-changing injuries in the accident 29 years ago, robbing her of her speech, movement and confined her to a wheelchair, unable to play her violin.But following work alongside Professor Eduardo Miranda, an expert in computer music at Plymouth University, who has created a way in which she can tell the computer what notes to play, she has been able to perform once again. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2017-10-11/violinist-injured-in-accident-plays-again-after-29-ye... |
| Description | Watch as brain damaged violinist performs with friend - using just her thoughts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A brain damaged violinist has performed in concert with her best friend 29 years after they last played together after her mind was wired up to a computer to allow her to play notes using only her thoughts. Rosemary Johnson, 51, was a leading member of the Welsh National Opera Orchestra but her promising career as a soloist was cut short when she was involved in a devastating car accident in 1988 while travelling to a concert. Miss Johnson was left in a coma for seven months and suffered a debilitating head injury which robbed her of speech and movement, confining her to a wheelchair and leaving her unable to lift, let alone play, her beloved violin. But in a groundbreaking project her brain was linked to a computer using Brain Computer Music Interfacing software, allowing her to compose and play music again. This month, for the first time she was able to perform with her best friend Alison Balfour, with whom she last played when they were both violinists in the Welsh National Opera Orchestra in the 1980s. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/08/22/brain-damaged-violinist-performs-friend-35-years-last... |