Biofeedback Music: Your Heart as a Drum Machine and Sweat as a Melody
This course has limited capacity, reserve your spot now to secure your place!
This workshop on biofeedback music offers an introduction to the theory and practice behind this innovative approach to utilizing physiological data to compose and perform music.
Participants will learn about live representation of biological data through video and sound, and develop an understanding of the challenges of this hybrid art-science practice. Then, they will build a small emotion biofeedback system using galvanic skin response (GSR). Students will process the data from the GSR device and map it to music/visual changes using Max/MSP. Participants may choose to work solo or in small groups of 2-3 people. The session will conclude with an open discussion of the participants’ experiences and results of the workshop; those willing to share their work will be offered an opportunity to present their biofeedback pieces.
Upon completion, attendees will have a basic understanding of the main concepts of biofeedback music and sonification techniques for their GSR devices that they can also apply to working with other types of biofeedback data – sourced from heart rate (EKG), brain electrical response (EEG), or respiration frequency (RESP).
The enrollment deadline for this workshop has been extended!
Course Logistics
Dates: Saturday, August 9, 2025
Times: 1 – 4PM PT
Cost: $125
Scholarship: We also offer Diversity Scholarships.
Apply by July 19, 2025.
Format
In-Person Workshop at Gray Area
Address
2665 Mission St, San Francisco
Experience Level: Beginner to advanced
Requirements:
Laptop
Please download and install Max/MSP before the class: https://cycling74.com/downloads
Additional Information:
• No Refunds or Exchanges.
• View our FAQ here.
• Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Workshop Outline
I. Brief Overview of Notable Biofeedback Projects, including:
- “Discovery” of biofeedback in the 1960s
- Early biofeedback art and counterculture, 1960s-nowadays
- Aesthetics and tools of biofeedback art
II. Open Lab: Making Biofeedback (GSR) Music
- Build a small GSR biofeedback hardware system with the electronics kit provided (no experience necessary)
- Data processing and mapping to sound/visuals in Max/MSP (patches provided)
- Composition/performance techniques using the system
III. Reflection on Results and (Optional) Sharing of Works
- Open discussion with participants
Educational/Experiential Goals
- Describe the origins of biofeedback art and be able to discuss its cultural history
- Discuss theoretical and practice-based challenges of biofeedback music
- Identify common sensors used for measuring bio-data and the main mediums of biofeedback information (video, audio) and their pros and cons
- Build a biofeedback system utilizing GSR sonification/visualization with music software Max/MSP
Accessability Update:
Please note that this workshop will be held in the upstairs Gray Area classroom, which is not ADA accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience and encourage those impacted to contact us for assistance. Thank you for your understanding.
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