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..Music....Video....Photography....About....Contact....Download.. What is Sleep Study? Musical performance is normally a conscious effort of the part of both performer and listener; however, the human brain is capable of receiving and processing sonic stimulus while in a variety of states. It is generally agreed that there are two phases of sleep: light sleep, during which brain waves slow down, and deep sleep, also called REM and characterized by rapid brain activity. During this period the body is atonic (relaxed) but there are bursts of rapid muscle movement. The two states often intermingle. A sleeping human might experience a period of light sleep which progresses to deep sleep for a few minutes, and then to a longer period of light sleep. There are few exactitudes when dealing with the variables of sleep - each person has different brain chemistries and habits, and especially different understanding and recollections of their own sleeping states. This is similar to the perception of music in that each is a completely individual and unpredictable experience. It is with these points in mind that I present this sound experiment. I designed this piece in order to attempt to tangibly understand the differences in the individual perception and contextual references (i.e. lifetime experiences) of listeners. As a lucid dreamer, I have often found that external sounds influence my dreams. By experiencing this sound environment while sleeping, each listener can bypass their conscious filters and inhibitions and truly allow the mind to wonder and make free associations outside of the bounds of reality. This is also an experiment in audiation. In order to present a score which functions as a visual root of the piece, each participating individual is asked to collect their perceptions, dreams, and sleeping experiences in written or graphical form. This score-in-progress can then become an independent catalogue of conceptual group artwork, and ideally, the only way in which one should form conscious ideas about what the specific sounds may be. It is at this point that our mysterious powers of audiation can be exercised, as those who have not had the opportunity to participate in the experiment can browse through the collection of impressions and imagine the music for themselves. There are many potential problems; however, one should keep in mind that this is an artistic experiment, and experiments don't always work. The only true failure in this case would be in not attempting the experiment, or in purposely subverting the concept. The problems which are not easily solved or accounted for are problems which make the piece itself interesting. Individual sleep habits and environmental factors cannot be controlled for. Instead of viewing these as problems or weaknesses the inclusiveness of the score makes them as important as a successful somnolent listening experience. In the end, the relative success or failure of each listening experiment is not important. The value instead comes from an archive of combined sonic experience and the potential for individual self discovery. If you would like to participate, please read the instructions below.
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