Playing Your Heart Out – Science and music merge

21 Sep 2015

Science and music merged in front of a full Aula Maxima on Friday 18th September as some of the world's most celebrated musicians and composers came face-to-face with the finest minds in neuroscience and physiology at ‘Playing Your Heart Out’ as part of the Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival. 

This unique event was centred around Richard Reed Parry’s (Arcade Fire) ‘Duet for Heart and Breath’ – a piece dictated by the individual performers’ own heartbeat and breath. Performed by Parry along with internationally acclaimed Nadia Sirota, the piece was then followed by a discussion headed by Prof John Cryan, Chair of Neuroscience and Anatomy Dept. UCC  and  Professor Ken O' Halloran, Head of UCC’s Physiology Dept and the illustrious classical conductor Andre De Ridder.

John Cryan and Ken O'Halloran joined Richard Reed Parry (who to change the tempo,  raised his heart rate on an exercise bike!!), Nadia Sirota and Andre De Ridder in an 'adapted' performance of  ‘Duet for Heart and Breath’.

 ‌ Click on image to link to video 

More information available at http://soundsfromasafeharbour.com/john-cryan-2/ 

 http://www.ucc.ie/en/about/uccnews/fullstory-603833-en.html