Sounds from a Safe Harbour ‘Playing Your Heart Out’.

16 Sep 2015

Science and music embrace one another as some of the world's most celebrated musicians and composers come face-to-face with the finest minds in neuroscience and physiology at ‘Playing Your Heart Out’.

The performance and symposium takes place in the Aula Maxima on Friday 18 September at 1pm as part of the Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival.

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

This merging of science and music, exploring the physical effects of this compositional technique has on both the performer and the music itself, is a first for both fields according to Prof Cryan “To our knowledge, it has never been juxtaposed with a science context, and will be very exciting”. 

 “A future fire will roar a glorious shout –

For now, Spiros, softly plays his heart out"

- Prof Ken O Halloran, from 'Heart and Breath'

The free event is a once in a lifetime chance to experience the top practitioners from diverse disciplines begin the conversation, exploring the symbiotic relationship between music, mind and body.

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