Quinn Arts

Design Rhythmics Sonification Research Lab works with scientists and museums to turn information and data into music. Why music? Not only do we love music, but it just so happens that music is composed of a very rich palette of qualities upon which data may be mapped and thereby perceived by the brain through the auditory channel. Music stimulates cognition and memory, and offers those who are blind or visually handicapped the opportunity to understand information and gain knowledge in new ways. By working with scientists who are shedding new light on our world, and the museums and centers who are helping to disseminate it, we seek to create innovative, pleasurable and accessible audio information presentation solutions for the public to "get it" by hearing. Whether online or live, our work makes science accessible to more people, and maybe, just maybe, its like listening to the music of the spheres.

Light Runners © 2009 Design Rhythmics Sonification Research LabCreated by computer scientist and composer/percussionist Marty Quinn, these sonifications demonstrate how data of all kinds can be translated into music for the purposes of expanding and enhancing our perception of the earth and our environment. Dr. Rita Colwell, former director of The National Science Foundation, cited this work in one of her speeches for being an innovative merging of art and science.

Currently, we are touring "Walk on the Sun" as part of new NASA sponsored program under the title "Light Runners". We are looking to show the exhibit for a week at a time in 12 cities at science centers and run special programs for the visually impaired at the science center or at the centers for the blind. The exhibit may also be purchased from DRSRL. Call Marty at 603-988-7107 for details.

Light Runners © 2009 Design Rhythmics Sonification Research LabThe Light Runners program is based on a 2-year NASA Ideas grant to create a museum exhibit based on sonified, musically encoded representations of data and imagery from the STEREO Space Mission. New image sonification and visualization techniques for solar images and data has also led directly to new techniques to present works of art, increasing the accessible of art by making the content of paintings generate music based on the color data present in the pixels in a photograph of the art. We showcased and discussing these approaches at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific conference poster session on Sept 6th, 2007 in Chicago and the Soundscapes panel at the Art Education for the Blind 2007 Conference in NYC Sept 29, 2007 sponsored by Art Beyond Site and the MET. The grant included collaboration with the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord, NH and UC Berkeley's Space Science Lab. See ArtMusic to see and hear examples of art as music. Visit http://www.drsrl.com/ for more details.

The Seven Valleys by Quinn ArtsThe Seven Valleys: spiritual dance theatre

Beautiful presentation of the 19th century mystical work after which the studio was named, will be coming to Kitchener. Professional dancers and musicians Marty and Wendy Quinn, from Montreal/New York/New Hampshire have combined original dance, music and textile art to create an amazing journey to treat the eyes, heart and spirit.

The Seven Valleys follows two lovers through seven spiritual stages in search of God and each other – traveling symbolically through the Valleys of Search, Love, Knowledge, Unity, Contentment, Wonderment, and the Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness. Audiences have described it as a “Tour de Force! Beautifully done. An achievement of magnitude” with “joyful and haunting song, innovative dance, masterful drumming, and exquisitely beautiful and versatile props.”

The Seven Valleys by Quinn Arts © Quinn ArtsNewly restaged by performers and creators Marty and Wendy Quinn, the 75-minute production of The Seven Valleys originally premiered in Europe in 1997. It features choreography that blends modern and classical forms with music inspired by East and West as well as computer generated compositions derived from the sonification of rain, brain-wave data, and the Seven Valleys text itself. The show’s hand-painted silk costumes and sets made up of seven Persian-styled silk-covered doors were designed by Wendy Quinn, Ellen Spring and Burhan Zahrai.

Written by the Persian nobleman Bahá’u'lláh around 1855, The Seven Valleys text describes a universal yet personal spiritual journey, much like Homer’s Odyssey. Bahá’u'lláh founded the Bahá’í Faith, a worldwide community of six million people who believe in the essential oneness of religion and humanity.

Marty and Wendy Quinn performing The Seven ValleysWendy Quinn, a native of Montreal, is a choreographer, dancer, and formerly an active member of the avant-garde performing arts community in New York.

Marty Quinn is a composer and master drummer who has played drums and percussion for Broadway shows and the Doah World Music Ensemble and is also a prominent sonification researcher specializing in transforming scientific data into music. He is also touring one of his new science exhibits called “Walk on the Sun” throughout the United States as part of a new NASA grant he recently won (see www.drsrl.com for more info on Marty’s scientific/arts work). The Quinns have performed together since 1991 in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia.