Members of the teaching team of IATL’s Science of Music module, including Dr Oksana Trushkevych, Dr Gavin Bell, Dr Sue Burrows, Tim Cunningham and the Coull Quartet, gave a talk and musical performance at the Guildhall in Coventry on the opening day of the British Science Festival. IATL’s tutors explained in their talk how sound waves are made, how they travel through the air and how they’re perceived, referencing their teaching on the Science of Music module and research in Ultrasound.

The musical performance featured an original composition by Dr Gavin Bell and Tim Cunningham for the Coull Quartet, bass guitar and Theremin. The Theremin is an electronic musical instrument that is controlled without physical contact by the thereminist (performer). The Thermin is a very difficult instrument to learn how to play – so IATL’s team of tutors cheated! David Greenshield from the Electronics Workshop built a Robot Thereminist that was controlled by Dr Sue Burrows.

The event was very well received by the audience with many members of the audience staying to ask questions and play with the demos after the performance. In addition, Dr Oksana Trushkevych (module convenor of IATL’s Science of Music module) along with Dr Sue Burrows explained how a spring drum works live on BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire

Performance of Immersion at the Guildhall in Coventry.

The Coull Quartet: Roger Coull and Philip Gallaway (violin), Jonathan Barritt (viola), Nicholas Roberts (cello – behind the pillar!).

IATL’s Science of Music teaching team: Dr Gavin Bell (speaking and bass guitar), Dr Tim Cunningham (conducting), Dr Sue Burrows (Theremin) and Dr Oksana Trushkevych (line array).

Photograph by Adrian Wilson.