Guest Lecture Recital: Paul Roberts, Piano

7:30 p.m., April 2 | Brechemin Auditorium

Paul Roberts is internationally renowned for piano performance, scholarship, and pedagogy. His April 2 lecture-recital, “In the Mind’s Eye: The Piano Music of Claude Debussy,” honors the 100th anniversary of the composer’s passing.  He also leads a master class with 91Ě˝»¨piano students at 5 p.m. on April 3, Brechemin Auditorium.

Guest Artist Master Class: Paul Roberts, Piano

5:00 p.m., April 3 | Brechemin Auditorium

Pianist Paul Roberts of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London leads a master class with 91Ě˝»¨piano students.

Simon TrpÄŤeski

7:30 p.m., April 5 | Meany Theater

A favorite in concert halls around the globe, Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski is the consummate performer, infusing his performances with equal measures of glittering technique and thoughtful introspection. From the intimate world of Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words to the kaleidoscopic bombast of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Simon Trpčeski’s Meany Center program is set to dazzle and delight.

Diego El Cigala

8:00 p.m., April 7 | Meany Theater

Three-time Grammy winner Diego El Cigala has been called “one of the most beautiful flamenco voices of our time,” by legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia. With a sound described as “natural, inspired [and] drop dead gorgeous” by the BBC, El Cigala seamlessly melds the intoxicating rhythms and melodies of his Spanish Gitano heritage with styles ranging from bolero to tango, Afro-Caribbean jazz and Cuban son.

ArtVenture: Dream City Diorama

1:00 p.m., April 8 | Henry Art Gallery

Help sculpt a city that works for everyone. Families will think about how they benefit from their own neighborhoods and the differences, inequalities, or new ideas present in other places. Throughout the program, participants will create buildings and resources that contribute to a giant, collective, re-imagined city.

ArtVentures encourage families to think about art in new ways. Each month we take a big idea and explore it through playful and experimental activities. Drop in anytime between 1 and 3 p.m.!

Chamber Singers and University Chorale

7:30 p.m., March 2 | Meany Theater

The Chamber Singers and University Chorale perform music from the Baltic states in their winter quarter concert, presented in collaboration with the 91Ě˝»¨Baltic Studies Program. Highlights include Jaakko Mantyjarvi’s Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae and other works.

Writing Workshop: The Moment Before the Image

1:00 p.m., March 4 | Henry Art Gallery

Join us for an afternoon of creative writing at the Henry led by poet Shin Yu Pai. Explore the ways that text can help navigate, capture, and create new experiences with visual and multi-sensory works of art. Participants will conduct poetic investigations in the galleries and take home drafts of new poems inspired by works of art from The Time. The Place. Contemporary Art from the Collection.

Un-dammed: Reflections on Art, Education, and Restoration of the Elwha River with Jamie Valadez, Eirik Johnson, and Langdon Cook

1:00 p.m., March 10 | Henry Art Gallery

In 2011, the removal of the Elwha River Dam began after decades of tribal activism and an act of Congress. Forover a century, the dam, constructed in 1910 wreaked havoc on the ecosystem and violated the treaty rights of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Since the removal of the Elwha River Dam and the nearby Glines Canyon Dam, the waters and land of this region have come back to life, salmon numbers have been steadily increasing, and important cultural sites of the Klallam people have been unearthed. What is there to learn from this historical moment of change? What led to this moment and what has followed?

Experts will share their experiences as they relate to each of their fields in art, writing, food, and education. Together, we will investigate the successes and lessons learned from this historic project.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan

12 Ophelias (a play with broken songs)

February 13 – 25 | Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater

In a neo-Elizabethan Appalachia, Ophelia rises out of the water, dreaming of Pop-Tarts and imagining how things might have gone differently for her. Hamlet is here, as Rude Boy. Gertrude is a brothel madam, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern her androgynous helpers. Playwright Caridad Svich constructs a beguiling lyrical landscape out of broken desires and repaired ambitions.

Music of Today

7:30 p.m., February 21 | Meany Theater

The 91Ě˝»¨ School of Music and The Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) present a program of original music and new works by current and former students of the 91Ě˝»¨Composition program.

Faculty Recital: Craig Sheppard, Piano; Bach: The Art of the Fugue

7:30 p.m., February 23 | Meany Theater

Chair of the 91Ě˝»¨piano program and acclaimed concert pianist performs Bach’s masterwork, the culmination of his lifelong passion for fugal composition. Known for his passion at the keyboard, allied to technical mastery and a deep commitment to both scholarly and historical perspectives, Sheppard celebrates nearly fifty years on the international concert platform. Sheppard’s repertoire is eclectic, comprising forty-plus recital programs and over sixty concerts spanning all major eras of Western classical music.

A Nov. 7 concert in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall promises to offer the audience a decidedly stellar musical experience.

The event, “,” will pair live performances of new compositions with video and slideshow scenes depicting cosmic events like the Big Bang, as well as scenes from distant worlds and Earth’s own life-filled history. The , under the direction of Grammy Award-winning conductor David Sabee, will perform the eight works by while the projected scenes unfold before the audience’s eyes.

The topics covered by the musical selections include a wide array of subjects in planetary sciences, cosmology, astrobiology and evolution.

“The audience will see major events in the universe’s history, set to music inspired by those events,” said 91Ě˝»¨ astronomy professor , who is coordinating the UW’s involvement in the concert. “These are major topics in astronomy and astrobiology, from the founding of the universe and the universe’s ultimate fate to things like the origin of life and the planets.”

The one-time event is presented by , the Composition Lab, the 91Ě˝»¨ and interdisciplinary . Portions of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit graduate students in both the Department of Astronomy and the Astrobiology Program.

The concert is the brainchild of local musician , who has also composed one of the eight pieces that the orchestra will perform. Burmer, a physician and biotech executive who earned her doctorate and M.D. at the UW, sees this event as a way to use art to connect the public to science.

“She has invented an amazingly creative approach to interest the public in science,” said Sullivan, who formerly led the astrobiology program, “at a time when science literacy is a serious issue in our country.”

Burmer selected seven other local composers, including a musical prodigy who is just 12 years old, to craft works for the concert around topics in astronomy or astrobiology. The composers chose their themes after meeting with 91Ě˝»¨scientists who pursue research in fields ranging from the Big Bang and star formation to how life evolved on Earth and whether it exists on other planets.

“They all had to find a muse to drive the composition,” said Burmer.  “Each composer has to feel emotionally attached to the subject and inspired by the subject.”

The scientific subjects became themes for each composition, which will be reflected in the visual elements projected on screen above the stage as the orchestra plays, said Burmer. These will be videos and slideshows created from open-source images, as well as simulations of astronomical phenomena or life on other worlds. They have made a of samples from the concert pieces paired with their visuals.

In some cases, the choice of complex subject matter inspired unusual creative touches. For part of Burmer’s piece depicting the Big Bang — the single cosmic event that created the universe over 13 billion years ago — a team of 91Ě˝»¨student percussionists will use the walls of Benaroya Hall’s main auditorium as an instrument, with permission from hall managers of course.

Burmer and Sullivan arranged for several free public events in which composers and 91Ě˝»¨scientists could discuss how the pieces integrate astronomy and astrobiology research.

On Oct. 1, 91Ě˝»¨astronomy professor discussed the origins of nebulae and stars, which will be explored at the concert by Nan Avant’s composition “Bijoux.” Burmer discussed the visual and musical elements in her piece, “The Big Bang,” with 91Ě˝»¨astronomy professor on Oct. 17. On Oct. 20, will take place at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center IMAX theater.   91Ě˝»¨oceanography professor and composer Barry Dowsett, who wrote “The Evolution of Carbon and Stardust,” will discuss the role of oceans and volcanic activity in the origin of life on Earth.

Burmer hopes these public discussions will build public interest for the real event on Nov. 7.

“I want people to understand the beauty and the awe of science, and live music really draws you in,” said Burmer. “When people come in and see it, I want them to gasp and go, ‘Wow!'”

“Origins: Life and the Universe” will be held Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Tickets are available for purchase or by calling the Benaroya Hall Ticket Office at 206-215-4747.

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For more information, contact Sullivan at 206-543-7773 or woody@astro.washington.edu or Burmer at 206-465-6841 or support@burmermusic.com.

91Ě˝»¨ researchers and think music may be the answer for some kids. They studied the ability of music videos to enhance students’ understanding of scientific concepts.

Davis will present “Sing about Science: Leveraging the Power of Music to Improve Science Education” on Friday (April 4) at the .

Davis and Crowther aren’t just talking about music as a mnemonic device to help students memorize facts. Previous research has shown that music can reduce stress and increase student engagement in the learning process, so the researchers theorized that music videos could help some students process and retain information better.

“It makes sense that we shouldn’t teach all kids in the same way; we should individualize,” said Davis, an assistant professor in the UW’s Information School. “We need to provide multiple entry points in all subject matters. Music is a different entry point into scientific concepts.”

Crowther is a biologist but is so interested in music that 10 years ago he created a website with a database of songs about science and math; now has links to more than 7,000 of them (the majority do not have video). Teachers can type in a topic and find music relevant to what they are teaching.

For their current research, they set up laptop computers at five science-related outreach events in Washington state. Most targeted students in K-12, but adults also participated. Participants in the study ranged from 3 to 76 years old, with a median age of 12. Each person sat in front of a laptop and selected a science-based music video to watch.

For instance, one video is titled “,” and is a parody of the hip-hop song “Party Rock Anthem.” It shows a dancing paleontologist, graphics of fossils and ground striations and continental plates drifting. It’s a catchy tune with fun, colorful graphics.

Participants took a pre-video quiz of four questions related to information in the video, plus a bonus question not covered by the video. They were also asked to rate their confidence in their answers. They were randomly assigned to watch either a visually-rich music video or a music video that showed only the lyrics on screen. Then they took a post-video quiz that included the same content and confidence questions.

In two-thirds of the music videos (10 out of 15), participants had more correct answers after watching the videos. Quiz scores rose by an average of one more correct answer after watching the videos. The lyrics-only music videos were as beneficial to improving quiz scores as the visually-rich videos.

Participants improved their scores not only on factoid-type questions, but also the more complex comprehension questions, which shows that the videos improved people’s scientific understanding and not just memorization.

Pre- and post-quiz scores were no different for the bonus questions, which did not cover material from the videos. This finding suggests that the boost in quiz scores was due to watching the video, and not by some other variable.

The researchers say everyone learns in different ways, and past research has shown that students learn best with hands-on, personally relevant tools that utilize powers of observation and audio-visuals. They also note that a person’s memories can change based on an emotionally charged atmosphere. Since music is an emotional medium, it makes sense that our educational memory could be enhanced by it.

“We’re not saying this is the only way you should teach science, it’s just a different way,” Davis said. “We’re hoping it can engage a broader array of students, to help them find success and create identities as science learners.”

Added Crowther, “There wasn’t a teacher breathing down students’ necks telling them they had to learn this for a test. People voluntarily watched these videos for fun. This is exactly the type of opportunity we should be creating more of. Students will seek it out just because it’s fun and interesting.”

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Davis can be reached at kdavis78@uw.edu or 617-820-9421; Crowther can be reached at crowther@uw.edu 206-290-8826.

Using a computer to alter pitch, add reverb and rhythmic layers and manipulate other variables, 91Ě˝»¨ composer created music that’s part natural, part imagined.

Rain becomes a chiming melody. A lawnmower turns discordant, followed by a horn-like herald. The tempo of falling leaves is intensified.

To complete the cycle, seven of Aresty’s compositions are now being broadcast from speakers hung in the arboretum where she originally recorded sounds. From now until the end of October, they’ll play continuously each Wednesday from 3-6 p.m., and Saturday and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. She’ll give four guided tours, at 10:30 and noon, Oct. 13 and 14, starting from the arboretum’s Graham Visitor center.

One way to listen is simply to wander the trails above Azalea Way. Or there’s a , with paper copies available at the visitor center.

One of the most satisfying things, as the installations began playing one by one during the last couple weeks, was “observing people who’ve found it by themselves, who stop and explore the space, listening to the music,” said Aresty, who is earning a doctorate in music composition.

At one site, the music plays softly enough that people crunching by on the gravel path miss it.

“I watched a woman stop while walking her dog, still, she didn’t seem to hear anything. But the dog’s ears perked up and it started looking all around,” Aresty said.

Aresty’s for “Paths II: The Music of Trees” includes a where you can read about each site, play audio clips of the original sound recordings and excerpts of the music she created.

For example, listen to the original recording of and the that was created by clicking on the “Rhododendron thomsonii” site.

“Initially I planned to make the wind the focus of the piece,” Aresty writes. “But one day when I came to record I was treated to a fascinating, isolated sound: in a far corner I heard what I suspected (but never actually saw) was a bunch of leaves or dried flowers falling to the ground.  This piece explores the rhythmic possibilities of this mysterious sound.”

The arboretum venue where this piece plays also has art by 91Ě˝»¨alumna Kate Clark, who created sculptures to accompany some of the sound installations. This particular sculpture is woven into the branches and includes finger cymbals that are like coins one tosses into wishing wells. That’s because the music for that site made Clark think of wishing wells.

On the website, you also can listen to that was then transformed into the playing at the site “Maple with fallen tree limb.”

Aresty writes, “When I began working on this site I was excited to explore sounds of new life around this gigantic fallen limb . . . On a few occasions I brought a homemade contact microphone to this site. (Like its name suggests, it picks up sounds by touch rather than through the air.) Though I was outwitted by many an ant – they refused to climb over it – the flies loved it. When they landed on the small disk I was able to capture the normally inaudible rhythmic patterns the flies create as they dance about.”

If you visit that site, walk to the far side of the maple tree to see the solar panel that powers the setup. Much of the hardware for the installations – speakers, wiring and such– are out of sight. They were installed by 91Ě˝»¨Botanic Gardens arborist Chris Watson, who as part of his work climbs trees in the arboretum from time to time. The most complicated installation involved scaling both an 80-foot Douglas fir and a towering cedar to install solar panels, battery boxes with electronics yards of wires and six speakers, all with Aresty’s help on the ground.

Funding for the project came from the , headquartered in New Jersey, 91Ě˝»¨ and Kickstarter, which connects artists needing funds with potential donors, where she raised $8,000.

The arboretum is a city park, with the plant collections owned and managed by the . In 2011 the director of the botanic gardens, , alerted the chairs of 91Ě˝»¨departments of visual and performing arts that ideas for collaborative projects were welcome. Aresty was already considering composing a piece to be installed in a tree and her advisor , director of the 91Ě˝»¨School of Music, suggested she consider a project in the arboretum.

“After meeting with Abby the first time I knew that her project was something we wanted to facilitate,” Reichard said. “Abby is incredibly creative and also technologically curious – as her ideas evolved they just got better. This is exactly the sort of project I wanted to encourage.”

Reichard and Aresty conferred with experts and got a wildlife permit to ensure animals in the arboretum wouldn’t be hurt by the project.

“I keep telling Abby she is the only music composition student in history whose work required a wildlife handling permit,” Reichard said.