Exploring The Connections Between Data And Music

Composer and multimedia artist Paul D. Miller, also known as DJ Spooky, will speak about his unique performances during a visit to the Texas A&M University campus on Feb. 13.

The event is presented by the Visceral Intersensory Visualization & Information Design (VIVID) Lab for the Texas A&M Institute of Data Science (TAMIDS) Seminar & Tutorial Series.

Miller will also speak to two classes Feb. 14 in the School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts: design communications and data visualization.

Courtney Starrett, associate professor in visualization, said the appearance stems from Miller’s November campus performance, presented by the Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts. The DJ, artist and author was joined by Apollo Chamber Players string quartet in performing music he scored while collecting ice sounds and data in Antarctica.

“I was so inspired and excited, because I’m also working with ice and data,” Starrett said of her research about Northern and Southern hemisphere sea ice change over time. She approached the New York artist after the performance to inquire about collaborating on data visualization. He quickly agreed, which led to his upcoming appearance at Texas A&M.

“He’s here to tell the data story, about how he takes the math and the data and makes music out of it,” she said.

Miller, who is also artist-in-residence at Yale University’s Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, will speak Feb. 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Room 220 in the John R. Blocker Building. The appearance will also be available on Zoom through the Institute of Data Science site.