Music of the Sphere

George W. Hart


Above is me modeling a sculpture called Music of the Sphere, made of steel and silver brazed.  It is actually a musical instrument that you wear. There are two parts: the icosahedral ball hanging in front of me and the head piece. The 30 spiral components of the ball resonate and the sound is conducted in stereo by a pair of wires from the ball up to the head piece, which has two bumps that rest lightly against your skull.  You play it percussively with sticks, or by closing your eyes, walking around, and banging it into things.  The sound conducts directly into your head through your skull, and it sounds like you are inside some kind of gigantic vibrating metal cathedral.

The picture above shows John Horton Conway wearing and playing Music of the Sphere at the 1997 Mathematics and Art Conference at S.U.N.Y. Albany NY.  (Great shirt for this!)



copyright 1999, George W. Hart