“Thermal Music” is an experimental collaboration between Princeton University’s Forrest Meggers, associate professor in the School of Architecture and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and Jeff Snyder, director of electronic music. The project explores how the sensation of temperature can be integrated into musical performances through two methods: thermal input and thermal output. Thermal input leverages thermal cameras and sensors to control music parameters in real time, inspiring compositions such as “Seance” by Juri Seo and “Thermodynamics” by the Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk). Thermal output alters the audience’s sensation of temperature using custom robotic louvers that control infrared heaters. These louvers can be opened and closed in time with the music, introducing a rhythmic thermal element to works like “FireTongues” by Jeff Snyder, “reH3AT’r” by Davis Polito, and “Night Shift” by Ian Accetta.
The project’s premiere event took place at Princeton’s Embodied Computation Lab in October 2023. A paper on the thermal music concept was presented at the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression, marking a significant milestone as arguably the world’s first use of heat to drive music and rhythm. The research results will be presented at that conference in Utrecht in September 2024.
“Thermal Music” is produced by creativeX with additional funding from Princeton University’s Department of Music, the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and the School of Architecture.
