Physics & JazzMaster ClassIn-Person
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
Jazz Performance Space at Arnhold Hall
The New School
55 West 13th Street, room 531
New York, NY 10011
Explore the hidden connections between the physics of waves, the harmonic series, and the intricate world of bebop jazz. This course dives into the scientific principles that govern sound waves, resonances, and harmonics, unraveling how these concepts underpin the rich, complex sounds of bebop. Through the lens of physics, we will discover how pioneers like Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane used the harmonic series to craft their signature improvisational styles. By merging science and music, this course offers a unique perspective on the rhythmic and harmonic innovations that define jazz, providing both a theoretical foundation and practical insights into the art of improvisation and its connection to the physics of waves.
PHYSICS, MUSIC, JAZZ, STEM
Stephon Alexander
Stephon Alexander is an award-winning theoretical physicist, author, and jazz musician, whose work is at the interface between cosmology, particle physics, quantum gravity, AI, and music technology. A professor of physics at Brown University, Alexander is a past president of the National Society of Black Physicists and former executive director of the Harlem Gallery of Science, and is currently the CEO and founder of the nonprofit SoundPlusScience Inc. A specialist in the field of string theory and cosmology, he co-invented the model of cosmic inflation based on string theory in 2001. In his critically acclaimed book, The Jazz of Physics, Alexander revisits the ancient interconnection between music, astrophysics, and the laws of motion. He explores new ways that music, in particular jazz music, mirrors modern physics, such as quantum mechanics, general relativity, and the physics of the early universe. He is also a touring jazz musician.