Portable Gold and Philosophers’ Stones II – brainwave musical device (1974)

One of the earliest brainwave musical instruments was created by David Rosenboom for the Medtronic Archive, currently the Bakken Museum in Minneapolis. Though it’s not clear whether the instrument commissioned was presented in the planned installation, a few words can be said regarding the uniqueness of this “portable gold.”

The system was designed as a portable biofeedback device for live musical performance – a suitcase that might be used by up to four performers. The instrument, the form of which was inspired by the Buchla Music Easel, was conceived specifically to be a portable device allowing brainwave music to be performed anywhere.

Compositionally, it followed the idea of Rosenboom’s earlier piece, Portable Gold (Music from Brains in Fours) of 1972. On a regular basis, that piece required the use of EEG electrode headbands, four brainwave amplifiers (one for each performer), analysis equipment, and a specialized sound synthesis system. However, not all performance settings allowed Rosenboom to use all the equipment specified – or even more sophisticated devices he purchased for the Laboratory for Experimental Aesthetics at York University. So the development of an instrument that was easy to carry around and that encompassed the functions of the various electronic devices necessary for Rosenboom’s brainwave performances was a necessary next step in the development of his performance practice.

Collaboration of the composer with Medtronic began in 1973 and was finalized in 1975, yet with a promise of continuation that didn’t happen. Design of this brainwave musical device was one of four proposals made by Rosenboom, yet only the instrument design was financially supported.

(Photos of the instrument and scans were kindly provided by Adrian Fischer, Curator of Exhibits and Collections at the Bakken Museum.)