“Peter Gabriel, St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark), Jon Hopkins, and Esa-Pekka Salonen are going to help The Sync Project—the initiative headed up by former Nokia design head Marko Ahtisaari” to explore music’s “therapeutic properties,” writes Jamieson Cox on Thursday (5/5) at theverge.com. “ ‘We’re very much looking for musicians and creators who have an active relationship with technology,’ says Ahtisaari.… The product in question is wildly ambitious: musical treatment programs for medical conditions that match the efficacy of drug-based treatment without subjecting patients to the dangers and side effects of pharmacological programs. Ahtisaari cites treatment for Parkinson’s disease as an example. Users could contribute data from their streaming service … and sensors from their phones or wearable devices that characterize their physical response to certain music. Collected in bulk, that data could inform more specific clinical trials testing the effects of various musical qualities on patient mobility…. The final result would be a personalized playlist … that aids movement and changes with the patient’s activity. ‘We’re building a biometric recommendation engine for music,’ says Ahtisaari…. Ahtisaari is planning on opening up participation in certain studies to the public later this year.”
Posted May 10, 2016
