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A collaborative project, ten years in the making, is giving violinist Rosemary Johnson a chance to make music again. The scientists involved in the project, led by Plymouth University and the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London, have created a technology, Brain Computer Music Interfacing software. Thanks to the cutting edge technology Rosemary is now able to play using the power of her mind.
Rosemary Johnson, a former member of the Welsh National Orchestra, suffered a head injury in a car accident that left her in a coma for seven months. Rosemary lost both her speech as well as movement. A promising musician, Rosemary was robbed of the ability to create music.
Rosemary’s brain has been wired to a computer using the Brain Computer Music Interfacing (BCMI) software. She is able to play notes by focusing on colored lights on a computer screen. How intensely she focuses can affect both the volume and speed of the piece.
The software also allows for a composition to be altered as it is performed by live musicians. Three other disabled patients at the hospital have been working alongside the Bergersen string quartet to form The Paramusical Ensemble. They have recorded a piece entitled Activating Memory.
For more information on BCMI software and the Paramusical Ensemble check out the video: https://vimeo.com/143363985